Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-0vs Marshall | 6 | 5 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 27-9@ Temple | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 7 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#10
Caleb Bacon
Senior linebacker for Penn State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 242 lb · Lake Mills, IA · Lake Mills
CFB Index 72 · #112 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Iowa State → Penn State for 2026
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.
The numbers
8
tackles · 2026
3 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Marshall
Statement game7 tackles · 3 TFL · 3 sacksat Oklahoma State (FBS) · W 20-13
Top 1% tackles for loss game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Penn State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Iowa State to Penn State in 2026.
Caleb Bacon
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Caleb Bacon arrived at Penn State from Iowa State. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. The receipt: 6 tackles, 3 TFL against Marshall — Week 1, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- portal record
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: James Franklin, Terry Smith, and Matt Campbell. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Penn State
2025Iowa State
2026Penn State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Iowa State4-8HC: Matt Campbell · Pass-leaning
2023Iowa State7-6HC: Matt Campbell · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Iowa State8-4HC: Matt Campbell · Run-leaning
2026Penn State2-0HC: Matt Campbell · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: tackles for loss (95th percentile). Strength: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
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.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 4.0 TKL/g, 1.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Campbell
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
72 · #112 of 583 LBs
Unranked recruit. Now #112 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Penn State | 8 | 7 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Iowa State | 68 | 32 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Iowa State | 60 | 36 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 2 | -- | 1 |
| 2022 | Iowa State | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 139 | 78 | 19.0 | 7.0 | 5 | -- | 1 |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 27–9
at Temple
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Payton Wilson’s 2022 season.
80%match
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 35
Matches Payton on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Differs from Payton on
Hurry rate (lower)
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Payton Wilson's junior season at NC State (2022).
86%match
Consensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 3 · Pk 35
Matches Payton on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Caleb Bacon
The linebacker corps · Penn State
- #8Kooper Ebel77 tackles · 2025
- #10Caleb Bacon68 tackles · 2025
- #9Cael Brezina29 tackles · 2025
- #13Tony Rojas25 tackles · 2025
- #25Alex Tatsch14 tackles · 2025
7 more on the roster · Penn State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology