Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 28-9vs Austin Peay | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-31vs NC State | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Total | 10 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 |
#26
Cayden Daniels
Sophomore cornerback for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 189 lb · Cordele, GA · Crisp County
The numbers
1
interception · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far
The play that turned itSwung Vanderbilt from 31% to 99% to win.NC State at Vanderbilt · 35-31
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore cornerback for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Vanderbilt in 2025.
How he plays
Doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
Passes defended: 92nd percentile.
The full scouting readCayden Daniels
Doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. He has spent two seasons in the Vanderbilt secondary. The receipt: 4 tackles against Austin Peay — Week 1, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20253 games
- Signed with Vanderbilt3-star out of Crisp County
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Vanderbilt
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vanderbilt | 10 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 16 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Cayden Daniels's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 35–31
vs NC State
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +2 pass breakups, +3 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Clark Lea, all balanced, slow tempo offenses — 13-3 over that span.
2025Vanderbilt10-3HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Vanderbilt3-0HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: passes defended (92nd percentile). Concern: tackles (8th percentile).
Box-score production (8)
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%2 pass breakupsInterceptions
1interceptionsTackle volume
10tackles this season10 tackles · 2 pass breakups · 1 interception.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clark Lea
Pass share
48.4%
90 pass / 96 run
Plays / game
62.0
3 games
Team sack rate
2.1%
95 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,008 recruit in the country is starting in the secondary in the SEC as a sophomore.
DNA match
Player DNA
Cover Corner
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Kalon Barnes’s 2020 season.
86%match
NFL Rd 7
Matches Kalon on
PD rate
Class year
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to CJ McBean's sophomore season at New Mexico (2026).
Matches CJ on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Cayden Daniels
The secondary · Vanderbilt
- #8C.J. Heard71 tackles · 2025
- #7Ricardo Jones39 tackles · 2025
- #4Martel Hight35 tackles · 2025
- #1Dontae Carter33 tackles · 2025
- #26Cayden Daniels6 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Vanderbilt team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology