Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-7vs Lafayette | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 14-38vs Maryland | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#9
Zakaih Saez
Sophomore linebacker for UConn. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 230 lb · Lake Worth, FL · Saint Thomas Aquinas HS
CFB Index 40 · #374 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Oregon State → UConn 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
3
tackles · 2026
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, vs Lafayette
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 linebacker for UConn. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Oregon State in 2023.
- Transferred from Oregon State to UConn in 2026.
Zakaih Saez
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Zakaih Saez has played for two head coaches across three seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 2 tackles against Lafayette — Week 1, 2026.
3 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 Oregon State3-star out of St. Thomas Aquinas
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Jim Mora, Gordon Sammis, and Jason Candle. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to UConn
2025Oregon State
2026UConn
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Oregon State5-7HC: Trent Bray · Run-leaning
2025Oregon State2-10HC: Trent Bray · Balanced
2026UConn1-1HC: Jason Candle · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile). 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: 1.5 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
Jason Candle
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
40 · #374 of 571 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #374 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UConn | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Oregon State | 13 | 6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Oregon State | 24 | 11 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 40 | 19 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–7
vs Lafayette
2 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 QB HUR
Dominant 49-point win at home against Lafayette.
With K. Osborne — 265 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · 90 rush yds (8 car) · 2 TD · T. Warner — 43 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 44 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Cory Stover’s 2023 season.
69%match
Matches Cory on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Cory on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Rylan Barnes's freshman season at Iowa State (2024).
Matches Rylan on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Differs from Rylan on
Sack rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Zakaih Saez
The linebacker corps · UConn
- K'Von Sherman93 tackles · 2025
- #20Luke Murphy36 tackles · 2025
- #9Zakaih Saez13 tackles · 2025
- #5Rickey Williams11 tackles · 2025
- #19Ethan Hogg3 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · UConn team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology