2025 Football Roster
Roster
Brendan Harrington
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-0 / 235
- Class:
- Seventh Year
- Hometown:
- Moncure, N.C.
- High School:
- Northwood
- Prev School:
- App State
- Major:
- Management
2025 - All-Sun Belt Conference Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
2025 - All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention
2024 - All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention
2020 - All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team (Pro Football Focus)
2020 - All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention
2025-26: Started all 13 games … Saw action on 910 plays (829 defense, 71 special teams) … Tallied 85 tackles, including 2.0 for loss, along with three pass breakups, an interception and a quarterback hurry … An honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference selection … A fourth-team All-Sun Belt selection by Phil Steele … A team captain … Had five tackles at Fresno State … Tallied eight total stops at USC … Posted six tackles in the win over Jax State … Had two tackles in the win over Maine … Posted a career-high 13 tackles, including one for loss, at James Madison … Tallied 12 stops against Southern Miss … Had eight tackles in the win over Georgia State … Posted three stops at Arkansas State … Tallied eight tackles, including one for loss, and had a pass breakup in the win at App State … Was selected to wear the #0 jersey for that game … Had five snaps and a big interception that set up a touchdown in the win over Coastal Carolina … Tallied six tackles against Old Dominion … Had a stop in limited action in the win at Marshall … Posted eight tackles and a quarterback hurry in the Birmingham Bowl win over App State.
2024-25: Team captain and All-Sun Belt honorable mention at App State … Played in all 11 games, starting the final six at inside linebacker and leading the team with 66 tackles … Had 3.0 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery (to prevent an ODU score, shortly after making a TD-saving tackle) and one pass breakup (while covering a deep route to help preserve a late lead against Georgia State) … Finished with a game-high 11 total tackles against JMU … Led the Mountaineers in tackles four times … Totaled 167 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and four interceptions while playing in 50 games (with 28 starts) at App State from 2019-24, using eligibility in 2019, 2021 and 2024 given the circumstances in 2020 (COVID), 2022 (season-ending injury during first game) and 2023 (season-ending injury during the second game) … Entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and enrolled at Georgia Southern in the spring … Made the Dean’s List in the fall for posting a GPA higher than 3.50.
2023-24: Team captain … Started and appeared in the first two games before suffering a season-ending knee injury at UNC … Returning from an abbreviated 2022 season, started the 2023 opener against Gardner-Webb and had four tackles (with one tackle for loss) before posting six tackles (including a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss) in the UNC game … Remained a visible and vocal contributor as a de facto student assistant while rehabbing from a second straight season-ending injury.
2022-23: Played in one game, a start against UNC, and suffered a season-ending injury in the opener … Had two tackles and contributed to a tackle for loss against the Tar Heels … Preseason watch list for the East-West Shrine Bowl.
2021-22: Appeared in 13 games and made seven starts at outside linebacker … Finished season with 31 tackles, including 3.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss, to go along with four pass breakups, six QB hurries and one forced fumble … Started six of the first seven games (missing the Elon game with an injury) … Had 1.5 sacks in the opening victory against East Carolina, half a sack against Marshall and one sack against Georgia Southern … As a starter in the regular-season finale against Georgia Southern, had five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and the one sack … Made a season-high six tackles and forced a fumble in the win against Marshall.
2020-21: Second-team All-Sun Belt from PFF and honorable mention All-Sun Belt from the league during a season that didn’t count against his eligibiilty due to COVID … Started all 12 games as an outside linebacker … Based on a Wins Above Average metric from PFF College, named the fifth-most valuable defender in college football … Ranked fourth on the team with 48 tackles and led the team with four interceptions, producing 95 return yards … Included in that tally were 4.0 tackles for loss, to go along with six pass breakups and four QB hurries … Gained 46 yards on an interception return in the opener against Charlotte and scored a touchdown on a 49-yard interception return at Texas State to give App State the lead for good late in the first quarter … Also intercepted passes at ULM and at Georgia Southern … Was the only Sun Belt linebacker with more than two interceptions in 2020 … Had career-high 11 tackles in the bowl win against North Texas … At Georgia Southern, helped make a stop for a three-and-out right between Jalen Virgil’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Nate Noel’s 70-yard touchdown run.
2019-20: Played in 11 games as a true freshman … Made 10 tackles while contributing on several special teams units and as an outside linebacker … Had two stops apiece against Charlotte, at Louisiana and at South Alabama.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played for Coach Brian Harrington at Northwood High … A versatile player who had 64 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and five sacks, and one interception as an all-conference linebacker during his senior season … Also a key contributor at running back, had 840 rushing yards with 16 TDs and 322 receiving yards with two TDs in eight games offensively … Three-time all-conference pick as well as a two-time all-region pick from the News & Observer and a two-time team captain … Honor roll student who was a four-year starter in football while also playing basketball and running track at Northwood … A president of Northwood’s chapter of My Brother’s Keeper, a program that focuses on academic achievement for minority students … Had four interceptions, including two touchdown returns, during a junior season in which he totaled 949 all-purpose yards and was an all-conference defensive back … Also an all-conference defensive back as a sophomore, when he scored on one of his four interceptions and also had a punt return for a touchdown … Intercepted two passes and had 10 breakups as a freshman … Considered a three-star recruit by the 247Sports composite rankings.
PERSONAL: Born Brendan Harrington on June 15 in Moncure, NC … Son of Lakisha Harrington.
MAJOR: Management (Graduated; App State)
