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Ball hawks: interceptions vs. fumble recoveries

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 31, 2026

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Ball hawks: interceptions vs. fumble recoveries

Top 50 of 1597 defenders by both stats combined. Season so far, games through Oct 24, 2026. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better on both.

From the play-by-play. Players with 30+ pass attempts, 15+ carries, 8+ catches, a sack, an interception or a fumble recovery this season. Labels mark the best on both stats and anyone you highlight. Hover or tap a dot for the numbers.

What this shows

Each dot is one of 50 defenders, placed by interceptions (across) and fumble recoveries (up). Interceptions made on defense. Fumbles recovered, from the box scores. The dashed lines are the averages: 2.5 and 0.8.

There is strong relationship here (r = −0.89; r runs from −1 to +1). Players who are better at one tend to be worse at the other. One explains about 79% of the differences in the other.

5 of 50 (10%) are above average on both. 20 are above average only on interceptions, 25 only on fumble recoveries, and 0 on neither.

Where the data comes from. Play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026. Every stat here is computed from those plays.

Best on both

  1. Ty Bryant, Kentucky: 4 interceptions, 1 fumble recoveries
  2. Kingston Lopa, California: 5 interceptions, 0 fumble recoveries
  3. Kaleb Beasley, Louisville: 5 interceptions, 0 fumble recoveries
  4. Mark Cannon Jr., Cincinnati: 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recoveries
  5. Gregory Smith, North Carolina: 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recoveries
  6. Kobi Albert, Southern Miss: 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recoveries

Great at one, not the other

  1. David Santiago, Kansas: 0 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries
  2. Raul Aguirre Jr., NC State: 0 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries
  3. Kingston Lopa, California: 5 interceptions, 0 fumble recoveries
  4. Kaleb Beasley, Louisville: 5 interceptions, 0 fumble recoveries
  5. Luke Metz, Alabama: 1 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries
  6. Aaron Clark, App State: 1 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries

About the stats on this chart

What is interceptions?

Interceptions made on defense.

Why do interceptions matter?

Interceptions are part skill and part luck. The ball has to find you, and it tends to find the same guys.

Where does the interceptions data come from?

From play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.

What is fumble recoveries?

Fumbles recovered, from the box scores.

Where does the fumble recoveries data come from?

From play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.