Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-57@ South Carolina | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#19
DJ Barnes
Senior defensive back on Kent State's 2026 roster.
5′8″ · 170 lb · Tallahassee, FL · Florida HS
CFB Index 20 · #502 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Kent State for 2026
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.
The story
4 defensive back on Kent State's 2026 roster.
- Transferred from West Florida to Kent State in 2025.
DJ Barnes
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. He got to Kent State by way of West Florida. One game to point at: 4 tackles against South Carolina — Week 1, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- portal record
- game log
His career
202510 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Kent State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Mark Carney, all run-leaning, slow tempo offenses — 6-8 over that span.
2025Kent State5-7HC: Mark Carney · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Kent State1-1HC: Mark Carney · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
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 splits
Through 1 game: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mark Carney
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
20 · #502 of 544 safeties
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-MAC
Based on 2025: #36 of 40 Mid-American DBs
How the All-MAC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kent State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Kent State | 28 | 18 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 32 | 21 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kent State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Kent State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -4 net (11 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kent State · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #130 · 2026 recruiting class #122
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 Aamii Branch’s 2025 season.
74%match
Matches Aamii on
Height
PD rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Aamii on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Ken Willis's freshman season at Cincinnati (2023).
Matches Ken on
Class year
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Differs from Ken on
Weight (lower)
Background
2025 (Junior) Appeared in all 12 games for the Golden Flashes Recorded 30 total tackles (20 unassisted, 10 assisted) Had 2.0 tackles for loss for 2 yards Forced a fumble at Texas Tech Posted a season-high 6 tackles against Massachusetts Had 5 tackles at both Oklahoma and Florida State
The secondary · Kent State
- #2Joel Cordoba66 tackles · 2025
- #3Derrick Jackson48 tackles · 2025
- #19DJ Barnes28 tackles · 2025
- #1A'tiq Muhammad28 tackles · 2025
- #7Angelo Stockstill8 tackles · 2025
11 more on the roster · Kent State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology