Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-18vs South Dakota State | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-7vs Colorado | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Total | 15 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 |
#9
Braden Turner
Senior defensive back for Northwestern. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 200 lb · Mobile, AL · McGill-Toolen Catholic
CFB Index 57 · #205 of 544 safetiesLow confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Erases the deep middle of the field.
Passes defended: 97th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
1
interception · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 PBU, 7 tackles, vs South Dakota State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive back for Northwestern. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northwestern in 2022.
Braden Turner
Erases the deep middle of the field. This is his fourth year in the same secondary at Northwestern. One game to point at: 7 tackles, 1 TFL against South Dakota State — Week 1, 2026.
15 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Northwestern3-star out of McGill Toolen
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northwestern
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Northwestern
Played his entire career under David Braun.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | 15 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 52 | 25 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 37 | 27 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 7 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 111 | 66 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 7 | 3 | -- |
Game log
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–18
1 tackles for loss · 7 tackles · 3 pass breakups
With A. Chiles — 273 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · 18 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · J. Himon II — 87 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD
2026 snapshot
Since week 1: +8 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under David Braun — 21-19 over that span.
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2026Northwestern2-0HC: David Braun · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: passes defended (97th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Defensive profile
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
20%3 pass breakupsInterceptions
1interceptionsTackle volume
15tackles this seasonTFL rate
7%1 TFL15 tackles · 1 for loss · 3 pass breakups · 1 interception.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 7.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #33 of 77 Big Ten DBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
How he plays
Play style
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,261 recruit in the country is starting in the secondary in the Big Ten as a senior.
DNA match
Player DNA
Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Ore Adeyi’s 2025 season.
Matches Ore on
Tackle volume
Interceptions
PD rate
Differs from Ore on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Cameron Watts's senior season at New Mexico (2024).
Matches Cameron on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Braden Turner
Background
2025 Redshirt Junior: Earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention … Played in all 13 games with 12 starts … Posted 56 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a touchdown, an interception and two pass breakups … Set career highs in tackles, forced fumbles,…
The secondary · Northwestern
- #6Robert Fitzgerald106 tackles · 2025
- #9Braden Turner52 tackles · 2025
- #18Garner Wallace45 tackles · 2025
- #13Josh Fussell29 tackles · 2025
- #3Brenden Deasfernandes25 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Northwestern team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology