#46

Nick Tarburton

Senior defensive end for Penn State. 2022: 2 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, 18 tackles.

DE · Penn State · Sr. · #46

6′3″ · 269 lb · Green Lane, PA

CFB Index 36 · #270 of 387 edge rushersMedium confidencePenn State 2022 alumnus

Recruiting

4★

ILB recruit

No. 270 nationally · Signed with Penn State

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 defensive end for Penn State. 2022: 2 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, 18 tackles.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Penn State in 2018.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Penn State, 3 sacks — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2018

Signed with Penn State4-star out of Pennridge

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#270 national

CFB

College

Penn State

2020–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2020–2022

1 coach

2020–2022

James Franklin

Penn State

Played his entire career under James Franklin.

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under James Franklin — 22-13 over that span.

2020Penn State4-5HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021Penn State7-6HC: James Franklin · Balanced

2022Penn State11-2HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

36Below cohort / limited sample #270 of 387?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles for loss (81st percentile). Concern: tackles (26th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Tackles for loss#481 / 2755 · 81st pct

5.5

Sacks#517 / 2755 · 78th pct

2.0

Passes defended#744 / 2755 · 66th pct

QB hurries#823 / 2755 · 59th pct

Forced fumbles#58 / 737 · 46th pct

Solo tackles#1877 / 2755 · 30th pct

Tackles#1999 / 2755 · 26th 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

2022 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	1.2	0.3	0.2	0.3
Road4g	2.8	0.9	0.2	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-74g	1.8	0.5	0.2	0.0
Weeks 8+6g	1.8	0.6	0.2	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Matt Campbell

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

36 · #270 of 387 edge rushers

Former four-star. Now #270 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Penn State	18	10	5.5	2.0	2	--	--
2021	Penn State	29	13	4.5	1.0	2	--	--
2020	Penn State	2	2	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		49	25	10.0	3.0	4	--	--

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 3	W 41-12@ Auburn	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 33-14vs Central Michigan	2	1	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	W 17-7vs Northwestern	1	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 7	L 17-41@ Michigan	2	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	W 45-17vs Minnesota	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 31-44vs Ohio State	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 45-14@ Indiana	3	3	2.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 11	W 30-0vs Maryland	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 55-10@ Rutgers	4	0	1.5	0.0	—	0	Season-high 4 tackles
Wk 13	W 35-16vs Michigan State	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	2
Total		18	10	5.5	2.0	—	2

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

Nick Tarburton

2018

2022 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Rotational

Career stats

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Power Rusher

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