Junior linebacker for Iowa State. 2025: 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.
6′4″ · 240 lb · Defiance, IA
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
tackles · 2025
2 TFL · 2 sacks · 1 PBU
Best game: 3 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks, vs BYU
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Iowa State. 2025: 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.
Will McLaughlin
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. He has spent four seasons in the Iowa State linebacker corps. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Arizona State — Week 10, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Matt Campbell.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Matt Campbell — 30-21 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (13th percentile).
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 · Per-game
2025 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jimmy Rogers
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2024
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Iowa State | 13 | 8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Iowa State | 15 | 6 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Iowa State | 46 | 25 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | -- |
| 2022 | Iowa State | 12 | 4 | 2.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 86 | 43 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 6 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 24-21@ Kansas State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 1 | W 55-7vs South Dakota | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 24-16@ Arkansas State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | L 17-24@ Colorado | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 27-41vs BYU | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 10 | L 19-24vs Arizona State | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 13 | 8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 1 |
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Iowa State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Iowa State
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa State · Last season: 8-4 (AP #22) · Talent rank #68 · 2026 recruiting class #54
Player DNA
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Colby Reeder’s 2022 season.
Matches Colby on
Differs from Colby on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Gabe Powers's junior season at Kansas State (2025).
Matches Gabe on
Differs from Gabe on
Player DNA