Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-18vs South Dakota State | 7 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 |
#33
Braydon Brus
Senior linebacker for Northwestern. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 230 lb · Glendora, CA · Glendora
CFB Index 70 · #125 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Northwestern for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
7
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 sacks · 1 PBU
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs South Dakota State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Northwestern. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northwestern in 2022.
Braydon Brus
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. He has spent four seasons in the Northwestern linebacker corps. The receipt: 7 tackles, 1 sacks against South Dakota State — Week 1, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Northwestern3-star out of Glendora
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northwestern
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Northwestern
Played his entire career under David Braun.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under David Braun — 20-19 over that span.
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2026Northwestern1-0HC: David Braun · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceBreakout
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 7.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 1 game in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
70 · #125 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #125 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #24 of 72 Big Ten LBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | 7 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 81 | 41 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 12 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 4 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 104 | 54 | 7.0 | 3.5 | 5 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–18
7 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 SACKS
With A. Chiles — 273 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · 18 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · J. Himon II — 87 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northwestern
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Northwestern
Returning around him
- 2 Northwestern players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +9 net (17 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northwestern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #60 · 2026 recruiting class #52
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tarique Barnes’s 2021 season.
Matches Tarique on
Weight
TFL rate
Hurry rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Braylan Lovelace's junior season at Pittsburgh (2025).
84%match
Matches Braylan on
TFL rate
Weight
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Braydon Brus
Background
2025 Redshirt Junior: Started all 13 games … Earned the starting Will linebacker role after primarily featuring on special teams the past two seasons ... Registered 81 total tackles, 41 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, al...
The linebacker corps · Northwestern
- #37Mac Uihlein89 tackles · 2025
- #33Braydon Brus81 tackles · 2025
- #2Kobie McKinzie32 tackles · 2025
- #14Yanni Karlaftis11 tackles · 2025
- #34Payton Roth8 tackles · 2025
12 more on the roster · Northwestern team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology