Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-20vs Oregon State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 77-6vs Southern | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#12
Sione Fotu
Senior linebacker for Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 230 lb · Salt Lake City, UT · Bingham HS
CFB Index 32 · #446 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Houston 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
4
tackles · 2026
1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, vs Southern
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Bingham in 2020.
- Transferred from Utah to Houston in 2025.
Sione Fotu
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Sione Fotu has played for two head coaches across five seasons and two programs. 2025 brought the first one: Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Southern — Week 2, 2026.
4 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.
20204 games
- Recruited3-star out of Bingham
202511 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2020–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2020Utah3-2HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-leaning
2023Utah8-5HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy
2024Utah5-7HC: Kyle Whittingham · Balanced
2025Houston10-3HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
2026Houston2-0HC: Willie Fritz · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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: 2.0 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 Fritz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
32 · #446 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #446 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #56 of 73 Big 12 LBs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 77–6
vs Southern
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 REC
Dominant 71-point win at home against Southern.
With K. Henderson — 83 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 23.8 · 54 rush yds (1 car) · 1 TD · C. Weigman — 120 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 48.3 · 6 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Houston
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Houston
Returning around him
- 1 Houston player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +1 net (18 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Houston · Last season: 10-3 (AP #25) · Talent rank #57 · 2026 recruiting class #38
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tyler Jackson’s 2023 season.
Matches Tyler on
Tackle volume
Weight
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Miguel Mitchell's senior season at Arkansas (2025).
Matches Miguel on
TFL rate
Weight
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Sione Fotu
Background
As a Junior (2025) Polynesian Player of the Year watchlist Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 29) Played in all 13 games while starting in 12 at the mike position Ranked second in the country and led the Big 12 with three fumble recoveries Finished with a 74.6 PFF tackling grade, ranking...
The linebacker corps · Houston
- #1Jaden Yates55 tackles · 2025
- #12Sione Fotu53 tackles · 2025
- #10Latreveon McCutchin37 tackles · 2025
- #19Miller Malone37 tackles · 2025
- #4Brandon Mack32 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · Houston team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology