Scoop Gardner Jr., Western Michigan DE: the 2026 season story
Scoop Gardner Jr. is a junior defensive lineman for Western Michigan (Mid-American). He ranks 95th 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. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Scoop Gardner Jr.'s strongest measure is QB hurries per game at 0.78, 39th of 892 (the average is 0.26). Even his lowest-ranked one is good: tackles per game at 3.0, 229th of 892 (the average is 2.6).
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, 3.0, ranks 229th among 892 ranked defensive linemen.
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 74th percentile for volume and 87th for impact.
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 9 games, Scoop Gardner Jr.'s best came in week 7 at Central Michigan and his quietest in week 1 at Michigan.
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.
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. Scoop Gardner Jr. is 77th of 892 FBS defensive linemen and 6th of 91 in the Mid-American. Next up nationally is Mario Thompson of Old Dominion, 0.01 ahead on the index.
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 Jayden Virgin-Morgan of Boise State.
