#99

Marshawn Kneeland

Former defensive lineman at Western Michigan. 2023: 4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, 57 tackles.

DL · Western Michigan · Jr. · #99

6′3″ · 275 lb · Grand Rapids, MI

CFB Index 53 · #189 of 418 edge rushersLow confidenceAll-ConferenceDallas — drafted 2024, Rd 2, Pick 24, #56 overall

Recruiting

2★

WDE recruit

No. 3427 nationally · Signed with Western Michigan

Statement game11 tackles · 4 TFL · 3 sacksat Eastern Michigan (FBS) · W 45-21

Top 1% tackles for loss game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive lineman at Western Michigan. 2023: 4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, 57 tackles.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to Western Michigan in 2019.
Transferred from Western Michigan to Colorado in 2023.
Drafted round 2 by the Dallas in 2024.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Western Michigan, 14 sacks — drafted at #56 overall by Dallas.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2019

Signed with Western Michigan2-star out of Godwin Heights

202310 games

Entered the portal
All-MACsecond

2024

Drafted by Dallasround 2, pick 56

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#3427 national

CFB

College

Western Michigan

2020–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #56

Dallas · 2024

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 honors · 1 category

🎖

ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM

All-MAC 2nd team (2023)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2023

2 coaches

2020–2022

Tim Lester

Western Michigan

2023

Lance Taylor

Western Michigan

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Tim Lester → Lance Taylor. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

DallasEntering 3rd NFL season

#56Rd 2 · Pick 24

DallasEntering 3rd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2020Western Michigan4-2HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2021Western Michigan8-5HC: Tim Lester · Run-heavy, fast tempo

2022Western Michigan5-7HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2023Western Michigan4-8HC: Lance Taylor · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

53Rotational starter #189 of 418?

Medium confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: qb hurries (98th percentile). Strength: sacks (94th percentile). Concern: passes defended (19th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

QB hurries#46 / 2842 · 98th pct

Sacks#163 / 2842 · 94th pct

4.5

Tackles for loss#259 / 2842 · 90th pct

7.5

Tackles#408 / 2842 · 85th pct

Solo tackles#566 / 2842 · 79th pct

Passes defended#1751 / 2842 · 19th 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 · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home4g	4.8	0.4	0.1	0.0
Road6g	6.3	1.0	0.7	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	5.6	0.5	0.3	0.0
Weeks 8+5g	5.8	1.0	0.6	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lance Taylor

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

Awards

Player standing · 2023

All-Conference

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

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

53 · #189 of 418 edge rushers

Two-star recruit. Now #189 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Western Michigan	57	29	7.5	4.5	--	--	--
2022	Western Michigan	40	24	11.5	3.0	3	--	--
2021	Western Michigan	32	15	8.0	4.5	--	--	--
2020	Western Michigan	23	14	2.0	2.0	--	--	--
Career		152	82	29.0	14.0	3	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2023

W 35–17

vs Saint Francis

1 rush yds (1 car) · 1 TD

With J. Buckley — 194 rush yds (30 car) · 1 TD · J. Salopek — 170 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 63.5 · 36 rush yds (7 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	Note
Wk 1	W 35-17vs Saint Francis	3	1	0.5	0.5	—
Wk 2	L 7-48@ Syracuse	7	5	1.0	0.0	—
Wk 3	L 10-41@ Iowa	6	5	1.0	1.0	—
Wk 6	L 28-41@ Mississippi State	3	0	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 7	L 21-34vs Miami (OH)	9	6	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 8	L 17-20@ Ohio	7	0	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 9	W 45-21@ Eastern Michigan	11	8	4.0	3.0	—	Season-high 11 tackles
Wk 11	W 38-28vs Central Michigan	3	2	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 12	L 0-24@ Northern Illinois	4	1	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 13	L 10-34vs Bowling Green	4	1	1.0	0.0	—
Total		57	29	7.5	4.5	—

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

Marshawn Kneeland

2019

202310 games

2024

2023 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

All-Conference

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

3-Tech Penetrator

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