Quick, without looking it up: who’s the all-time career leader in tackles at the FBS collegiate level?
It’s not Tim McGarigle, the former Northwestern standout linebacker who dominated to the tune of 545 total tackles. It isn’t Luke Kuechly, nor is it someone like James Laurinaitis, LaVar Arrington or Patrick Willis.
That honor belongs to Troy linebacker Carlton Martial, who finished his collegiate career with 578 total tackles in his 5 seasons spent with the Trojans.
Martial’s story is truly a remarkable one. Listed as a 5-foot-8, 208-pound linebacker coming out of high school, he did not have a single scholarship offer from an FBS school and joined Troy in 2017 as a preferred walk-on.