Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-7vs Texas State | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 24-23vs Ohio State | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 30-6vs UTSA | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Total | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 |
#2
Derek Williams Jr.
Junior defensive back on Texas's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 199 lb · New Iberia, LA · Westgate
CFB Index 20 · #503 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceIn transfer portal — destination TBD (from Texas)
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.
Recruiting
4★
S recruit
No. 49 nationally · Signed with Texas
Last played in 2026.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior defensive back on Texas's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Texas in 2023.
Derek Williams Jr.
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. This is his fourth year in the same secondary at Texas. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles against Ohio State, Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
202311 games
- Signed with Texas4-star out of Westgate
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Texas
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Texas
Played his entire career under Steve Sarkisian.
In Portal · 2026
In transfer portal
2025Texas
DestinationTBD
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Derek Williams Jr.'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 2 · 2026
W 24–23
vs Ohio State
4 tackles · 1 solo tackles
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 at home.
With A. Manning — 195 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 83.0 · 24 rush yds (8 car) · D. Smothers — 74 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +2 pass breakups, +2 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Steve Sarkisian — 38-8 over that span.
2023Texas12-2HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2024Texas13-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2025Texas10-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2026Texas3-0HC: Steve Sarkisian · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: passes defended (92nd 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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Steve Sarkisian
Pass share
45.9%
105 pass / 124 run
Plays / game
76.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.5%
115 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, fast tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
20 · #503 of 544 safeties
Former four-star. Now #503 at the position.
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to John Slaughter’s 2025 season.
97%match
Matches John on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to John Slaughter's junior season at Colorado (2025).
Matches John on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Derek Williams Jr.
Background
A fourth-year defensive back who has played in 29 games with two starts ... missed remaining 12 games of the 2024 season with season-ending injury. REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2025) Appeared in 12 games with two starts ... responsible for one tackle in season opener at No. 3/2 Ohio State (8/30) ... saw…
The secondary · Texas
- #4Jelani McDonald80 tackles · 2025
- #5Bo Mascoe48 tackles · 2025
- #29Graceson Littleton46 tackles · 2025
- #2Derek Williams Jr.23 tackles · 2025
- #8Kade Phillips22 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology