#53

T.J. Edwards

Senior inside linebacker for Wisconsin. 2018: 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.

ILB · Wisconsin · Sr. · #53

6′1″ · 248 lb · Lake Villa, IL

Wisconsin 2018 alumnus

Recruiting

2★

ATH recruit

No. 2155 nationally · Signed with Wisconsin

Statement game18 tacklesvs Minnesota (FBS) · L 15-37

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 inside linebacker for Wisconsin. 2018: 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to Wisconsin in 2014.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Wisconsin, 273 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

2014

Signed with Wisconsin2-star out of Lakes Community

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#2155 national

CFB

College

Wisconsin

2016–2018

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2016–2018

1 coach

2016–2018

Paul Chryst

Wisconsin

Played his entire career under Paul Chryst.

2018 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Paul Chryst, all run-heavy offenses — 32-9 over that span.

2016Wisconsin11-3HC: Paul Chryst · Run-heavy

2017Wisconsin13-1HC: Paul Chryst · Run-heavy

2018Wisconsin8-5HC: Paul Chryst · Run-heavy

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (99th percentile). Strength: tackles (98th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Solo tackles#18 / 2662 · 99th pct

Tackles#54 / 2662 · 98th pct

103

Tackles for loss#130 / 2662 · 95th pct

10.5

Interceptions#53 / 805 · 89th pct

Sacks#308 / 2662 · 86th pct

3.0

QB hurries#287 / 2662 · 86th pct

Passes defended#744 / 2662 · 66th pct

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

2018 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	6.4	0.6	0.2	0.2
Road5g	10.4	1.2	0.2	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	5.1	1.2	0.4	0.0
Weeks 8+6g	11.2	0.3	0.0	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Luke Fickell

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

Awards

Player standing · 2018

Impact starter

Producing measurably more than a replacement-level starter.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2018	Wisconsin	103	68	10.5	3.0	2	3	--
2017	Wisconsin	81	53	11.0	2.0	7	4	--
2016	Wisconsin	89	48	8.5	3.0	2	3	--
Career		273	169	30.0	8.0	11	10	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 4 · 2018

W 28–17

at Iowa

5 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 TFL

With A. Lotti — 37 AVG · 5 IN 20 · 49 LONG · A. Hornibrook — 205 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · -11 rush yds (2 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2018 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 34-3vs Western Kentucky	7	5	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 45-14vs New Mexico	4	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	L 21-24vs BYU	3	1	1.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 28-17@ Iowa	5	4	1.0	0.0	1	0
Wk 6	W 41-24vs Nebraska	7	3	2.0	2.0	—	0	2 sacks
Wk 7	L 13-38@ Michigan	10	6	3.0	1.0	—	0	3.0 TFL
Wk 8	W 49-20vs Illinois	5	4	0.0	0.0	1	0
Wk 9	L 17-31@ Northwestern	13	5	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 31-17vs Rutgers	7	5	0.0	0.0	—	2
Wk 11	L 10-22@ Penn State	14	12	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 47-44@ Purdue	10	9	2.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 15-37vs Minnesota	18	12	0.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 18 tackles
Bowl	W 35-3vs Miami	—	—	—	—	1	—
Total		103	68	10.5	3.0	3	2

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology