Lee Hunter

Former defensive lineman at Texas Tech. 2025: 3 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 42 tackles.

DL · Texas Tech · Sr. · #2

6′4″ · 325 lb · Mobile, AL

CFB Index 70 · #96 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceNational watchDrafted by Carolina — Rd 2, Pick 17, #49 overall

On production he ranks #96 of 420 edge rushers; on reputation he is on a national watch list. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

How he plays

Controls the point of attack and doesn't move.

Tackles for loss: 97th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

sacks · 2025

11 TFL · 42 tackles · 3 hurries

Best game: 2 TFL, 7 tackles, vs Oregon

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive lineman at Texas Tech. 2025: 3 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 42 tackles.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Auburn in 2021.
Transferred from UCF to Texas Tech in 2025.
Drafted round 2 by the Carolina in 2026.

The full story, with sources

How it ended

Four seasons at Texas Tech, 7 sacks, a first-team All-Conference season (2025) — drafted at #49 overall by Carolina.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

2021

Signed with Auburn4-star out of Blount

20227 games

Entered the portal

202412 games

All-Big 12second

202514 games

Entered the portal
All-America2 selectors
All-Big 12first

2026

Drafted by Carolinaround 2, pick 49

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#81 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #49

Carolina · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

5 honors · 2 categories

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2025)

2 selectors honored him

🥈

ALL-BIG 12 · 1ST TEAM

All-Big 12 1st team (2025)

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach

2022–2025

Joey McGuire

Texas Tech

Played his entire career under Joey McGuire.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Carolina2026 NFL rookie season

#49Rd 2 · Pick 17

Carolina2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022UCF9-5HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2023UCF6-7HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-leaning

2024UCF4-8HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-heavy

2025Texas Tech12-2HC: Joey McGuire · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

70Quality starter #96 of 420?

Medium confidenceAscending6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles for loss (97th percentile). Strength: sacks (89th percentile). Concern: passes defended (18th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Tackles for loss#74 / 2975 · 97th pct

11.0

Sacks#291 / 2975 · 89th pct

3.0

QB hurries#457 / 2975 · 82nd pct

Tackles#834 / 2975 · 71st pct

Solo tackles#1178 / 2975 · 59th pct

Passes defended#1916 / 2975 · 18th 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

2025 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home9g	3.2	0.7	0.2	0.0
Road5g	2.6	0.9	0.3	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	3.1	0.5	0.1	0.0
Weeks 8+7g	2.9	1.1	0.4	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Joey McGuire

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

Awards

Player standing · 2025

National watch / fringe AA

In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

70 · #96 of 420 edge rushers

Former four-star. Now #96 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Texas Tech	42	18	11.0	3.0	--	--	--
2024	UCF	44	19	9.5	1.0	--	--	--
2023	UCF	57	32	10.0	2.0	1	--	--
2022	UCF	11	6	1.0	1.0	--	--	--
Career		154	75	31.5	7.0	1	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 4 · 2025

W 34–10

at Utah

2 TOT · 1 SOLO

Dominant 24-point win on the road against Utah.

With W. Hammond — 169 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 96.3 · 61 rush yds (8 car) · J. Burgess — 41 AVG · 5 IN 20 · 54 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week