Junior linebacker for Florida State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 231 lb · Byram, MS · Hartfield Academy
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
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
QB hurries: 99th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 1.5 TFL, at Alabama
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior linebacker for Florida State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Chris Jones
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across three seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Reed Stringer, Charles Huff and Mike Norvell. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Sun Belt. The receipt: 9 tackles, 1 TFL against SMU — Week 1, 2026.
21 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-SUN BELT · 1ST TEAM
All-Sun Belt 1st team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Mike Norvell.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Florida State
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida State | 21 | 11 | 2.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Southern Miss | 132 | 49 | 9.5 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Southern Miss | 46 | 25 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 199 | 85 | 14.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 2 | -- |
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 | W 34-17vs New Mexico State | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 1 | L 24-27vs SMU | 9 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 3 | L 36-50@ Alabama | 6 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 11 | 2.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–17
6 tackles · 3 solo tackles
With A. Daniels — 202 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 72.0 · 30 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · S. Singleton — 42 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD
Since week 1: +15 tackles, +2.5 tackles for loss.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: qb hurries (99th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (87th percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th 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.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
21tackles this seasonTFL rate
12%2 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups21 tackles · 2 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 7.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 7.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Norvell
Pass share
40.5%
79 pass / 116 run
Plays / game
65.0
3 games
Team sack rate
8.8%
91 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 2,350 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the ACC as a junior.
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Riko Jeffers’s 2020 season.
Matches Riko on
Differs from Riko on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Whit Weeks's junior season at LSU (2025).
Matches Whit on
Differs from Whit on
Player DNA
BEFORE FSU: Played 22 games with 13 starts in two seasons with Southern Miss…tallied 180 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and three pass breakups in Hattiesburg…started all 13 games for USM in 2025 with 134 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, one…
9 more on the roster · Florida State team page