Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-16vs Akron | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-36@ Purdue | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#10
Gabe Kirschke
Redshirt senior defensive lineman for Wake Forest. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′5″ · 249 lb · Lone Tree, CO · Valor Christian
CFB Index 74 · #73 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Wake Forest 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
1
sack · 2026
2.5 TFL · 9 tackles · 1 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 6 tackles, at Purdue
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman for Wake Forest. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Colorado State to Wake Forest in 2025.
Gabe Kirschke
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Across four seasons and three programs, three head coaches: Luke Fickell, Jay Norvell and Jake Dickert. In 2024 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Mountain West. One game to point at: 6 tackles, 1 sacks against Purdue — Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 1 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.
202413 games
- Entered the portal
- All-Mountain Westhonorable_mention
202513 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST
All-Mountain West mention (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Wake Forest
Coaching transition mid-career: Dave Clawson → Jake Dickert. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced
2024Colorado State8-5HC: Jay Norvell · Run-leaning
2025Wake Forest9-4HC: Jake Dickert · Balanced
2026Wake Forest2-0HC: Jake Dickert · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: tackles for loss (91st percentile). Strength: sacks (87th 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, 1.2 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jake Dickert
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
74 · #73 of 420 edge rushers
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #9 of 73 ACC DLs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. 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 | Wake Forest | 9 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Wake Forest | 37 | 21 | 9.0 | 5.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Colorado State | 41 | 12 | 9.5 | 6.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 88 | 40 | 22.0 | 12.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–36
at Purdue
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Wake Forest
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Wake Forest
Returning around him
- 2 Wake Forest players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +1 net (24 in / 23 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Wake Forest · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #63 · 2026 recruiting class #39
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Aiden Gobaira’s 2025 season.
88%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Aiden on
Class year
Sack rate
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Anas Luqman's junior season at Ohio (2025).
80%match
Matches Anas on
Weight
Sack rate
TFL rate
Differs from Anas on
Hurry rate (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Gabe Kirschke
Background
Career Accolades 2026 Athlon Sports Preseason Fourth Team All-ACC 2025 (Redshirt Junior) Played in all 13 games… Totaled 37 tackles, nine TFLs, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery… Led the team in forced fumbles… Made five tackles and 1.5 sacks in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Mis...
The defensive line · Wake Forest
- #11Langston Hardy14.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #10Gabe Kirschke9 tackles for loss · 2025
- #52Dallas Afalava6 tackles for loss · 2025
- #94Zach Lohavichan5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #55Kadear Dembele0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Wake Forest team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology