#19

Joe Sparacio

Senior linebacker for Eastern Michigan. 2023: 139 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks.

LB · Eastern Michigan · Sr. · #19

5′11″ · 220 lb · Naples, FL

CFB Index 84 · #38 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceAll-ConferenceEastern Michigan 2023 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

ILB recruit

No. 1852 nationally · Signed with Boston College

Statement game23 tackles · 1.5 TFL · 1 sackvs Western Michigan (FBS) · L 21-45

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 linebacker for Eastern Michigan. 2023: 139 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Boston College in 2018.
Transferred from Boston College to Eastern Michigan in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Six seasons at Eastern Michigan, 285 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2018

Signed with Boston College3-star out of First Baptist Academy

202212 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

202313 games

All-MACsecond

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1852 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2018–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 honors · 1 category

🎖

ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM

All-MAC 2nd team (2023)

Coaching lineage · 2018–2023

1 coach

2018–2023

Chris Creighton

Eastern Michigan

Played his entire career under Chris Creighton.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2018Boston College7-5HC: Steve Addazio · Run-heavy

2019Boston College6-7HC: Steve Addazio · Run-heavy

2020Boston College6-5HC: Jeff Hafley · Balanced

2021Boston College6-6HC: Jeff Hafley · Run-heavy

2022Eastern Michigan9-4HC: Chris Creighton · Run-leaning

2023Eastern Michigan6-7HC: Chris Creighton · Run-leaning, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

84All-Conference level #38 of 577?

High confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (100th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (99th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Tackles#5 / 2842 · 100th pct

139

Solo tackles#19 / 2842 · 99th pct

QB hurries#147 / 2842 · 93rd pct

Tackles for loss#176 / 2842 · 93rd pct

8.5

Sacks#421 / 2842 · 84th pct

2.5

Passes defended#512 / 2842 · 78th pct

Interceptions#323 / 827 · 31st 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

2023 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	12.6	0.9	0.4	0.0
Road6g	8.5	0.3	0.0	0.5

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-78g	10.8	0.4	0.1	0.2
Weeks 8+5g	10.6	1.0	0.3	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Chris Creighton

Pass share

58.2%

107 pass / 77 run

Plays / game

61.3

3 games

Team sack rate

5.1%

117 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Pass-leaning, slow tempo.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

84 · #38 of 577 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #38 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Eastern Michigan	139	63	8.5	2.5	3	1	--
2022	Eastern Michigan	84	38	6.0	1.0	1	1	--
2021	Boston College	6	4	1.5	1.0	--	--	--
2020	Boston College	3	2	1.0	1.0	--	--	--
2019	Boston College	50	23	6.0	0.5	--	1	--
2018	Boston College	3	1	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		285	131	23.0	6.0	4	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2023

W 33–23

vs Howard

4 SOLO · 10 TOT

With H. Elzayat — 6 rush yds (1 car) · A. Smith — 175 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 43.2 · 27 rush yds (4 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 33-23vs Howard	10	4	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 6-25@ Minnesota	14	8	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 19-17vs Massachusetts	14	4	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 0-21@ Jacksonville State	14	5	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 23-26@ Central Michigan	8	2	0.0	0.0	—	2
Wk 6	W 24-10vs Ball State	9	6	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 7	W 28-14vs Kent State	12	8	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 13-20@ Northern Illinois	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 21-45vs Western Michigan	23	6	1.5	1.0	—	0	Season-high 23 tackles
Wk 11	L 23-49@ Toledo	6	4	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 30-27vs Akron	15	6	2.5	0.5	—	0	2.5 TFL
Wk 13	W 24-11@ Buffalo	7	3	1.0	0.0	—	1
Bowl	L 10-59vs South Alabama	5	5	1.0	0.0	1	0
Total		139	63	8.5	2.5	1	3

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