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) | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#12
Cruce Brookins
Senior defensive back on Pittsburgh's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 205 lb · Pittsburgh, PA · Steel Valley
CFB Index 64 · #148 of 544 safetiesLow 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.
Recruiting
3★
S recruit
No. 982 nationally · Signed with Pittsburgh
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Pittsburgh's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Pittsburgh in 2023.
Cruce Brookins
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. He has spent four seasons in the Pittsburgh secondary. The receipt on tape: 5 tackles against UCF, Week 2, 2026.
9 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.
2023
- Signed with Pittsburgh3-star out of Steel Valley
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
Medium confidenceAscending
Elite: qb hurries (83rd 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: 4.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 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
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
64 · #148 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #148 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #16 of 75 ACC DBs
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 | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 53 | 28 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh | 35 | 26 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 99 | 61 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
5 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 PD
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
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Pittsburgh
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · 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
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Carter Davis’s 2025 season.
Matches Carter on
PD rate
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Carter on
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jalen Smith's junior season at Mississippi State (2025).
77%match
Matches Jalen on
Class year
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Jalen on
Weight (lower)
Background
2025: Started eight of 10 games at safety and also contributed on special teams…Honorable Mention All-ACC...compiled 53 tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups and 0.5 tackles for loss. 2024: Played in 12 games, serving on special teams and as a primary reserve at strong safety…totaled 35 t...
The secondary · Pittsburgh
- #12Cruce Brookins53 tackles · 2025
- #3Shawn Lee Jr.31 tackles · 2025
- #21Shadarian Harrison29 tackles · 2025
- #26Allen Bryant16 tackles · 2025
- #6Raion Strader9 tackles · 2025
13 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology