Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 16-52@ Indiana | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 44-6vs UNLV | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#34
Brenden Reese
Sophomore linebacker for North Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 231 lb · Longview, TX · Longview HS
Returning to North Texas for 2026
The numbers
6
tackles · 2026
1.5 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sacks, vs UNLV
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 linebacker for North Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to North Texas in 2025.
Brenden Reese
Brenden Reese has been at North Texas through two head coaches in two seasons. One game to point at: 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL against UNLV — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20253 games
- Signed with North Texas3-star out of Longview
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
North Texas
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Drew Svoboda
North Texas
Coaching transition mid-career: Drew Svoboda → Neal Brown. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025North Texas12-2HC: Drew Svoboda · Balanced
2026North Texas1-1HC: Neal Brown · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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: 3.0 TKL/g, 0.8 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
Neal Brown
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | North Texas | 6 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | North Texas | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 9 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 44–6
vs UNLV
5 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Dominant 38-point win at home against UNLV.
With T. Jackson — 233 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 74.9 · 15 rush yds (7 car) · 1 TD · J. White — 124 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
North Texas
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · North Texas
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +11 net (49 in / 38 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
North Texas · Last season: 12-2 (AP #23) · Talent rank #95 · 2026 recruiting class #135
Background
2025: Appeared in each of the final 12 games of the season, primarily on special teams … totaled three tackles on the season. Prior to UNT: Prepped at Longview HS in Longview, Texas … posted 97 tackles, 15.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks and an interception in 11 games as a senior … tallied double-digit tackle...
The linebacker corps · North Texas
- #7Aaron Alexander92 tackles · 2025
- #3Zakye Barker27 tackles · 2025
- #30Chantz Johnson7 tackles · 2025
- #36Jaden Manning6 tackles · 2025
- #34Brenden Reese3 tackles · 2025
4 more on the roster · North Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology