Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 77-7vs Florida A&M | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 33-20@ Wake Forest | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Total | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
#24
Ethan O'Connor
Junior defensive back for Miami. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 180 lb · Irvine, CA
CFB Index 36 · #252 of 364 cornersLow confidence
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 numbers
1
interception · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 INT, 8 tackles, at Wake Forest
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior defensive back for Miami. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Washington State in 2023.
- Transferred from Washington State to Miami in 2025.
Ethan O'Connor
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Two head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 8 tackles, 1 INT against Wake Forest — Week 3, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2023
- Signed with Washington State3-star out of Los Alamitos
202512 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Miami
Played his entire career under Mario Cristobal.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Miami | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Miami | 28 | 22 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 5 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Washington State | 30 | 21 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 4 | -- |
| Career | 66 | 48 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 14 | 5 | -- |
Game log
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 33–20
at Wake Forest
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +8 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Washington State8-5HC: Pete Kaligis · Run-leaning
2025Miami13-3HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2026Miami3-0HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidenceFading
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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 2 games: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mario Cristobal
Pass share
48.3%
98 pass / 105 run
Plays / game
67.7
3 games
Team sack rate
1.0%
101 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
36 · #252 of 364 corners
Three-star recruit. Now #252 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #56 of 75 ACC DBs
How the All-ACC 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.
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 Josh DeBerry’s 2023 season.
68%match
Matches Josh on
PD rate
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Josh on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Therrian Alexander's sophomore season at BYU (2025).
83%match
Matches Therrian on
Weight
Tackle volume
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Ethan O'Connor
The secondary · Miami
- Omar Thornton82 tackles · 2025
- #7Zechariah Poyser68 tackles · 2025
- #6Xavier Lucas45 tackles · 2025
- #24Ethan O'Connor28 tackles · 2025
- #2Damari Brown24 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Miami team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology