2026 games, tackles for loss per game. W and L: the team’s results.
Demetrius Ballard
Bull-rushes through contact at the point of attack. Played for two head coaches across two seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 4 tackles against Duke — Week 9, 2026.
23 tackles · 4.5 sacks
Play style
Bull-rushes through contact, winning with size and length at the point of attack.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
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| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Boston College | 23 | 13 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 1 |
| 2025 | Buffalo | 13 | 3 | 2.5 | 1.5 | -- |
| Career | 36 | 16 | 9.5 | 6.0 | 1 |
Last game (Wk 9): 4 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 15-34@ Cincinnati | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 28-21vs Rutgers | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 22-16vs Maine | 4 | 4 | 3.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 5 | L 16-25@ No. 21 SMU | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 27-21vs Pittsburgh | 5 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 8 | W 49-27@ Georgia Tech | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 2-47@ Duke | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 23 | 13 | 7.0 | 4.5 | — | 1 |
Oct. 31 · L 2-47 at Duke, play by play
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 7 tackles for loss, 4 of them sacks, in the 7 games with play by play.
How Boston College’s defense played that day
1 tackle, including 1 sack.
Sacked the quarterback for a 7-yard loss on 3rd and 5. Fourth quarter, up 49-27.
5 tackles, including 1 more for loss. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 6 for him; the box score credits 5.
Sacked the quarterback for a 3-yard loss on 3rd and 9. Second quarter, down 12-7.
3 tackles, including 1 sack. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 9-yard loss. Third quarter, down 19-10.
A big game: 4 tackles, including 1 more for loss, 2 sacks, tied for 3rd-most sacks in FBS that week. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 3 of his 4, sacks included.
Sacked the quarterback for a 4-yard loss. Second quarter, up 19-3.
3 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Ratings of the games shown run from -5 to +13 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Sack rate
20%4 sacksTFL rate
30%7 TFLHurry rate
13%3 hurriesPressure-to-sack conversion
60%4 of 8 pressures23 tackles · 7 for loss · 4.5 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 4.0 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Road4g | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bill O'Brien
Pass share
42.3%
212 pass / 289 run
Plays / game
62.6
8 games
Team sack rate
9.1%
253 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive lineman who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Unranked recruit. Now #117 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coachesPlayed for 2 head coaches at 2 schools: Pete Lembo and Bill O'Brien.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to Boston College
