Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 9-19@ South Florida | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 33-20vs Buffalo | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 10 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#1
Shamir Sterlin
Sophomore defensive back on Florida International's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 215 lb · Port Saint Lucie, FL
CFB Index 67 · #126 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Florida International 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.
Recruiting
3★
S recruit
No. 2563 nationally · Signed with Florida International
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 defensive back on Florida International's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Florida International in 2024.
Shamir Sterlin
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Three seasons at Florida International, two different head coaches: Mike MacIntyre and Willie Simmons. 2025 brought the first one: All-Conference USA. One game to point at: 7 tackles against Buffalo — Week 2, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20243 games
- Signed with Florida International3-star out of Treasure Coast
202512 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Conference USAhonorable_mention
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Florida International
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE USA
All-Conference USA mention (2025)
🎓
FRESHMAN HONORS
Freshman recognition (2025)
1 mention(s)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Florida International
2025–2026era →
Willie Simmons
Florida International
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike MacIntyre → Willie Simmons. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Florida International7-6HC: Willie Simmons · Balanced
2026Florida International1-1HC: Willie Simmons · Pass-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (10th 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: 5.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Simmons
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #9 of 43 Conference USA DBs
How the All-Conference USA estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida International | 10 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Florida International | 62 | 41 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Florida International | 9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 81 | 49 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 5 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 33–20
vs Buffalo
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Florida International
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Florida International
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -5 net (17 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Florida International · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #90 · 2026 recruiting class #102
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Sterling Weatherford’s 2021 season.
77%match
All-MAC
Matches Sterling on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Differs from Sterling on
Class year (higher)
Weight (lower)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Sterling Weatherford's sophomore season at Miami (OH) (2021).
77%match
All-MAC
Matches Sterling on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Differs from Sterling on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Shamir Sterlin
The secondary · Florida International
- #1Shamir Sterlin62 tackles · 2025
- #4Wesley Miller53 tackles · 2025
- #3Demetrius Hill19 tackles · 2025
- #7Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine17 tackles · 2025
- #10Ormond Wallace12 tackles · 2025
14 more on the roster · Florida International team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology