Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 28-9vs Austin Peay | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#22
Bryce Cowan
Senior linebacker for Vanderbilt. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 235 lb · Tallahassee, FL · Amos P. Godby
CFB Index 54 · #253 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Vanderbilt 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
3
tackles · 2026
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, vs Austin Peay
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Vanderbilt. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Vanderbilt in 2022.
Bryce Cowan
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. He has spent four seasons in the Vanderbilt linebacker corps. The receipt: 2 tackles against Austin Peay — Week 1, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 0 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 Vanderbilt3-star out of Amos P. Godby
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Vanderbilt
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Vanderbilt
Played his entire career under Clark Lea.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Clark Lea — 21-19 over that span.
2023Vanderbilt2-10HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2024Vanderbilt7-6HC: Clark Lea · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2025Vanderbilt10-3HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Vanderbilt2-0HC: Clark Lea · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceReinvented
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: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clark Lea
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
54 · #253 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #253 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #43 of 76 SEC LBs
How the All-SEC 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 | Vanderbilt | 3 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 32 | 20 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Vanderbilt | 15 | 8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | 15 | 8 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 65 | 36 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 28–9
vs Austin Peay
2 TOT
With T. Ebel — 52 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 59 LONG · B. Berlowitz — 149 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · 45 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Vanderbilt
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Vanderbilt
Returning around him
- 1 Vanderbilt player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -2 net (18 in / 20 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Vanderbilt · Last season: 10-3 (AP #13) · Talent rank #42 · 2026 recruiting class #33
DNA match
Player DNA
Sideline-to-Sideline
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Elliott Brown’s 2021 season.
70%match
Matches Elliott on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Elliott on
Sack rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Weight (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jared Bartlett's junior season at West Virginia (2022).
75%match
All-Big 12
Matches Jared on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Differs from Jared on
Height (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Bryce Cowan
The linebacker corps · Vanderbilt
- #11Bryan Longwell70 tackles · 2025
- #24Nicholas Rinaldi47 tackles · 2025
- #22Bryce Cowan32 tackles · 2025
- #30Austin Howard8 tackles · 2025
- #20Jamison Curtis8 tackles · 2025
6 more on the roster · Vanderbilt team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology