Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 37-27vs Hawai'i | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 1 | L 6-45vs Miami | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#97
Zach Rowell
Senior defensive lineman on Stanford's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 285 lb · San Diego, CA · Torrey Pines
CFB Index 46 · #186 of 330 interior linemenLow confidenceReturning to Stanford 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 TFL · 6 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 TFL, 4 tackles, vs Hawai'i
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Stanford's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Stanford in 2022.
Zach Rowell
Wins his gap play after play. Zach Rowell has been at Stanford through three head coaches in four seasons. One game to point at: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against Hawai'i — Week 1, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Stanford3-star out of Torrey Pines
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Stanford
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coaches2023–2024
Troy Taylor
Stanford
2025era →
Frank Reich
Stanford
2026era →
Tavita Pritchard
Stanford
Played under 3 different head coaches: Troy Taylor, Frank Reich, and Tavita Pritchard. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Stanford3-9HC: Troy Taylor · Balanced
2024Stanford3-9HC: Troy Taylor · Run-leaning
2025Stanford4-8HC: Frank Reich · Balanced
2026Stanford1-1HC: Tavita Pritchard · Pass-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low 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 2 games: 3.0 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
Tavita Pritchard
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.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
46 · #186 of 330 interior linemen
Three-star recruit. Now #186 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #42 of 73 ACC DLs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 37–27
vs Hawai'i
4 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 TFL
With D. Warren — 310 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 79.7 · 16 rush yds (5 car) · A. Flintoft — 43 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 49 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Stanford
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Stanford
Returning around him
- 2 Stanford players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -6 net (6 in / 12 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Stanford · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #50 · 2026 recruiting class #37
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jacob Sykes’s 2022 season.
Matches Jacob on
Sack rate
Hurry rate
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Quin Williams's junior season at Georgia Southern (2022).
85%match
Matches Quin on
Class year
Sack rate
Hurry rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Zach Rowell
The defensive line · Stanford
- #45Omar Staples2.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #97Zach Rowell0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #75Braden Marceau-Olayinka0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #42Jacobi Murray0 tackles for loss · 2025
- #55Joe Asiain0 tackles for loss · 2025
7 more on the roster · Stanford team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology