#99

Gio Paez

Former defensive tackle at LSU. 2024: 1 sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, 20 tackles.

DT · LSU · Sr. · #99

6′3″ · 311 lb · Los Angeles, CA

CFB Index 48 · #150 of 285 interior linemenLow confidenceLSU 2024 — college career complete

Recruiting

3★

DT recruit

No. 902 nationally · Signed with Wisconsin

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive tackle at LSU. 2024: 1 sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, 20 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Wisconsin in 2019.
Transferred from Wisconsin to LSU in 2024.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at LSU, 57 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2019

Signed with Wisconsin3-star out of Hough

202410 games

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#902 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

2 coaches

2021

Ed Orgeron

LSU

2022–2024

Brian Kelly

LSU

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Ed Orgeron → Brian Kelly. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Wisconsin9-4HC: Paul Chryst · Run-heavy

2022Wisconsin7-6HC: Jim Leonhard · Run-heavy

2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced

2024LSU9-4HC: Brian Kelly · Pass-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

48Rotational starter #150 of 285?

Low confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile). Concern: solo tackles (14th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

QB hurries#397 / 2892 · 83rd pct

Sacks#841 / 2892 · 63rd pct

1.0

Tackles for loss#1216 / 2892 · 55th pct

2.5

Passes defended#1155 / 2892 · 49th pct

Tackles#1983 / 2892 · 30th pct

Solo tackles#2420 / 2892 · 14th pct

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 · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	1.9	0.3	0.1	0.0
Road2g	2.5	0.0	0.0	0.5

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	2.1	0.4	0.1	0.0
Weeks 8+3g	1.7	0.0	0.0	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lane Kiffin

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

48 · #150 of 285 interior linemen

Three-star recruit. Now #150 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	LSU	20	7	2.5	1.0	1	--	--
2023	Wisconsin	23	4	0.5	0.0	--	--	--
2022	Wisconsin	12	6	1.0	0.0	--	--	--
2021	Wisconsin	2	1	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		57	18	4.0	1.0	1	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2024

W 29–26

vs Ole Miss

3 TOT · 0 SACKS · 1 TFL

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.

With G. Nussmeier — 337 yds · 3 TD · 2 INT · QBR 73.0 · 16 rush yds (2 car) · P. Todd — 42 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 44 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 20-27vs USC	4	1	1.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 4 tackles
Wk 2	W 44-21vs Nicholls	2	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 36-33@ South Carolina	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 34-17vs UCLA	0	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	W 42-10vs South Alabama	1	0	0.5	0.5	—	0
Wk 7	W 29-26vs Ole Miss	3	0	1.0	0.5	—	0
Wk 9	L 23-38@ Texas A&M	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 11	L 13-42vs Alabama	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 24-17vs Vanderbilt	2	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Bowl	W 44-31vs Baylor	2	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Total		20	7	2.5	1.0	—	1

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