Ralph Holley

Senior defensive tackle for Western Michigan. 2021: 6 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, 39 tackles.

DT · Western Michigan · Sr. · #8

6′1″ · 285 lb · West Bloomfield, MI

CFB Index 36 · #192 of 274 interior linemenLow confidenceAll-ConferenceWestern Michigan 2021 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

DT recruit

No. 1882 nationally · Signed with Western Michigan

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 defensive tackle for Western Michigan. 2021: 6 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, 39 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Western Michigan in 2017.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Western Michigan, 138 tackles, a first-team All-Conference season (2020) — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2017

Signed with Western Michigan3-star out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's

20206 games

The role got bigger.

All-MACfirst

202112 games

The role got bigger.

All-MACsecond

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1882 national

CFB

College

Western Michigan

2017–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

4 honors · 1 category

🎖

ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM

All-MAC 2nd team (2021)

Coaching lineage · 2017–2021

1 coach

2017–2021

Tim Lester

Western Michigan

Played his entire career under Tim Lester.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

5 seasons under Tim Lester — 32-25 over that span.

2017Western Michigan6-6HC: Tim Lester · Run-heavy

2018Western Michigan7-6HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2019Western Michigan7-6HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2020Western Michigan4-2HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2021Western Michigan8-5HC: Tim Lester · Run-heavy, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

36Below cohort / limited sample #192 of 274?

Low confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles for loss (99th percentile). Strength: sacks (96th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Tackles for loss#18 / 2743 · 99th pct

16.5

Sacks#96 / 2743 · 96th pct

6.0

QB hurries#213 / 2743 · 90th pct

Solo tackles#764 / 2743 · 71st pct

Passes defended#735 / 2743 · 67th pct

Tackles#973 / 2743 · 64th 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

2021 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	3.2	1.3	0.7	0.0
Road6g	2.7	1.1	0.2	0.3

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	2.6	1.1	0.6	0.3
Weeks 8+5g	3.4	1.3	0.2	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lance Taylor

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

Awards

Player standing · 2021

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

36 · #192 of 274 interior linemen

Three-star recruit. Now #192 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Western Michigan	39	26	16.5	6.0	2	--	--
2020	Western Michigan	29	12	9.0	3.0	2	--	--
2019	Western Michigan	38	17	10.5	4.5	--	--	--
2018	Western Michigan	29	20	9.5	5.0	1	--	--
2017	Western Michigan	3	2	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		138	77	45.5	18.5	5	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2021

W 44–41

at Pittsburgh

1 TFL · 2 SOLO · 2 TOT

Edged out Pittsburgh on the road in a shootout.

With K. Eleby — 337 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 85.5 · -20 rush yds (7 car) · N. Mihalic — 1 TOT · 46 AVG · 2 IN 20

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 14-47@ Michigan	3	1	1.0	1.0	—	2
Wk 2	W 28-0vs Illinois State	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 44-41@ Pittsburgh	2	2	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 23-3vs San José State	5	3	3.0	2.5	—	0	Season-high 5 tackles
Wk 5	W 24-17@ Buffalo	1	1	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 20-45vs Ball State	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 7	W 64-31vs Kent State	3	3	2.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 15-34@ Toledo	4	1	0.5	0.5	—	0
Wk 10	L 30-42vs Central Michigan	2	1	1.5	0.5	—	0
Wk 11	W 45-40vs Akron	5	4	1.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 21-22@ Eastern Michigan	4	3	2.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 42-21@ Northern Illinois	2	1	1.0	0.0	—	0
Total		35	24	14.5	5.5	—	2

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