Dean Ford, Sam Houston LB: the 2026 season story
Dean Ford is a junior linebacker for Sam Houston (Conference USA). He ranks 224th of 930 linebackers in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every linebacker 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 linebacker, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Dean Ford's strongest measure is tackles for loss per game at 0.69, 68th of 459 (the average is 0.40). His weakest is interceptions per game at 0.00, 106th of 459 (the average is 0.03).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His tackles per game, 5.5, ranks 181st among 459 ranked linebackers.
Against every linebacker
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 linebackers he sits, on average, in the 61st percentile for volume and 50th 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 9 games, Dean Ford's best came in week 6 at Liberty and his quietest in week 4 at Texas Tech.
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 linebacker on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Dean Ford is 170th of 459 FBS linebackers and 11th of 37 in Conference USA. Next up nationally is Noah Chambers of Virginia Tech, 0.01 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. A player's track record is the best guide to whether a season like this one is likely to last. This is his best season by the Player Index so far, out of 2 we have.
Linebackers 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 Davhon Keys of LSU.
