Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-57@ South Carolina | 7 | 6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 36-15vs Wofford | 6 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 13 | 9 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 |
#4
Rocco Nicholl
Senior linebacker for Kent State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′5″ · 245 lb · Philadelphia, PA · St. Joseph Prep
CFB Index 40 · #370 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred South Florida → Kent State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
13
tackles · 2026
2 TFL · 2 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, at South Carolina
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Kent State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Kent State in 2022.
- Transferred from South Florida to Kent State in 2026.
Rocco Nicholl
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Four head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 7 tackles, 1 sacks against South Carolina — Week 1, 2026.
13 TACKLES · 2 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
20224 games
- Signed with Kent State3-star out of St. Joseph's Prep
20253 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Sean Lewis, Kenni Burns, and Mark Carney. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Kent State
2025South Florida
2026Kent State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Kent State5-7HC: Sean Lewis · Run-leaning
2023Kent State1-11HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning
2024Kent State0-12HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025South Florida9-4HC: Kevin Patrick · Run-leaning
2026Kent State1-1HC: Mark Carney · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: sacks (97th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (85th 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: 6.5 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mark Carney
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
40 · #370 of 571 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #370 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kent State | 13 | 9 | 2.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | South Florida | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Kent State | 61 | 30 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Kent State | 17 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Kent State | 8 | 6 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 106 | 54 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 36–15
vs Wofford
6 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Dominant 21-point win at home against Wofford.
With D. DeShields — 248 yds · 1 TD · 2 INT · QBR 67.4 · 74 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · D. Clark — 5 rec · 90 yds
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Dillon Doyle’s 2022 season.
77%match
Matches Dillon on
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Class year
Differs from Dillon on
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Devin Richardson's junior season at Washington State (2023).
82%match
Matches Devin on
Weight
Sack rate
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Rocco Nicholl
Background
2026 (Graduate) Phil Steele Preseason All-MAC Second Team Athlon Sports Preseason All-MAC Second Team 2025 (Senior at South Florida) Saw action in four games, redshirted Recorded seven tackles 2024 (Junior at Kent State) Started 7 of 8 games played for the Golden Flashes Had 30 solo tackles and 3...
The linebacker corps · Kent State
- #15Sayed Abuhamdeh39 tackles · 2025
- #32Trey Rubinstein13 tackles · 2025
- #4Rocco Nicholl7 tackles · 2025
- #17Semaj Bridgeman6 tackles · 2025
- #28Brodyn Bishop5 tackles · 2025
7 more on the roster · Kent State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology