2025 National Leaders Tackles - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/19/2026
| Name | Team | Yr | Pos | G | Solo | Assisted | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tahj Ra-El | Purdue | SR | DB | 5 | 31 | 16 | 47 | 9.40 |
| 2 | Bryce Boettcher | Oregon | SR | ILB | 6 | 30 | 34 | 64 | 10.67 |
| 3 | Desman Stephens II | USC | SO | LB | 5 | 29 | 16 | 45 | 9.00 |
| 4 | Robert Fitzgerald | N'western | JR | DB | 4 | 28 | 18 | 46 | 11.50 |
| 5 | Tawfiq Byard | Colorado | SO | S | 4 | 26 | 16 | 42 | 10.50 |
| 5 | Justin Jefferson | Alabama | SR | LB | 6 | 26 | 16 | 42 | 7.00 |
| 5 | Mac Uihlein | N'western | SR | LB | 4 | 26 | 12 | 38 | 9.50 |
| 8 | Jacob Rodriguez | Texas Tech | SR | LB | 5 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 11.40 |
| 8 | Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | JR | DB | 6 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 8.83 |
| 8 | Myles Slusher | Purdue | SR | DB | 4 | 25 | 8 | 33 | 8.25 |
| 11 | A.J. Haulcy | LSU | SR | S | 5 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 9.20 |
| 11 | Mani Powell | Purdue | SR | LB | 5 | 24 | 15 | 39 | 7.80 |
| 11 | Fred Perry | WVU | SR | N | 5 | 24 | 13 | 37 | 7.40 |
| 11 | Ty'Anthony Smith | Texas | SO | LB | 6 | 24 | 7 | 31 | 5.17 |
| 15 | TJ Dottery | Miss | JR | LB | 6 | 23 | 16 | 39 | 6.50 |
| 15 | Xavier Atkins | Auburn | SO | LB | 5 | 23 | 14 | 37 | 7.40 |
| 15 | Charles Correa | Purdue | SO | LB | 5 | 23 | 12 | 35 | 7.00 |
| 15 | Austin Brown | Wisconsin | SR | S | 6 | 23 | 12 | 35 | 5.83 |
| 15 | Jelani McDonald | Texas | JR | DB | 6 | 23 | 11 | 34 | 5.67 |
| 15 | Kip Lewis | Oklahoma | JR | LB | 5 | 23 | 10 | 33 | 6.60 |
| 15 | Zakee Wheatley | Penn State | SR | S | 4 | 23 | 9 | 32 | 8.00 |
| 15 | Aaron Flowers | Oregon | FR | DB | 6 | 23 | 9 | 32 | 5.33 |
| 23 | Aiden Fisher | Indiana | SR | LB | 6 | 22 | 25 | 47 | 7.83 |
| 23 | Jahron Manning | Miss St | SR | S | 4 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 10.50 |
| 23 | Matthew Jung | Wisconsin | JR | S | 6 | 22 | 17 | 39 | 6.50 |
| 23 | Bray Hubbard | Alabama | JR | DB | 6 | 22 | 14 | 36 | 6.00 |
| 23 | DQ Smith | S Carolina | SR | DB | 5 | 22 | 5 | 27 | 5.40 |
| 28 | Braydon Brus | N'western | JR | LB | 4 | 21 | 10 | 31 | 7.75 |
| 29 | Davhon Keys | LSU | SO | LB | 6 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 7.33 |
| 29 | Rolijah Hardy | Indiana | SO | LB | 6 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 7.17 |
| 29 | Lewis Carter | UCF | JR | LB | 3 | 20 | 17 | 37 | 12.33 |
| 29 | Jordan Castell | Florida | JR | DB | 5 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 7.20 |
| 29 | Alex McLaughlin | Washington | JR | S | 3 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 10.00 |
| 29 | Justin Okoronkwo | S Carolina | SO | LB | 5 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 6.00 |
| 29 | Avery Powell | Temple | JR | SAF | 4 | 20 | 9 | 29 | 7.25 |
| 29 | D'Angelo Ponds | Indiana | JR | DB | 5 | 20 | 7 | 27 | 5.40 |
| 29 | Peyton Williams | S Carolina | JR | DB | 5 | 20 | 4 | 24 | 4.80 |
| 38 | Suntarine Perkins | Miss | JR | LB | 6 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 6.00 |
| 38 | John Curry | Texas Tech | SO | LB | 5 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 6.80 |
| 38 | Darrian Lewis | WVU | SR | S | 5 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 6.60 |
| 38 | Deontae Lawson | Alabama | SR | LB | 6 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 5.50 |
| 38 | Keaton Thomas | Baylor | JR | LB | 3 | 19 | 10 | 29 | 9.67 |
| 38 | Xavier Nwankpa | Iowa | SR | DB | 4 | 19 | 10 | 29 | 7.25 |
| 38 | CJ Allen | Georgia | JR | ILB | 5 | 19 | 10 | 29 | 5.80 |
| 38 | Brylan Lanier | Miss St | SR | S | 4 | 19 | 5 | 24 | 6.00 |
| 46 | Isaiah Jones | Indiana | JR | LB | 6 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 5.83 |
| 46 | Tamarcus Cooley | LSU | SO | S | 6 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 5.67 |
| 46 | Ty Bryant | Kentucky | JR | DB | 4 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 8.00 |
| 46 | Amare Campbell | Penn State | JR | LB | 4 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 8.00 |
| 46 | Jerry Mixon | Oregon | JR | ILB | 6 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 5.17 |
| 46 | Koen Entringer | Iowa | JR | DB | 4 | 18 | 10 | 28 | 7.00 |
| 46 | Demari Henderson | UCF | JR | DB | 3 | 18 | 9 | 27 | 9.00 |
| 46 | Sharif Denson | Florida | JR | DB | 5 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 5.20 |
