Porter Small, Weber State DE: the 2026 season story
Porter Small is a junior defensive lineman for Weber State (Big Sky). He ranks 187th 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. Porter Small's strongest measure is tackles for loss per game at 0.80, 91st of 892 (the average is 0.40). His weakest is QB hurries per game at 0.06, 656th of 892 (the average is 0.26).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His tackles per game, 2.3, ranks 485th 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 46th percentile for volume and 73rd 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, Porter Small's best came in week 5 at Cal Poly and his quietest in week 4 against Portland State.
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. Porter Small is 37th of 817 FCS defensive linemen and 6th of 87 in the Big Sky. Next up nationally is Ka Von Chisolm of South Carolina State, 0.00 ahead on the index.
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 Lamont Lester Jr. of Colorado.