Senior linebacker for LSU. 2021: 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.
6′3″ · 268 lb · Salt Lake City, UT
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
SDE recruit
No. 42 nationally · Joined LSU
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for LSU. 2021: 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.
Soni Fonua
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. This is his second year in the same linebacker corps at LSU. The receipt on tape: 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Kentucky, Week 6, 2021.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
How it ended
Two seasons at LSU, 35 tackles — his college career is complete.
His career
Career arc
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Ed Orgeron — 11-12 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles for loss (84th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (24th 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
2021 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lane Kiffin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2021
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Three-star recruit. Now #493 at the position.
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 13 · 2021
W 27–24
vs Texas A&M
4 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 SACKS
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With M. Johnson — 306 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 76.1 · -9 rush yds (11 car) · A. Atkins — 38 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 45 LONG
Game log · Week-by-week
2021 season · 8 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 5 | L 19-24vs Auburn | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 21-42@ Kentucky | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 7 | W 49-42vs Florida | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 17-31@ Ole Miss | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 14-20@ Alabama | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 11 | L 13-16vs Arkansas | 4 | 3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 27-14vs UL Monroe | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 27-24vs Texas A&M | 4 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 15 | 6.5 | 0.5 | — | 1 |
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
25 tackles. 1 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 6.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Player DNA
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
His 2021 production profile sits closest to Marqez Bimage’s 2021 season.
Matches Marqez on
Differs from Marqez on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Michael Matus's sophomore season at Arizona State (2021).
Matches Michael on
Differs from Michael on
Player DNA