T.J. Brunson

Former linebacker at South Carolina. 2019: 77 tackles, 6 tackles for loss.

LB · South Carolina · Sr. · #6

6′1″ · 230 lb · Columbia, SC

New York — drafted 2020, Rd 7, Pick 24, #238 overall

Recruiting

3★

ILB recruit

No. 836 nationally · Signed with South Carolina

Statement game16 tackles · 3 TFL · 2 sacksat Florida (FBS) · L 31-35

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at South Carolina. 2019: 77 tackles, 6 tackles for loss.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Carolina in 2016.
Drafted round 7 by the New York in 2020.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at South Carolina, 268 tackles — drafted at #238 overall by New York.

His career

He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

20166 games

Signed with South Carolina3-star out of Richland Northeast

2020

Drafted by New Yorkround 7, pick 238

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#836 national

CFB

College

South Carolina

2016–2019

NFL

NFL Draft

R7 · #238

New York · 2020

Coaching lineage · 2016–2019

1 coach

2016–2019

Will Muschamp

South Carolina

Played his entire career under Will Muschamp.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

New YorkEntering 7th NFL season

#238Rd 7 · Pick 24

New YorkEntering 7th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2019 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Will Muschamp — 26-25 over that span.

2016South Carolina6-7HC: Will Muschamp · Run-leaning

2017South Carolina9-4HC: Will Muschamp · Balanced, slow tempo

2018South Carolina7-6HC: Will Muschamp · Balanced

2019South Carolina4-8HC: Will Muschamp · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (92nd percentile). Strength: solo tackles (91st percentile). Concern: sacks (23rd percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Tackles#217 / 2688 · 92nd pct

Solo tackles#244 / 2688 · 91st pct

Passes defended#271 / 2688 · 88th pct

Tackles for loss#473 / 2688 · 81st pct

6.0

Interceptions#301 / 779 · 31st pct

QB hurries#1337 / 2688 · 25th pct

Sacks#1426 / 2688 · 23rd 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

2019 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	5.1	0.4	0.0	0.6
Road4g	10.2	0.8	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	7.3	0.4	0.0	0.5
Weeks 8+5g	6.6	0.7	0.0	0.4

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Shane Beamer

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2019

Part-time starter

Splitting first-team reps — starts some weeks, rotates others.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2019	South Carolina	77	44	6.0	0.0	5	1	--
2018	South Carolina	91	55	7.0	2.5	1	--	--
2017	South Carolina	88	53	4.5	2.0	--	--	--
2016	South Carolina	12	8	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		268	160	17.5	4.5	6	1	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2019

W 20–17

at Georgia

10 TOT · 7 SOLO · 1 TFL

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 on the road.

With J. Charlton — 45 AVG · 58 LONG · 7 NO · R. Hilinski — 116 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 77.4

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week