Sophomore linebacker for Kansas State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 246 lb · Baltimore, MD · Boys Town [NE]
The numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, vs Tulane
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore linebacker for Kansas State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Darien Whitaker Jr.
Darien Whitaker Jr. has played for two head coaches in two seasons at Kansas State. One game to point at: 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks against Tulane — Week 3, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 2.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Chris Klieman → Collin Klein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kansas State | 7 | 6 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Kansas State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 9 | 8 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
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 71-3vs Nicholls | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 34-7vs Washington State | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 31-20vs Tulane | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | 1 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 6 | 3.5 | 2.5 | — | 1 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 71–3
vs Nicholls
1 sacks · 1 tackles for loss · 2 tackles
Dominant 68-point win at home against Nicholls.
With A. Johnson — 199 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · 23 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · B. White — 7 rush yds (1 car)
Since week 2: +3 tackles, +1.5 tackles for loss, +1.5 sacks.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (98th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (95th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Collin Klein
Pass share
43.2%
89 pass / 117 run
Plays / game
68.7
3 games
Team sack rate
0.0%
89 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
The No. 1,203 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big 12 as a sophomore.
2025: Saw time in the final two games of the season, playing exclusively on kickoff coverage and recording tackles against both Utah and Colorado. HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Boys Town under head coach Chris Nizzi... Regarded as the 60th-best linebacker in the nation for the Class of 2025 by On3,…
6 more on the roster · Kansas State team page