| 46 | Daylen Everette | Georgia | SR | DB | 5 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 5.20 |
| 46 | Brandon Finney Jr. | Oregon | FR | DB | 6 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 4.00 |
| 46 | Rylon Dillard-Allen | Washington | FR | S | 3 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 6.33 |
| 57 | JonJon Vaughns | UCLA | SR | LB | 4 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 10.50 |
| 57 | Ben Roberts | Texas Tech | JR | LB | 5 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 7.80 |
| 57 | Reid Carrico | WVU | SR | LB | 5 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 7.20 |
| 57 | Mohamed Toure | Miami (Fl) | SR | LB | 5 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 6.80 |
| 57 | Christian Alliegro | Wisconsin | JR | LB | 5 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 6.40 |
| 57 | Jakobe Thomas | Miami (Fl) | SR | DB | 5 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 6.20 |
| 57 | Chris Cole | Georgia | SO | ILB | 5 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 5.60 |
| 57 | TJ Metcalf | Michigan | JR | DB | 4 | 17 | 10 | 27 | 6.75 |
| 57 | Bryce Thornton | Florida | JR | DB | 5 | 17 | 10 | 27 | 5.40 |
| 57 | Jalon Kilgore | S Carolina | JR | DB | 5 | 17 | 8 | 25 | 5.00 |
| 57 | Brenden Jordan | Texas Tech | JR | S | 5 | 17 | 8 | 25 | 5.00 |
| 57 | Dalton Brooks | Texas A&M | JR | S | 3 | 17 | 7 | 24 | 8.00 |
| 57 | Tavin Ward | S Florida | SR | S | 3 | 17 | 7 | 24 | 8.00 |
| 57 | Donovan Jones | Nebraska | FR | DB | 4 | 17 | 7 | 24 | 6.00 |
| 57 | Domani Jackson | Alabama | SR | DB | 6 | 17 | 7 | 24 | 4.00 |
| 57 | Kapena Gushiken | Miss | SR | S | 6 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 3.83 |
| 57 | Matthew Bailey | Illinois | JR | DB | 3 | 17 | 5 | 22 | 7.33 |
| 57 | Jack Tchienchou | Tulane | SO | S | 3 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 7.00 |
| 57 | A.J. Harris | Penn State | JR | CB | 4 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 5.25 |
| 76 | Keyshaun Elliott | Ariz St | SR | LB | 4 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 9.25 |
| 76 | Kaleb Elarms-Orr | TCU | SR | LB | 3 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 11.00 |
| 76 | Myles "Ghost" Rowser | Ariz St | SR | DB | 4 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 8.00 |
| 76 | Tanner Wall | BYU | SR | S | 4 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 8.00 |
| 76 | Christian Pierce | USC | JR | S | 5 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 6.40 |
| 76 | Wydett Williams Jr. | Miss | SR | S | 6 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 5.17 |
| 76 | Jimmy Rolder | Michigan | SR | LB | 4 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 7.00 |
| 76 | Wesley Bissainthe | Miami (Fl) | SR | LB | 5 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 5.60 |
| 76 | Marcus Williams | Rice | JR | SAF | 3 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 8.33 |
| 76 | David Bailey | Texas Tech | SR | OLB | 5 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 5.00 |
| 76 | KJ Bolden | Georgia | SO | DB | 5 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 5.00 |
| 76 | Christian Harrison | Cincinnati | JR | S | 3 | 16 | 8 | 24 | 8.00 |
| 76 | Caleb Downs | Ohio State | JR | SAF | 4 | 16 | 8 | 24 | 6.00 |
| 76 | Zechariah Poyser | Miami (Fl) | SO | DB | 5 | 16 | 8 | 24 | 4.80 |
| 76 | PJ Woodland | LSU | SO | CB | 6 | 16 | 8 | 24 | 4.00 |
| 76 | Reid Williford | Charlotte | SR | LB | 3 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 7.00 |
| 76 | Jamari Sharpe | Indiana | JR | DB | 6 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 3.50 |
| 76 | Garner Wallace | N'western | SR | DB | 4 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 5.00 |
| 76 | CJ Heard | Vanderbilt | SO | S | 3 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 6.33 |
| 76 | Tae Johnson | Notre Dame | FR | S | 4 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 4.75 |
| 96 | Mason Posa | Wisconsin | FR | LB | 6 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 5.67 |
| 96 | Cole Wisniewski | Texas Tech | SR | S | 5 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 6.60 |
| 96 | Faletau Satuala | BYU | SO | S | 4 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 7.75 |
| 96 | Daveren Rayner | Kentucky | SR | ILB | 4 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 7.50 |
| 96 | Xavian Sorey, Jr. | Arkansas | SR | LB | 4 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 7.50 |