Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 23-42@ Illinois | 7 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 26-20vs UL Monroe | 13 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 13 tackles |
| Total | 20 | 9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#35
Muaaz Byard
Senior linebacker for UAB. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 230 lb · York, PA · DeMatha Catholic (Md.)
CFB Index 13 · #547 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Middle Tennessee → UAB for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 92nd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
20
tackles · 2026
1.5 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, at Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for UAB. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Middle Tennessee in 2022.
- Transferred from Middle Tennessee to UAB in 2026.
Muaaz Byard
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Derek Mason and Alex Mortensen. One game to point at: 13 tackles against UL Monroe — Week 2, 2026.
20 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Middle Tennesseeout of DeMatha Catholic
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
UAB
2025–2026era →
Alex Mortensen
UAB
Coaching transition mid-career: Trent Dilfer → Alex Mortensen. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to UAB
2025Middle Tennessee
2026UAB
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Middle Tennessee3-9HC: Derek Mason · Pass-leaning
2025Middle Tennessee3-9HC: Derek Mason · Pass-leaning
2026UAB1-1HC: Alex Mortensen · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: tackles (92nd percentile). Strength: solo tackles (80th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
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 splits
Through 2 games: 10.0 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Alex Mortensen
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UAB | 20 | 9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Middle Tennessee | 37 | 14 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Middle Tennessee | 21 | 13 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 78 | 36 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 26–20
vs UL Monroe
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Darius Harris’s 2016 season.
83%match
Matches Darius on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to D.J. Woodbury's junior season at Temple (2023).
90%match
All-AAC
Matches D.J. on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Muaaz Byard
Background
2025 (Middle Tennessee): Played in eight games and earned four starts Finished ninth on the team in tackles with a career-best 37, including 4.5 TFLs, an interception, and two pass breakups Was in on 321 snaps while also playing 86 on special teams Registered five tackles in season opener against...
The linebacker corps · UAB
- #5Eddy Toussom46 tackles · 2025
- #6Calvin Pitcher38 tackles · 2025
- #35Muaaz Byard37 tackles · 2025
- #4Marlin Dean32 tackles · 2025
- #3Ike Esonwune28 tackles · 2025
12 more on the roster · UAB team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology