#16

Trevor Denbow

Senior linebacker for SMU. 2021: 40 tackles.

LB · SMU · Sr. · #16

5′11″ · 225 lb · Corsicana, TX

CFB Index 64 · #173 of 578 LBsHigh confidenceSMU 2021 alumnus

The story

4 linebacker for SMU. 2021: 40 tackles.

The record fills in as he plays.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at SMU, 183 tackles — his college career is complete.

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

SMU

2018–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2018–2021

2 coaches

2018–2020

Sonny Dykes

SMU

2021

Jim Leavitt

SMU

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Sonny Dykes → Jim Leavitt. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2018SMU5-7HC: Sonny Dykes · Balanced

2019SMU10-3HC: Sonny Dykes · Balanced, fast tempo

2020SMU7-3HC: Sonny Dykes · Balanced

2021SMU8-4HC: Jim Leavitt · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

64Quality starter #173 of 578?

High confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: tackles for loss (7th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Solo tackles#638 / 2743 · 76th pct

Interceptions#126 / 824 · 73rd pct

Passes defended#735 / 2743 · 67th pct

Tackles#928 / 2743 · 65th pct

QB hurries#827 / 2743 · 59th pct

Sacks#1435 / 2743 · 24th pct

0.0

Tackles for loss#2340 / 2743 · 7th 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

2021 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	4.4	0.0	0.0	0.4
Road5g	3.6	0.0	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	4.2	0.0	0.0	0.4
Weeks 8+5g	3.8	0.0	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Rhett Lashlee

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

Awards

Player standing · 2021

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

64 · #173 of 578 LBs

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	SMU	40	29	0.0	0.0	2	2	--
2020	SMU	37	27	7.0	1.0	1	1	--
2019	SMU	64	39	2.0	0.5	4	--	--
2018	SMU	42	27	4.5	1.5	1	--	--
Career		183	122	13.5	3.0	8	3	--

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 56-9vs Abilene Christian	2	2	1	2
Wk 2	W 35-12vs North Texas	8	8	—	0	Season-high 8 tackles
Wk 4	W 42-34@ TCU	2	1	—	0
Wk 5	W 41-17vs South Florida	4	3	—	0
Wk 6	W 31-24@ Navy	5	3	—	0
Wk 8	W 55-26vs Tulane	4	4	—	0
Wk 9	L 37-44@ Houston	6	2	—	0
Wk 10	L 25-28@ Memphis	2	2	—	0
Wk 12	L 14-48@ Cincinnati	3	2	—	0
Wk 13	L 31-34vs Tulsa	4	2	1	0
Total		40	29	2	2

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

Trevor Denbow

2021 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Rotational

Career stats

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Coverage 'Backer

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