Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-13vs Youngstown State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#97
Tyler Thomas
Senior defensive end on Kentucky's 2026 roster.
6′5″ · 260 lb · Mobile, AL
CFB Index 17 · #392 of 426 edge rushersMedium confidenceTransferred South Alabama → Kentucky 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
0
sacks · 2026
1 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, vs Youngstown State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive end on Kentucky's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Alabama in 2023.
- Transferred from South Alabama to Kentucky in 2026.
Tyler Thomas
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Across four seasons and three programs, three head coaches: Trent Dilfer, Major Applewhite and Will Stein. The receipt on tape: 1 tackles against Youngstown State, Week 1, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with South Alabama3-star out of Cottage Hill Christian Academy
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Kentucky
2026era →
Will Stein
Kentucky
Coaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Kentucky
2025South Alabama
2026Kentucky
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023UAB4-8HC: Trent Dilfer · Balanced
2024South Alabama7-6HC: Major Applewhite · Balanced
2025South Alabama4-8HC: Major Applewhite · Run-heavy
2026Kentucky1-1HC: Will Stein · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th 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 1 game: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.0 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
Will Stein
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 | Kentucky | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | South Alabama | 16 | 5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 19 | 6 | 3.5 | 2.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | UAB | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 37 | 11 | 6.5 | 4.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 45–13
1 TOT
Dominant 32-point win at home against Youngstown State.
With K. Minchey — 301 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · 17 rush yds (1 car) · T. O'Hara — 42 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 45 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caden Wiest’s 2025 season.
Matches Caden on
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Sack rate
Differs from Caden on
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Koron Hayward's junior season at Western Kentucky (2025).
Matches Koron on
Class year
TFL rate
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Tyler Thomas
The defensive line · Kentucky
- #90Mi'Quise Grace7 tackles for loss · 2025
- #94Tavion Gadson4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #96Dominic Wiseman3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #97Tyler Thomas3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #6Ahmad Breaux2.5 tackles for loss · 2025
6 more on the roster · Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology