Oregon State · W 38-22
4 tackles
The other 7 games average 9 tackles. This one was 5 below.
“Fresno has a dude named Thunderbird?”
K'Vion Thunderbird
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. A game that shows it: 13 tackles against Boise State — Week 6, 2026.
65 tackles · 1 sack
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
65 tackles. 1 pass defended. 0 interceptions. 4 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.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fresno State | 65 | 31 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Fresno State | 32 | 12 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2024 | Arizona State | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Arizona State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- |
| Career | 102 | 46 | 6.5 | 2.0 | 4 | 2 |
Last game (Wk 9): 4 tackles, 1 pass breakup.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-39@ No. 14 USC | 9 | 6 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 49-3vs Sacramento State | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 26-10@ San José State | 10 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 38-24vs Rice | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 26-6@ Washington State | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 31-38vs No. 23 Boise State | 13 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 13 tackles |
| Wk 7 | L 23-26@ San Diego State | 9 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 38-22vs Oregon State | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 65 | 31 | 4.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 |
Oct. 31 · W 38-22 vs Oregon State, play by play
4 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 4 tackles for loss, 1 of them a sack, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Fresno State’s defense played that day
Oregon State’s 12 drives: 7 stopped (2 takeaways) · 5 scored. While the game was within a score they held 1 of 4. His pbu came with Fresno State up 4.
9 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 8 of his 9, sacks included.
A big game: 13 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
7 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
9 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
10 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss. Fourth quarter, up 16-10.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
9 tackles, including 2 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Ratings of the games shown run from -29 to +14 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
65tackles this seasonTFL rate
6%4 TFLSack rate
2%1 sackPD rate
2%1 pass breakups65 tackles · 4 for loss · 1 sack.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 7.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Road4g | 8.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 8.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Entz
Pass share
46.2%
217 pass / 253 run
Plays / game
58.8
8 games
Team sack rate
5.9%
239 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
65 tackles in 8 games, more tackles a game than most FBS linebackers who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #179 at the position.
The No. 1,008 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Pac-12 as a junior.
2026 is in progress.
The role got bigger.
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesPlayed for 2 head coaches at 2 schools: Kenny Dillingham and Matt Entz.
