#11

Dylan Early

Former safety at New Mexico State. 2024: 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, 48 tackles.

S · New Mexico State · Sr. · #11

6′0″ · 190 lb · Houston, TX

CFB Index 46 · #306 of 537 safetiesMedium confidenceNew Mexico State 2024 — college career complete

Recruiting

3★

S recruit

No. 2392 nationally · Signed with New Mexico State

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former safety at New Mexico State. 2024: 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, 48 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to New Mexico State in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at New Mexico State, 150 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20219 games

Signed with New Mexico State3-star out of Spring Dekaney

202411 games

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#2392 national

CFB

College

New Mexico State

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

3 coaches

2021

Doug Martin

New Mexico State

2022–2023

Jerry Kill

New Mexico State

era →

2024

Tony Sanchez

New Mexico State

era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: Doug Martin, Jerry Kill, and Tony Sanchez. Multi-era developmental context.

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021New Mexico State2-10HC: Doug Martin · Pass-leaning

2022New Mexico State7-6HC: Jerry Kill · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2023New Mexico State10-5HC: Jerry Kill · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2024New Mexico State3-9HC: Tony Sanchez · Run-heavy

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

46Rotational starter #306 of 537?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (84th percentile). Concern: tackles for loss (7th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Solo tackles#460 / 2892 · 84th pct

Tackles#662 / 2892 · 77th pct

Passes defended#755 / 2892 · 67th pct

Interceptions#314 / 862 · 32nd pct

Sacks#1455 / 2892 · 25th pct

0.0

QB hurries#1536 / 2892 · 23rd pct

Tackles for loss#2477 / 2892 · 7th pct

0.0

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

2024 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	4.2	0.0	0.0	0.2
Road5g	4.6	0.0	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	3.8	0.0	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	4.8	0.0	0.0	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tony Sanchez

Pass share

52.3%

101 pass / 92 run

Plays / game

64.3

3 games

Team sack rate

3.7%

107 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Part-time starter

Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

46 · #306 of 537 safeties

Three-star recruit. Now #306 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	New Mexico State	48	32	0.0	2	1	--
2023	New Mexico State	39	21	0.5	2	2	--
2022	New Mexico State	36	24	0.0	3	--	--
2021	New Mexico State	27	17	2.5	2	--	--
Career		150	94	3.0	9	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2024

W 23–16

vs Southeast Missouri State

2 SOLO · 4 TOT

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 at home.

With G. Eberle — 49 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 57 LONG · A. Watkins — 29 rush yds (5 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 23-16vs Southeast Missouri State	4	2	—	0
Wk 2	L 24-30vs Liberty	2	1	—	1
Wk 3	L 0-48@ Fresno State	2	0	—	0
Wk 4	L 11-31@ Sam Houston	8	8	—	0	Season-high 8 tackles
Wk 5	L 40-50vs New Mexico	3	1	—	0
Wk 8	W 33-30vs Louisiana Tech	5	2	—	0
Wk 10	L 13-34@ Florida International	4	3	—	0
Wk 11	L 28-41vs Western Kentucky	5	5	—	0
Wk 12	L 3-38@ Texas A&M	4	2	—	0
Wk 13	W 36-21@ Middle Tennessee	5	3	1	1
Wk 14	L 35-42vs UTEP	6	5	—	0
Total		48	32	1	2

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Dylan Early

20219 games

202411 games

2024 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Part-time starter

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Hybrid Nickel

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