Senior safety for Jacksonville State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 202 lb · Phenix City, AL · Central HS
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
Moves between deep coverage and the slot.
Tackles: 88th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
interception · 2026
1 PBU · 18 tackles
3 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 2 INT -- top 1% interceptions game. -- Best game: 1 INT, 1 PBU, 5 tackles, vs Eastern Kentucky
Swing playSwung Jacksonville State from 50% to 75% to win.Jacksonville State at UTEP · 30-27
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety for Jacksonville State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Caleb Nix
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Caleb Nix has played for two head coaches across three seasons and two programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Conference USA. The receipt on tape: 9 tackles against Ohio, Week 2, 2026.
18 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE USA · 1ST TEAM
All-Conference USA 1st team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Rich Rodriguez → Charles Kelly. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (88th percentile). Strength: qb hurries (83rd percentile). Concern: tackles for loss (20th percentile).
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 · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Road2g | 6.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Charles Kelly
Pass share
43.2%
79 pass / 104 run
Plays / game
61.0
3 games
Team sack rate
4.5%
88 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #3 of 25 Conference USA Ss
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jacksonville State | 18 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Jacksonville State | 63 | 38 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 4 | -- |
| 2023 | Clemson | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 82 | 46 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 5 | -- |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 49–7
5 TOT · 1 PD · 1 QB HUR
Dominant 42-point win at home against Eastern Kentucky.
With C. Creel — 327 yds · 5 TD · 1 INT · 54 rush yds (10 car) · J. Williams — -4 rush yds (1 car)
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 7-33@ North Dakota State | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 1 | W 49-7vs Eastern Kentucky | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | L 27-29@ Ohio | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Total | 18 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Jacksonville State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Jacksonville State
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Jacksonville State · Last season: 9-5 · Talent rank #93 · 2026 recruiting class #86
Player DNA
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Kareem Orr’s 2016 season.
Matches Kareem on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Adrian Frye's junior season at Texas Tech (2020).
Matches Adrian on
-2025 First-Team All-CUSA -2026 Phil Steele "All-Meathead Team" -2026 Phil Steele Preseason First-Team All-CUSA JUNIOR (2025): Played in all 14 games...Tied for third on the team in total tackles with 64...Made four for loss...Recovered three fumbles and had four interceptions...Recorded 191 inte...
22 more on the roster · Jacksonville State team page