Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 31-24vs Coastal Carolina | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 52-7vs UT Martin | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#93
Nate Gabriel
Junior defensive lineman for West Virginia. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 295 lb · Auburndale, FL · Auburndale
Returning to West Virginia for 2026
The numbers
1
sack · 2026
1 TFL · 5 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 tackles, vs Coastal Carolina
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive lineman for West Virginia. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to West Virginia in 2024.
Nate Gabriel
Wins his gap play after play. Nate Gabriel has been at West Virginia through two head coaches in three seasons. The receipt on tape: 3 tackles against UT Martin, Week 2, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20247 games
- Signed with West Virginia3-star out of Auburndale
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
West Virginia
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Chad Scott
West Virginia
Coaching transition mid-career: Chad Scott → Rich Rodriguez. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024West Virginia6-7HC: Chad Scott · Run-leaning
2025West Virginia4-8HC: Rich Rodriguez · Run-heavy
2026West Virginia2-0HC: Rich Rodriguez · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th 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: 2.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rich Rodriguez
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | West Virginia | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | West Virginia | 13 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | West Virginia | 9 | 5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 27 | 10 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 52–7
vs UT Martin
3 TOT · 1 SOLO
Dominant 45-point win at home against UT Martin.
With M. Hawkins Jr. — 155 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 99.8 · 96 rush yds (6 car) · 2 TD · D. Epps — 18 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
West Virginia
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · West Virginia
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -17 net (34 in / 51 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
West Virginia · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #49 · 2026 recruiting class #25
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Joe Hjelle’s 2024 season.
Matches Joe on
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Martin Owusu's sophomore season at Fresno State (2025).
Matches Martin on
Class year
Height
Hurry rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Nate Gabriel
Background
Played in 23 career games 2025 (So.) Played in all 12 games Added depth on the defensive line Saw action on 321 total snaps, including 286 on defense Used on 25 or more snaps in seven games, including a season-high 34 against Texas Tech Finished with 13 tackles, including one for loss and a pass...
The defensive line · West Virginia
- #18Ezekiel Durham-Campbell7.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #50Harper Holloman5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #99David Afogho4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #52Corey McIntyre Jr.1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #93Nate Gabriel1 tackle for loss · 2025
15 more on the roster · West Virginia team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology