Career – – His 544 career tackles is the most among active players and the second-most in FBS history… has played in 71 collegiate games, which is the most in NCAA history… has 26 career 10+ tackle games… has four 100+ tackle seasons.
2024 Honors – – Athlon preseason second-team All-America… Phil Steele preseason fourth-team All-America… Athlon and Phil Steele preseason first-team All-Big Ten… named to Bronko Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, and Lombardi Award preseason Watch Lists… one of nine graduate students named to 2024 Player Council… 2024 – – Started at linebacker in all 11 games, marking his 58th career start… has 80 tackles (37 solo, 43 assists), including five tackles for a loss of 32 yards, 2.5 QB sacks for 23 yards, one interception for 28 yards, six pass break-ups, and three QB pressures on the season… has three 10+ tackle games this season… ranks fifth in the Big Ten in assisted tackles (43) and ninth in total tackles (80)… led team with a season-high 12 tackles (season-high nine solo, three assists), including one tackle for a loss of four yards, and one pass break-up in 17-20 loss at UCLA… recorded 11 tackles (six solo, five assists), including 1.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards, and one QB sack for 12 yards, in 20-32 loss at Michigan State… collected a season-high 11 tackles (four solo, season-high seven assists) and two QB pressures in 40-16 win over Washington… recorded eight tackles (four solo, four assists) in 19-20 loss to Iowa State… recorded eight tackles (five solo, three assists) and snagged his first career interception, returning it for 28 yards, in 42-10 win over Wisconsin… collected eight tackles (two solo, six assists), including his first QB sack of the season for five yards and 1.5 tackles for a loss of five yards, and a career-high two pass break-ups in 31-14 win at Minnesota… had six tackles (one solo, five assists), including 0.5 QB sack for six yards, one pass break-up and one QB pressure as defense allowed just 163 yards in 40-14 win over Northwestern… collected five tackles (two solo, three assists) and one pass break-up as defense allowed just 189 yards in season-opening 40-0 shutout of Illinois State… recorded four tackles (one solo, three assists), including 0.5 tackles for a loss of three yards, and one pass break-up in 29-13 win at Maryland… recorded four tackles (one solo, three assists) in 38-21 win over Troy… collected three tackles (two solo, one assist) in 7-35 loss at #3/3 Ohio State.
2023 Honors – – Third-team All-Big Ten by league media and honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches… Phil Steele second-team All-Big Ten… named to Rotary Lombardi midseason Watch List… preseason third-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports… named to Dick Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Award preseason Watch Lists… named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week (10/2) following Iowa’s 26-16 win vs. Michigan State… Coaches Appreciation Award, defense… 2023 – – Started at weakside linebacker in all 14 games after joining Iowa program as a graduate transfer from Virginia… his 110 tackles (51 solo, 59 assists) ranked second on the team and fourth in the Big Ten… led team and ranked fifth in Big Ten in forced fumbles on the season (2)… his 59 assisted tackles ranked third in the Big Ten… also collected eight tackles for a loss of 26 yards, including four QB sacks for 16 yards, seven QB pressures, and two pass break-ups on the season… recorded a season-high 13 tackles (eight solo, five assists) in 31-0 loss at Penn State… recorded 11 tackles (career-high nine solo, two assists) in 35-0 loss to Tennessee… collected 10 tackles (four solo, six assists), including one tackle for a loss of two yards, and a forced a key fourth-quarter fumble in 26-16 win vs. Michigan State… had nine tackles (three solo, six assists) and QB pressure in 20-13 win at Iowa State… collected a team-leading nine tackles (four solo, five assists), including one QB sack, and forced a fumble in 41-10 win over Western Michigan… recorded eight tackles (three solo, five assists) and a matched a career-high with two QB pressures in 15-13 win over Illinois… collected eight tackles (five solo, three assists) and one pass break-up in 26-0 loss to Michigan… had seven tackles (three solo, four assists) and one pass break-up in 20-14 win over Purdue… had seven tackles (four solo, three assists), including one QB sack for eight yards, in 10-7 win at Northwestern… tallied seven tackles (two solo, five assists), including one QB sack for seven yards and 1.5 tackles for a loss of seven yards, and one pass break-up in 22-0 win over Rutgers… collected six tackles (one solo, five assists) and one QB pressure in 15-6 win at Wisconsin… had six tackles (two solo, four assists) in 12-10 loss vs. Minnesota… recorded four tackles (two solo, two assists), including one QB sack for one yard, and matched a career-high two QB pressures in 13-10 win at Nebraska… letterwinner.
2022 Honors – – Second-team All-ACC… Associated Press second-team All-ACC… third-team All-ACC by Phil Steele… named ACC Linebacker of the Week (Oct. 31)… named Virginia defensive MVP following the season… named to the NSCA Strength and Conditioning All-America Team based on academic achievement, personal integrity, athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength and conditioning… first-team VaSID all-state selection… named to preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Butkus Award and 2023 Senior Bowl… named preseason second-team All-ACC by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele and Pick Six Previews… 2022 – – Started nine of 10 games in which he saw action… led the ACC and ranked ninth in the nation with 10.4 tackles per game… 104 total tackles to rank fifth in the ACC… notched career-high five sacks and seven TFL… third-straight 100-tackle season… 14 tackles in win over Richmond, including 10 solo tackles and one tackle for loss… nine tackles in loss at Illinois, with one tackle for loss and sack… eight tackles and two pass break-ups in win over Old Dominion… 10 tackles at Syracuse, with one sack and tackle for loss… 10 tackles at Duke, including eight assists… 11 tackles vs. Louis-ville… eight tackles in win at Georgia Tech, two sacks and tackles for loss… 14 tackles in narrow loss to Miami… nine tackles vs. North Carolina… 11 tackles and a pass break-up vs. Pittsburgh.
2021 Honors – – Second-team All-ACC… second-team All-ACC by Associated Press and Phil Steele… preseason All-ACC… named to preseason Butkus Award Watch List… 2021 – – Started all 12 games… recorded 117 tackles to lead the ACC, including 54 solo tackles and 63 assists… seven double-digit tackle efforts on the season, with five of those games in conference play… matched career-high of 16 tackles against BYU on Oct. 30, the fourth highest total of any ACC linebacker on the season… one of four team captains… 12 tackles vs. William & Mary… seven tackles in win at Illinois… 10 tackles at North Carolina… 11 tackles vs. Wake Forest… 11 tackles in shutout win over Duke… nine tackles vs. Notre Dame… 12 tackles at Pitt… 10 tackles vs. Virginia Tech.
2020 Honors – – Third-team All-ACC… second-team All-ACC by Phil Steele… honorable mention All-ACC by Pro Football Focus… named to 2021 ACC Academic Honor Roll… 2020 – – Started all 10 games… ranked second in the ACC and 16th in the nation with 10.5 tackles per game… ranked second in the ACC and 16th in the nation with 5.5 solo tackles per game… totaled career-high 12 tackles in opening against Duke, added with one tackle for loss… led defense with 12 tackles at No. 1 Clemson… caught first collegiate pass on a fake punt against NC State for 26 yards… added seven tackles against the Wolfpack… recorded six tackles and one tackle for loss at Wake Forest… led team with 16 tackles at No. 11 Miami, with one tackle for loss and a shared sack… led team with 13 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in win over No. 15 North Carolina… led team with 10 stops against Louisville… added one sack in the win… collected 11 tackles in win over Abilene Christian… led team with 11 tackles in win over Boston College, with one pass break-up… seven tackles and one tackle for loss at Virginia Tech.
2019 – – Appeared in all 14 games with two starts… one of 17 true freshmen to appear in 2019… made collegiate debut on special teams at Pitt… recorded two tackles against William & Mary… notched three tackles against Duke… four tackles at Louisville… earned first collegiate start at North Carolina, recording three tackles in win over the Tar Heels… two tackles and a shared sack against Liberty… nine tackles and a shared tackle for loss in ACC Championship game against Clemson… started in the Orange Bowl against Florida, collect-ing four tackles.
High school honors – – Regarded as three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247 sports.com… recipient of the 2022-2023 Gretchen Savin MacIlwaine Football Scholarship… Career – – Played linebacker and wide receiver… recorded 95 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and caused one fumble as a senior… also had 26 receptions for 406 yards and three touch-downs… recorded 57 tackles, three sacks and caused one fumble as a junior… collected 26 tackles and eight tackles for a loss as sophomore … career receiving totals include 72 receptions for 1,224 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 17 yards per reception.
Personal – – Born 1/5/2001… CLAS non-degree major… parents are Lisa Sanders and Doug Jackson… high school coach was Mike Muschamp.
