Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 41-38vs Louisville | 6 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 41-9vs Charlotte | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#49
Tah'j Butler
Junior linebacker for Ole Miss. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 235 lb · New Orleans, LA · Edna Karr
CFB Index 44 · #342 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Georgia Tech → Ole Miss 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
12
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, vs Louisville
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Ole Miss. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Georgia Tech in 2024.
- Transferred from Georgia Tech to Ole Miss in 2026.
Tah'j Butler
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Brent Key and Pete Golding. The receipt: 6 tackles against Charlotte — Week 2, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
20249 games
- Signed with Georgia Tech3-star out of Edna Karr
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Ole Miss
2026era →
Pete Golding
Ole Miss
Coaching transition mid-career: Lane Kiffin → Pete Golding. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Ole Miss
2025Georgia Tech
2026Ole Miss
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Georgia Tech7-6HC: Brent Key · Run-leaning
2025Georgia Tech9-4HC: Brent Key · Run-leaning
2026Ole Miss2-0HC: Pete Golding · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceAscending
Production sits in the middle of the position cohort across the board.
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: 6.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pete Golding
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
44 · #342 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #342 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ole Miss | 12 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Georgia Tech | 34 | 18 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Georgia Tech | 25 | 17 | 4.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 71 | 41 | 8.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 41–38
vs Louisville
6 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 TFL
Edged out Louisville at home in a shootout.
With T. Chambliss — 336 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 82.7 · 60 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD · D. Alexander — 5 rec · 159 yds · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Omar Graham Jr.’s 2024 season.
Matches Omar on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Class year
Differs from Omar on
Sack rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Drew Surges's sophomore season at Iowa State (2025).
78%match
Matches Drew on
PD rate
Solo tackle rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Drew on
Weight (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Tah'j Butler
Background
2026 (JUNIOR): Transfer who arrived on campus in January and participated in spring drills. GEORGIA TECH: Appeared in all 26 games over the course of two seasons with the Yellow Jackets ... Played in all 13 games with two starts during the 2025 season, totaling 34 tackles, including three tackles...
The linebacker corps · Ole Miss
- #11Keaton Thomas99 tackles · 2025
- #12Luke Ferrelli91 tackles · 2025
- #4Suntarine Perkins81 tackles · 2025
- #49Tah'j Butler34 tackles · 2025
- #44Tony Mitchell25 tackles · 2025
8 more on the roster · Ole Miss team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology