2026 games, tackles for loss per game. W and L: the team’s results.
“Hjelle is just a fun name.”
Joe Hjelle
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Played for three head coaches at two programs in three seasons: Kevin Wilson, Tre Lamb and Curt Cignetti. A game that shows it: 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss against Rutgers — Week 5, 2026.
16 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
16 tackles. 0 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 3.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Fans first named Joe Hjelle vs North Texas.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 3 tackles for loss, in the 9 games with play by play.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Last game (Wk 9): 1 tackle for loss, 1 tackle.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 9 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-16vs North Texas | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 55-0vs Howard | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0vs Western Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 29-23vs Northwestern | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 47-15@ Rutgers | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 20-17@ Nebraska | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 15-19vs No. 4 Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 13-6@ Michigan | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 23-16vs Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 7 | 3.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Week 2 · 2026
W 55-0
vs Howard
1.5 tackles for loss · 2 tackles · 1 solo tackle
Dominant 55-point win at home against Howard.
Ratings of the games shown run from -12 to +29 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
TFL rate
22%4 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksHurry rate
6%1 hurry16 tackles · 3.5 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Pass share
42.5%
231 pass / 312 run
Plays / game
60.3
9 games
Team sack rate
5.4%
259 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer tackles a game than most FBS defensive linemen who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Two-star recruit. Now #201 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 30 games over three seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
3 coachesPlayed for 3 head coaches at 2 schools: Kevin Wilson, Tre Lamb and Curt Cignetti.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to Indiana
