Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 14-13@ Georgia Tech | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 52-21vs Weber State | 7 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 11 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#35
Tyler Martinez
Senior linebacker for Colorado. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 220 lb · Albuquerque, NM · Volcano Vista
CFB Index 51 · #273 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred New Mexico State → Colorado 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
11
tackles · 2026
1 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, 1 TFL, vs Weber State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Colorado. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to New Mexico State in 2023.
- Transferred from New Mexico State to Colorado in 2026.
Tyler Martinez
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Jerry Kill, Tony Sanchez and Deion Sanders. His first career honor landed in 2024: All-Conference USA. The receipt on tape: 7 tackles, 1 TFL against Weber State, Week 2, 2026.
11 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20238 games
- Signed with New Mexico State2-star out of New Mexico Military Institute
202412 games
- All-Conference USAsecond
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE USA · 2ND TEAM
All-Conference USA 2nd team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Colorado
Played his entire career under Deion Sanders.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Colorado
2025New Mexico State
2026Colorado
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023New Mexico State10-5HC: Jerry Kill · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2024New Mexico State3-9HC: Tony Sanchez · Run-heavy
2025New Mexico State4-8HC: Tony Sanchez · Pass-leaning
2026Colorado2-0HC: Deion Sanders · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Concern: tackles (27th 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: 5.5 TKL/g, 0.5 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
Deion Sanders
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.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Colorado | 11 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico State | 27 | 15 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | New Mexico State | 94 | 45 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | New Mexico State | 21 | 11 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 153 | 76 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 52–21
vs Weber State
7 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 TFL
Dominant 31-point win at home against Weber State.
With J. Lewis — 366 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 85.2 · -23 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · D. Greaves — 51 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 57 LONG
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 Jack Kiser’s 2021 season.
Matches Jack on
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Jack on
PD rate (higher)
Class year (higher)
Tackle volume (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Michael Dixon's junior season at Minnesota (2022).
87%match
Matches Michael on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Tyler Martinez
Background
AS A TRANSFER Rated as a three-star transfer prospect by 247 Sports. Listed as the No. 1,302 player in the transfer portal and the No. 100 linebacker as of January 14, 2026. Enters Colorado as an undergraduate transfer with two years to play two. AT NEW MEXICO STATE (2023-25) Started the first fo...
The linebacker corps · Colorado
- #44Gideon Lampron119 tackles · 2025
- #17Liona Lefau68 tackles · 2025
- #35Tyler Martinez27 tackles · 2025
- #54Bo LaPenna1 tackle · 2025
- #44Gideon Lampronno box-score line yet
4 more on the roster · Colorado team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology