Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 13-12vs Western Michigan | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 17-10vs Oklahoma | 7 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#44
Nathaniel Staehling
Senior linebacker for Michigan. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 238 lb · Baxter, MN · Brainerd
Returning to Michigan for 2026
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 80th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
16
tackles · 2026
0.5 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL, vs Oklahoma
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Michigan. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with North Dakota State in 2022.
Buzz vs Tape
Every angle we can check here reads about where you'd expect this season.
36.7own fans
36.7national conversation
Nathaniel Staehling
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. One game to point at: 9 tackles against Western Michigan — Week 1, 2026.
16 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with North Dakota Stateout of Brainerd
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Michigan
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026Michigan2-0HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: 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: 8.0 TKL/g, 0.2 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
Kyle Whittingham
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 | Michigan | 16 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 16 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 17–10
vs Oklahoma
7 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 TFL
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 at home.
With C. Brown — 42 AVG · 6 IN 20 · 51 LONG · B. Underwood — 111 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 74.4 · 87 rush yds (18 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Michigan
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Michigan
Returning around him
- 6 Michigan players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -16 net (17 in / 33 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Michigan · Last season: 9-4 (AP #18) · Talent rank #11 · 2026 recruiting class #12
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Travion Brown’s 2019 season.
Matches Travion on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Micah Baskerville's freshman season at LSU (2018).
Matches Micah on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Background
Pronunciation Your browser does not support the audio tag. CAREER HIGHS • Tackles: 11 - 2x, last at Illinois State (Oct. 4, 2025) • Solos: 6 - vs. Southern Illinois (Oct. 11, 2025) • Asst: 10 - at Illinois State (Oct. 4, 2025) • TFLs: 1.0 - 5x, last vs. Northern Iowa (Nov. 15, 2025) • Sacks: 1.0...
The linebacker corps · Michigan
- #18Troy Bowles27 tackles · 2025
- #30Max Alford21 tackles · 2025
- #13Aisea Moa12 tackles · 2025
- #29Chase Taylor10 tackles · 2025
- #44Nathaniel Staehling2 games · 2026
9 more on the roster · Michigan team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology