Senior linebacker for Mississippi State. 2025: 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack.
6′4″ · 230 lb · Flint, MI
The numbers
tackles · 2025
1 TFL · 1 sacks
Best game: 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, at Arkansas
Statement game3 tackles · 3 TFL · 3 sacksvs Buffalo (FBS) · L 20-23
Top 1% sacks game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Mississippi State. 2025: 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack.
Nevaeh Sanders
Two head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 3 tackles against Southern Miss — Week 1, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Greg Knox → Jeff Lebby. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (9th percentile).
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 · Per-game
2025 season · 5 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Lebby
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2025
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 12 | 7 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Northern Illinois | 8 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northern Illinois | 3 | 3 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 23 | 15 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2025
W 38–35
at Arkansas
2 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Edged out Arkansas on the road in a shootout.
With B. Shapen — 242 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 72.2 · 16 rush yds (10 car) · A. Evans III — 16 rush yds (1 car)
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 5 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-17@ Southern Miss | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 6 | L 9-31@ Texas A&M | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 38-35@ Arkansas | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 21-41vs Georgia | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 29-43vs Wake Forest | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 7 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
2026 Outlook
Mississippi State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Mississippi State
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Mississippi State · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #20 · 2026 recruiting class #23