Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-7vs Central Michigan | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 70-7vs Mercyhurst | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | — | 0 |
#45
Brett Karhu
Senior defensive end for New Mexico. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 226 lb · Frisco, TX
CFB Index 81 · #42 of 420 edge rushersMedium confidenceReturning to New Mexico 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
2.5
sacks · 2026
2.5 TFL · 4 tackles · 1 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL, 2 tackles, vs Mercyhurst
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive end for New Mexico. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
His career, year by yearBrett Karhu
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes. Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Ryan Silverfield and Jason Eck. 2025 brought the first one: All-Mountain West. The receipt: 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks against Mercyhurst — Week 2, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 2.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
202512 games
- All-Mountain Westhonorable_mention
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST
All-Mountain West mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
New Mexico
2025–2026era →
Jason Eck
New Mexico
Coaching transition mid-career: Bronco Mendenhall → Jason Eck. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Memphis11-2HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced
2025New Mexico9-4HC: Jason Eck · Run-leaning
2026New Mexico2-0HC: Jason Eck · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: sacks (99th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (91st 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: 2.0 TKL/g, 1.2 TFL/g, 1.2 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jason Eck
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.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Mountain West
Based on 2025: #1 of 8 Mountain West DEs
How the All-Mountain West estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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 | New Mexico | 4 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico | 29 | 17 | 11.0 | 7.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Memphis | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 34 | 19 | 13.5 | 10.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 70–7
vs Mercyhurst
2 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Dominant 63-point win at home against Mercyhurst.
With C. Steinkamp — 59 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 76 LONG · M. Kern — 38 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 39 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
New Mexico
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · New Mexico
Returning around him
- 1 New Mexico player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (14 in / 14 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
New Mexico · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #112 · 2026 recruiting class #87
DNA match
Player DNA
Finisher
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Josaiah Stewart’s 2024 season.
68%match
All-Big TenNFL Rd 3 · Pk 26
Matches Josaiah on
TFL rate
Pressure-to-sack conversion
Differs from Josaiah on
Weight (lower)
Height (lower)
Hurry rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Daniel Grzesiak's sophomore season at Nevada (2021).
65%match
All-Mountain West
Matches Daniel on
TFL rate
Height
Sack rate
Differs from Daniel on
Hurry rate (higher)
The defensive line · New Mexico
- #45Brett Karhu11 tackles for loss · 2025
- #10Darren Agu3.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #92Brian Booker3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #15Xavier Slayton3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #94Jalen McIver2.5 tackles for loss · 2025
15 more on the roster · New Mexico team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology