Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 38-41@ Ole Miss | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 59-13vs Villanova | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#11
T.J. Capers
Junior linebacker for Louisville. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 225 lb · Miami, FL · Columbus
CFB Index 42 · #359 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Louisville 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
9
tackles · 2026
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, vs Ole Miss
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Louisville. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Louisville in 2023.
T.J. Capers
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. This is his third year in the same linebacker corps at Louisville. The receipt: 7 tackles against Ole Miss — Week 1, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2023
- Signed with Louisville4-star out of Miami Columbus
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Louisville
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Louisville
Played his entire career under Jeff Brohm.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Jeff Brohm — 19-9 over that span.
2024Louisville9-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Balanced
2025Louisville9-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Balanced
2026Louisville1-1HC: Jeff Brohm · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceAscending
Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile). Concern: tackles (0th 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: 4.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Brohm
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
42 · #359 of 583 LBs
Former four-star. Now #359 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #46 of 74 ACC LBs
How the All-ACC 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
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Louisville | 9 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Louisville | 46 | 23 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Louisville | 7 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 62 | 32 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 59–13
vs Villanova
2 TOT · 1 SOLO
Dominant 46-point win at home against Villanova.
With L. Kienholz — 332 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.7 · 42 rush yds (6 car) · 2 TD · T. Richardson — 11 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
Louisville
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Louisville
Returning around him
- 1 Louisville player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -7 net (33 in / 40 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Louisville · Last season: 9-4 (AP #19) · Talent rank #37 · 2026 recruiting class #48
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Maverick Baranowski’s 2023 season.
Matches Maverick on
Weight
Sack rate
Hurry rate
Differs from Maverick on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Se'Von McDowell's sophomore season at Coastal Carolina (2025).
Matches Se'Von on
TFL rate
Sack rate
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like T.J. Capers
Background
PRONUNCIATION 2025: Appeared in 13 games, making seven starts .. finished the season with 46 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss ... recorded a pair of tackles in the opener against Eastern Kentucky ... had a career-best three stops against James Madison ... set a career high with five tackles in th...
The linebacker corps · Louisville
- #11T.J. Capers46 tackles · 2025
- #6Stanquan Clark19 tackles · 2025
- #43Trent Carter2 tackles · 2025
- #36Jacob Smith1 tackle · 2025
- #38Cameron White1 tackle · 2025
4 more on the roster · Louisville team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology