TN #53

Trevor Nowaske

Linebacker · Saginaw Valley State

A Michigan native and Division II standout who has steadily worked his way up Detroit's linebacker depth chart since going undrafted in 2023.

Trevor Nowaske grew up in nearby Canton, Michigan, and took the long road to the NFL through Division II Saginaw Valley State. An elite pro day performance put him on Detroit's radar, and he has since grown from a special teams contributor into a rotational linebacker for his hometown team.

★ Pro day Relative Athletic Score in the top two percent of linebackers since 1987

★ 232 career tackles at Saginaw Valley State

★ Undrafted free agent who earned a starting role in Detroit

Path to the league

Nowaske played 44 games with 24 starts over six seasons at Saginaw Valley State, producing 232 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and five interceptions. He went undrafted in 2023, but a pro day Relative Athletic Score that ranked among the top two percent of linebackers since 1987 helped him land with the Lions as a free agent.

Career highlights

Nowaske took a significant step forward in his second NFL season after appearing in just two games as a rookie. He started two games at linebacker for Detroit and logged 332 defensive snaps, a sharp increase after seeing zero defensive snaps the year before.

2025 season recap

Nowaske built on his prior season's momentum in 2025, continuing to see expanded defensive snaps for the Lions as injuries opened opportunities at linebacker. The Canton native and Salem High School product remained a special teams contributor while pushing for a larger defensive role.