#53

Rodney Butler

Linebacker for New Mexico State. 2016: 165 tackles, 8 tackles for loss.

LB · New Mexico State · #53

6′1″ · Palm Springs, CA

New Mexico State 2016 alumnus

Recruiting

2★

OLB recruit

No. 2252 nationally · Signed with New Mexico State

Statement game15 tackles · 3.5 TFLat UTEP (FBS) · L 22-38

Top 1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

2016 linebacker for New Mexico State. 2016: 165 tackles, 8 tackles for loss.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to New Mexico State in 2013.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at New Mexico State, 165 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

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

2013

Signed with New Mexico State2-star out of Palm Springs

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#2252 national

CFB

College

New Mexico State

2014–2016

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2014–2016

1 coach

2014–2016

Doug Martin

New Mexico State

Played his entire career under Doug Martin.

2016 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Doug Martin — 8-28 over that span.

2014New Mexico State2-10HC: Doug Martin · Balanced, fast tempo

2015New Mexico State3-9HC: Doug Martin · Balanced

2016New Mexico State3-9HC: Doug Martin · Balanced, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (100th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (99th percentile). Concern: sacks (25th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Tackles#1 / 2668 · 100th pct

165

Solo tackles#34 / 2668 · 99th pct

Tackles for loss#284 / 2668 · 89th pct

8.0

QB hurries#384 / 2668 · 81st pct

Passes defended#754 / 2668 · 65th pct

Interceptions#334 / 763 · 28th pct

Sacks#1331 / 2668 · 25th pct

0.0

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

2016 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	15.4	0.7	0.0	0.2
Road7g	12.6	0.6	0.0	0.1

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	14.8	0.8	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	12.7	0.6	0.0	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tony Sanchez

Pass share

52.3%

101 pass / 92 run

Plays / game

64.3

3 games

Team sack rate

3.7%

107 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Awards

Player standing · 2016

Impact starter

Producing measurably more than a replacement-level starter.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2016	New Mexico State	165	63	8.0	0.0	2	1	--
2015	New Mexico State	--	--	--	--	--	1	--
2014	New Mexico State	--	--	--	--	--	1	--
Career		165	63	8.0	0.0	2	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2016

W 32–31

vs New Mexico

1 PD · 24 TOT · 4 SOLO

Edged out New Mexico at home in a shootout.

With T. Rogers — 205 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 53.3 · 21 rush yds (15 car) · P. Theisler — 58 AVG · 59 LONG · 2 NO

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week