Akron · W 28-20
16 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 1 sack
The other 8 games average 9 tackles. This one was 7 above.
Michael Molnar
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Played for three head coaches in four seasons at Ohio. The first one came in 2025: MAC Defensive Player of the Week. A game that shows it: 18 tackles and 4 tackles for loss against Eastern Michigan — Week 8, 2026.
87 tackles · 6 sacks
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
87 tackles. 4 passes defended. 1 interception. 14 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 Michael Molnar vs Jacksonville State.
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Last game (Wk 10): 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 9 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-49@ Nebraska | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 29-27vs Jacksonville State | 13 | 8 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 36-41@ South Alabama | 16 | 9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 35-7vs Stonehill | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 13-10@ Kent State | 8 | 4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Wk 6 | W 31-14vs Central Michigan | 5 | 3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 7 | W 48-7@ Sacramento State | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 8 | W 24-20vs Eastern Michigan | 18 | 9 | 4.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 18 tackles |
| Wk 10 | W 28-20@ Akron | 16 | 7 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 87 | 45 | 14.0 | 6.0 | 1 | 4 |
Nov. 3 · W 28-20 at Akron, play by play
16 tackles, including 1 sack, 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 14 of his 16, sacks included.
No game thread archived for this game yet.
Sacked the quarterback for a 13-yard loss. First quarter, tied 0-0.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 14 tackles for loss, 6 of them sacks, in the 9 games with play by play.
How Ohio’s defense played that day
Akron’s 10 drives: 5 stopped (2 takeaways) · 5 scored. While the game was within a score they held 5 of 9.
18 tackles, including 3 more for loss, 1 sack, 2nd-most tackles for loss in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 17 of his 18, sacks included.
3 tackles, including 1 sack, 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 2 of his 3, sacks included.
Sacked the quarterback for a 9-yard loss. Third quarter, up 34-0.
5 tackles, including 2 sacks, tied for the most sacks in FBS that week. His sack on 4th and 4 ended Central Michigan’s drive (downs).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 8-yard loss on 4th and 4. Third quarter, up 31-0. Ended Central Michigan’s drive (downs).
8 tackles, including 1 more for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 2 passes broken up, tied for 2nd-most passes broken up in FBS that week. His interception on 3rd and 21 ended Kent State’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 7 of his 8, sacks included.
Intercepted on 3rd and 21. Second quarter, tied 3-3. Ended Kent State’s drive (int).
Sacked the quarterback for a 9-yard loss on 3rd and 11. Second quarter, up 10-3.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
16 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 15 of his 16, sacks included.
A big game: 13 tackles, including 2 more for loss. The fumble he forced ended Jacksonville State’s drive (fumble).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 12 of his 13, sacks included.
Forced a fumble. Second quarter, down 17-14. Ended Jacksonville State’s drive (fumble).
Week 8 · 2026
W 24-20
1 sack · 4 tackles for loss · 18 tackles
A close one, won by 4 at home.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -29 to +15 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
87tackles this seasonTFL rate
16%14 TFLSack rate
7%6 sacksPD rate
5%4 pass breakups87 tackles · 14 for loss · 6 sacks · 1 interception.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 10.0 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Road5g | 9.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 7.6 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 17.0 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
John Hauser
Pass share
38.1%
206 pass / 335 run
Plays / game
60.1
9 games
Team sack rate
6.4%
233 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
87 tackles in 9 games, more tackles a game than nearly every FBS linebacker who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-MAC
Based on 2025: #24 of 55 Mid-American LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 15% of returning players who ranked #21 or lower at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 13–17%).
2026 is in progress.
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Tim Albin, Brian Smith, and John Hauser. Multi-era developmental context.
