Thomas Pickens

Senior linebacker for Memphis. 2021: 50 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack.

LB · Memphis · Sr.

6′2″ · 207 lb · Memphis, TN

CFB Index 52 · #271 of 578 LBsHigh confidenceMemphis 2021 alumnus

The story

4 linebacker for Memphis. 2021: 50 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack.

The record fills in as he plays.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Memphis, 157 tackles — his college career is complete.

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

Memphis

2017–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2017–2021

2 coaches

2017–2019

Mike Norvell

Memphis

2020–2021

Ryan Silverfield

Memphis

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Norvell → Ryan Silverfield. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2017Memphis10-3HC: Mike Norvell · Balanced

2018Memphis8-6HC: Mike Norvell · Run-leaning

2019Memphis12-2HC: Mike Norvell · Run-leaning

2020Memphis8-3HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced, fast tempo

2021Memphis6-6HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

52Rotational starter #271 of 578?

High confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (85th percentile). Concern: passes defended (19th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Solo tackles#404 / 2743 · 85th pct

Tackles#604 / 2743 · 78th pct

QB hurries#530 / 2743 · 75th pct

Sacks#829 / 2743 · 61st pct

1.0

Tackles for loss#1233 / 2743 · 52nd pct

2.5

Passes defended#1695 / 2743 · 19th 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

2021 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	4.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Road5g	6.0	0.5	0.2	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	6.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Weeks 8+5g	4.0	0.5	0.2	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Charles Huff

Pass share

38.2%

66 pass / 107 run

Plays / game

57.7

3 games

Team sack rate

5.2%

77 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.

Awards

Player standing · 2021

Part-time starter

Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

52 · #271 of 578 LBs

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Memphis	50	35	2.5	1.0	--	--	--
2020	Memphis	53	36	5.0	3.0	2	1	--
2019	Memphis	42	27	3.5	2.0	--	1	--
2018	Memphis	6	3	0.0	0.0	--	1	--
2017	Memphis	6	4	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		157	105	11.0	6.0	2	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2021

W 31–29

vs Mississippi State

7 SOLO · 8 TOT

Edged out Mississippi State at home in a shootout.

With J. Doyle — 51 LONG · 100 PCT · 7 PTS · C. Austin III — 9 rec · 105 yds · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	Note
Wk 1	W 42-17vs Nicholls	4	1	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 2	W 55-50@ Arkansas State	10	9	0.0	0.0	—	Season-high 10 tackles
Wk 3	W 31-29vs Mississippi State	8	7	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 5	L 31-34@ Temple	2	2	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 6	L 29-35@ Tulsa	6	2	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 8	L 7-24@ UCF	5	3	2.5	1.0	—	2.5 TFL
Wk 10	W 28-25vs SMU	1	0	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 11	L 29-30vs East Carolina	3	2	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 12	L 13-31@ Houston	7	5	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 13	W 33-28vs Tulane	4	4	0.0	0.0	—
Total		50	35	2.5	1.0	—

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

Thomas Pickens

2021 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Part-time starter

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Sideline-to-Sideline

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