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04 / Players

EVERY PLAYERHAS A STORY.

One player's season, told in order: game by game, against his position, where he does his damage, and who he plays like.

Tavion Atkinson, SMU DE: the 2026 season story

Tavion Atkinson is a junior defensive lineman for SMU (ACC). He ranks 908th 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.

01

Scouting report

Why it matters. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Tavion Atkinson's strongest measure is sacks per game at 0.23, 282nd of 892 (the average is 0.19). His weakest is passes defended per game at 0.00, 372nd of 892 (the average is 0.08).

02

Season production

Why it matters. Totals reward staying healthy and getting the ball; per-game numbers show how much he really carries each week. His tackles per game, 2.1, ranks 538th among 892 ranked defensive linemen.

03

Against every defensive lineman

Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of defensive lineman he is. Among ranked defensive linemen he sits, on average, in the 40th percentile for volume and 25th for impact.

04

The season, game by game

Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 7 games, Tavion Atkinson's best came in week 4 against Missouri State and his quietest in week 2 against UC Davis.

05

Where he does his damage

Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.

06

National and conference

Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Tavion Atkinson is 560th of 892 FBS defensive linemen and 68th of 101 in the ACC. Next up nationally is Tevita Tuha of Utah State, 0.00 ahead on the index.

07

Defensive linemen like him

Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Chris Spencer of UAB.

SMU

SMU season storyNo. 34 · 7-2

More SMU players

Kevin JenningsQB · 3rd of 365Marques WhiteDE · 48th of 1,709Kendrick RaphaelRB · 30th of 575Yamir KnightWR · 57th of 988Yannick SmithWR · 87th of 988Tyren Polley Jr.S · 223rd of 1,841Jalen CooperWR · 120th of 988Aakil WashingtonDE · 283rd of 1,709Brendan BairdPK · 47th of 261Randy Pittman Jr.TE · 56th of 305Jalen HaleWR · 255th of 988Wade McSparronP · 61st of 232

Top defensive linemen in the ACC

Langston HardyWake ForestXavier LewisNorth CarolinaWill HeldtClemsonClev LubinLouisvilleRylan KennedyFlorida StateMatthew Fobbs-WhiteVirginiaTunmise AdeleyeSyracuseAycen StevensVirginia TechE'Lla BoykinBoston CollegeMarques WhiteSMU

About this page

A season, told as a story

Every player page tells one player's season in order. It shows where he ranks at his position in the Player Index, what he has done game by game, and how each game measured up against the defense or offense he faced.

What each part shows

The story covers his production against every qualified player at his position, where on the field he does his damage, how his usage has changed over the season, his best and quietest games, and the players whose seasons look most like his. Transfers show the school he came from. Any chart can be switched from the whole season to a single game.

Where the numbers come from

Everything is built from public play-by-play data for this season, with every game adjusted for the strength of the opponent. Past seasons back to 2015 are available from the season menu, so a player's career can be read year by year.