#11

Nalu Emerson

Former linebacker at Hawai'i. 2024: 38 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

LB · Hawai'i · Sr. · #11

6′1″ · 215 lb · Kahuku, HI

CFB Index 53 · #258 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceHawai'i 2024 — college career complete

Recruiting

3★

S recruit

No. 2291 nationally · Signed with Hawai'i

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at Hawai'i. 2024: 38 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Hawai'i in 2019.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Six seasons at Hawai'i, 76 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

2019

Signed with Hawai'i3-star out of Kahuku

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#2291 national

CFB

College

Hawai'i

2019–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2019–2024

3 coaches

2019

Nick Rolovich

Hawai'i

2020–2021

Todd Graham

Hawai'i

era →

2022–2024

Timmy Chang

Hawai'i

era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: Nick Rolovich, Todd Graham, and Timmy Chang. Multi-era developmental context.

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2019Hawai'i10-5HC: Nick Rolovich · Pass-leaning

2020Hawai'i5-4HC: Todd Graham · Balanced, fast tempo

2021Hawai'i6-7HC: Todd Graham · Balanced

2022Hawai'i3-10HC: Timmy Chang · Pass-leaning

2023Hawai'i5-8HC: Timmy Chang · Pass-heavy

2024Hawai'i5-7HC: Timmy Chang · Pass-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

53Rotational starter #258 of 571?

High confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: qb hurries (23rd percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Sacks#502 / 2892 · 79th pct

2.0

Solo tackles#678 / 2892 · 76th pct

Tackles for loss#682 / 2892 · 75th pct

4.5

Tackles#1002 / 2892 · 65th pct

Passes defended#1155 / 2892 · 49th pct

Interceptions#314 / 862 · 32nd pct

QB hurries#1536 / 2892 · 23rd 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

2024 season · 9 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home4g	3.0	0.2	0.2	0.2
Road5g	5.2	0.7	0.2	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-73g	2.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Weeks 8+6g	5.2	0.6	0.3	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Timmy Chang

Pass share

63.7%

142 pass / 81 run

Plays / game

74.3

3 games

Team sack rate

5.2%

155 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Pass-heavy.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

53 · #258 of 571 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #258 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Hawai'i	38	27	4.5	2.0	1	1	--
2023	Hawai'i	29	21	2.0	1.0	--	--	--
2022	Hawai'i	5	4	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2021	Hawai'i	2	2	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2020	Hawai'i	1	--	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2019	Hawai'i	1	1	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		76	55	6.5	3.0	1	1	--

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 9 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 3	L 13-31@ Sam Houston	3	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 36-7vs Northern Iowa	3	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 24-27@ San Diego State	1	1	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 10-42@ Washington State	4	4	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	W 34-13vs Nevada	5	4	1.0	1.0	1	1
Wk 10	W 21-20@ Fresno State	4	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 27-29vs UNLV	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 10-55@ Utah State	14	8	2.5	1.0	—	0	Season-high 14 tackles
Wk 14	W 38-30vs New Mexico	3	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Total		38	27	4.5	2.0	1	1

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

Nalu Emerson

2019

2024 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Rotational

Career stats

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Sideline-to-Sideline

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