Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 8 | 5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
BL
Braylan Lovelace
Senior linebacker for Pittsburgh. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 225 lb · Leechburg, PA · Leechburg
CFB Index 76 · #85 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Pittsburgh 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
8
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs UCF
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Pittsburgh. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Pittsburgh in 2023.
Braylan Lovelace
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. This is his fourth year in the same linebacker corps at Pittsburgh. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: ACC Linebacker Player of the Week. One game to point at: 6 tackles, 1 sacks against UCF — Week 2, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20238 games
- Signed with Pittsburgh3-star out of Leechburg Area
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Pittsburgh
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Pat Narduzzi — 20-20 over that span.
2023Pittsburgh3-9HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced, slow tempo
2024Pittsburgh7-6HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2026Pittsburgh2-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: qb hurries (96th percentile). Strength: 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 2 games: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games 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
76 · #85 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #85 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #11 of 74 ACC LBs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 79 | 41 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh | 53 | 23 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh | 24 | 10 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 164 | 79 | 18.0 | 6.0 | 3 | 3 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
6 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 SACKS
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
With G. Russo — 40 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 51 LONG · M. Heintschel — 212 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.1 · 13 rush yds (7 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Pittsburgh
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Pittsburgh
Returning around him
- 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #64 · 2026 recruiting class #44
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tyler Murray’s 2021 season.
83%match
All-Conference USA
Matches Tyler on
Hurry rate
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Braydon Brus's junior season at Northwestern (2025).
84%match
Matches Braydon on
TFL rate
Weight
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Braylan Lovelace
Background
2025: Honorable Mention All-ACC...in 13 starts, had 80 tackles, 5.5 TFL, two interceptions (one TD) and two PBUs as Pitt’s MIKE linebacker...against Louisville, registered 10 tackles, earned ACC Linebacker of the Week in Week 13 for his 100-yard pick-six that flipped momentum in the ranked road w...
The linebacker corps · Pittsburgh
- Braylan Lovelace79 tackles · 2025
- #31Demarco Ward50 tackles · 2025
- #10Alex Sanford Jr.47 tackles · 2025
- #24Cameron Lindsey32 tackles · 2025
- #52Abe Ibrahim16 tackles · 2025
9 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology