Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 2013 NFL Draft Player Profile

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 241 pounds

Position Rank: 2

Drafted By:

40 Yard Dash: 4.82

Bench Press: DNP

Vertical Jump: 33″

Broad Jump: 113″

2012 Stats

Career Highlights (via Notre Dame athletics site)

CAREER: Consensus preseason first-team All-America linebacker for 2012 … played in all 38 games in Notre Dame career, starting 36 total games including 35 consecutive contests for the Irish … one of highest regarded and most-decorated defensive recruits to select Notre Dame in recent memory … totaled 324 tackles, 157 solo stops, 28.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles … ranks eighth at Notre Dame in career tackles … named a second-team All-American by five outlets in 2011 … earned Capital One Academic All-America Second Team honors in 2011 … finalist for the Lott Trophy and Butkus Award in 2011 … his 133 tackles in 2010 finished just outside the top 10 in single-season school history … the 133 tackles were the most by an Irish player since Tony Furjanic made 147 in 1983 … has recorded 10 or more tackles in a game 18 times over his career … only four Irish players started more games on defense in 2009 … recorded third-most tackles ever by an Irish freshman and ranked fourth on team with 63 stops.

2011 (JUNIOR): All-America linebacker who started all 13 games at inside linebacker, tallying 128 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss … selected second-team All-American by Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, SI.com, Rivals.com and Phil Steele … chosen to Capital One Academic All-America Second Team and recipient of Notre Dame’s Rockne Student-Athlete of the Year … named finalist for some of college football’s most prestegious awards including the Lott and Butkus Awards after being named to numerous preseason awards lists and All-America scrolls … semifinalist for the Bednarik, Butkus and Lombardi Awards and was a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy all at the same time, making him one of only three players in the country to be on all four lists … placed on the Phil Steele Midseason All-America First Team … notched double-digit tackles in nine games … led team in tackles nine times … had at least one tackle for loss in seven games … became only 10th Irish player to register 300 tackles for career at Stanford … recorded 14 tackles and a sack against USF … had 12 tackles against Michigan State … tallied 10 tackles and a sack at Pittsburgh … produced eight tackles, including a sack and a career-high three tackles for loss, in victory at Purdue … named FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week following game against the Boilermakers … recorded 12 tackles, including two and a half for loss, and a pass breakup in victory over Air Force … had productive game against Navy (Oct. 29), tallying 13 tackles, including two and a half for loss, and one-half sack … named College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Linebacker and FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week following game against the Midshipman … tallied 12 tackles, including one-half tackle for loss, in win vs. Boston College … named FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Week following game against the Eagles … tallied 13 tackles and assisted on a sack in the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State.

2010 (SOPHOMORE): Saw action in all 13 games in 2010 … one of 11 players to start all 13 games for the Irish that season … joined LB Darius Fleming, CB Gary Gray, DE Kapron Lewis-Moore, DE Ethan Johnson, S Harrison Smith and CB Darrin Walls as the only players on the defensive side of the ball to start all 13 games … totaled 133 tackles, including nine and a half tackles for loss (34 yards), one sack (seven yards), one forced fumble and two pass breakups … led the Irish in total tackles (133), tackles on running plays (95), tackles on passing plays (35, tied), solo tackles (66) and assisted tackles (67) … also ranked second on the team in tackles for loss (9.5) … nearly became the first Notre Dame defender to eclipse 100 total tackles and lead the team in tackles for loss since Melvin Dansby in 1997 … nearly became the first Irish defender to lead the team in total tackles and tackles for loss since Brandon Hoyte in 2005 … ranked t-18th in the FBS in tackles per game (10.23), 12th in total tackles (133), tied for 17th in assisted tackles (67) and tied for 29th in solo stops (66) … eclipsed 10 or more tackles in seven different games (Michigan, 13; Michigan State, 11; Stanford, 21; Boston College, 10; Western Michigan, 10; Navy, 13; Army, 12) … only failed to reach double digits in tackles in six games (Purdue, Pittsburgh, Tulsa, Utah, USC and Miami) … added one tackle for loss, forced a fumble and registered a pass breakup against the Wolverines … recorded two and a half tackles for loss for a total of 15 yards in the overtime defeat against the Spartans … registered at least one tackle for loss in seven of Notre Dame’s 13 games, including five consecutive games (Western Michigan, Navy, Tulsa, Utah and Army) … finished with nine tackles against the Black Knights, nine tackles against the Boilermakers, nine tackles against the Utes, eight versus the Golden Hurricane and six against the Trojans and Hurricanes (missed most of the second half with an injury) … his 133 tackles in 2010 finished just outside the top 10 in single-season school history … the 133 tackles were the most by an Irish player since Tony Furjanic made 147 in 1983 … his 133 tackles rank as the third most ever by a Notre Dame sophomore … Bob Crable’s school record total of 187 in 1979 and Furjanic’s total of 142 in 1983 came during each of their second year in an Irish uniform … established a career high in tackles with 21 against Stanford … first player in the FBS in 2010 to eclipse the 20-tackle barrier … no player in the FBS had had more tackles in one game against a BCS conference foe since Durell Mapp of North Carolina had 23 stops against North Carolina State on Nov. 10, 2007 … most tackles by a sophomore against a BCS opponent since Austin Thomas of Indiana had 22 against Michigan State on Oct. 13, 2007 (Luke Kuechly of Boston College equaled total of 21 on Nov. 13, 2010 against Duke) … most tackles by a Notre Dame player since Chinedum Ndukwe had 22 in a victory over Air Force on Nov. 11, 2006 … the 21 tackles against Stanford not only rank as the sixth-most in single-game school history, but also the second-most ever by an Irish sophomore … Crable was a sophomore when he tied the school record with 26 stops against Clemson on Nov. 17, 1979 … totaled 824 snaps on defense, the most of any Irish player.

2009 (FRESHMAN): Linebacker appeared in all 12 games as rookie, while starting 10 … finished season with 63 total tackles, ranking fourth on team and third most for any freshman in program history … became full-time starter in fifth game of season against Washington and recorded 57 tackles over last eight games, second most on team … added five and a half tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup in first season … recorded two solo tackles in his Irish debut against Nevada including tackle on first career play in Irish uniform … recorded only sack of season against Purdue with 16 seconds left in contest to help secure Notre Dame’s 24-21 win over Boilermakers … totaled 10 tackles in first game as full-time starter against Washington … tied for team-high honors with eight tackles against USC … paced Irish with nine tackles against Boston College including season-best two and a half tackles for loss and one pass breakup … recorded season-high seven solo tackles in final home game against Connecticut … matched season high with 10 tackles in season finale against Stanford … totaled 238:28 of playing time and made 63 special-teams appearances.

Career Stats

Scouting Report/Player Notes

Te’o is becoming one of the most complete and dominant linebackers in the entire country. He is the ideal size and decent athletic ability for his position, and by coming back for his senior season, he has cemented his status as one of the top linebackers in the draft, possibly an even more appealing prospect than Luke Kuechly was in 2012. Te’o has all the tools to be a great leader at the next level, and potentially one of the top linebackers in the NFL before too long. He has the look of an instant impact player who can make plays behind the line of scrimmage as well as dropping back in coverage. In his last two seasons (2010, 2011) he has had 129 and 128 total tackles, leading the Irish. He’s got great range and can play sideline to sideline as well as stuff the middle. Pure MLB prospect who will start immediately upon being drafted, could be a top 10 talent.

2011 Notes:

Te’o is built like a freight train, and he hits like one. Not only is he one of the top linebackers eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft, he could be one of the best linebackers to come along in quite some time. Strong, tough, athletic linebacker prospect who had 63 tackles, 5.5 for loss, a sack, and a broken up pass as a starting true freshman. Followed up a stellar freshman campaign with 133 tackles as the clear starting inside linebacker in 2010, and added 9.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and three passes broken up. He will have at least three years starting in a 3-4 defensive alignment, making him all the more attractive to those teams. Will be a force against the run in the NFL, and is athletic enough to make plays sideline to sideline. Bottom line is, this guy is a high effort player who vacuums up ball carriers like they are going out of style. He will be a tackling machine in the NFL, and should be a high draft choice should he choose to leave after his junior season.

Video Highlights (via YouTube)