Senior linebacker for New Mexico State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 225 lb · Long Beach, CA
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
tackles · 2026
2.5 TFL · 1.5 sacks · 1 PBU
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, at Florida State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for New Mexico State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
His career, year by yearSone Aupiu
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Sone Aupiu has played for two head coaches in four seasons at New Mexico State. The receipt on tape: 8 tackles, 1.5 TFL against Florida State, Week 1, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 1.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jerry Kill → Tony Sanchez. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (95th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (91st percentile).
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 · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Road2g | 5.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
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.
Player standing · 2025
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Unranked recruit. Now #160 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #12 of 45 Conference USA LBs
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | New Mexico State | 12 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico State | 68 | 34 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 4 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | New Mexico State | 55 | 26 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | New Mexico State | 47 | 32 | 6.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 182 | 98 | 18.5 | 4.5 | 10 | 3 | -- |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 51–14
vs Mercyhurst
2 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 PD
Dominant 37-point win at home against Mercyhurst.
With T. Washington Jr. — 43 rush yds (7 car) · 2 TD · T. Hedden — 253 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 36.8 · -7 rush yds (3 car)
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 17-34@ Florida State | 8 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 1 | W 51-14vs Mercyhurst | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 19-29@ Hawai'i | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 |
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
New Mexico State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · New Mexico State
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
New Mexico State · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #135 · 2026 recruiting class #134
Player DNA
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tarique Barnes’s 2021 season.
Matches Tarique on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Shemar James's junior season at Florida (2024).
Matches Shemar on
Player DNA
4 more on the roster · New Mexico State team page