Avery Howard, North Alabama DL: the 2026 season story
Avery Howard is a junior defensive lineman for North Alabama (UAC). He ranks 6th of 1,709 defensive linemen in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every defensive lineman on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Every measure is set against every ranked defensive lineman, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Avery Howard's strongest measure is sacks per game at 0.82, 11th of 892 (the average is 0.19). Even his lowest-ranked one is good: passes defended per game at 0.17, 156th of 892 (the average is 0.08).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His tackles per game, 3.7, ranks 119th among 892 ranked defensive linemen.
Against every defensive lineman
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked defensive linemen he sits, on average, in the 87th percentile for volume and 95th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 10 games, Avery Howard's best came in week 4 against Western Illinois and his quietest in week 7 against Abilene Christian.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every defensive lineman on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Avery Howard is 1st of 817 FCS defensive linemen and 1st of 52 in the UAC. No defensive lineman in FCS rates higher.
Defensive linemen like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace of Kentucky.
