Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-20vs Oregon State | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | L 26-28@ Texas Tech | 11 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Total | 19 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 1 |
#1
Jaden Yates
Senior linebacker for Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 225 lb · Columbus, OH · Gahanna Lincoln HS
CFB Index 29 · #471 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Ole Miss → Houston 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.
How he plays
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage.
QB hurries: 79th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
19
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 11 tackles, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks, at Texas Tech
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Marshall in 2023.
- Transferred from Ole Miss to Houston in 2026.
In Their Words
64 windows · 2026 fan posts
jaden×71.2ole×36.1miss×26.9
Jaden Yates
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Three head coaches in four seasons, at three different programs. SEC Defensive Player of the Week in 2025 made it two straight seasons on the honors list. The receipt: 11 tackles, 1 TFL against Texas Tech — Week 3, 2026.
19 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20234 games
- Signed with Marshall3-star out of Gahanna Lincoln
202413 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Sun Beltfirst
202515 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-SUN BELT · 1ST TEAM
All-Sun Belt 1st team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Houston
Coaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Houston
2025Ole Miss
2026Houston
Career stats
Game log
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +11 tackles, +1 tackle for loss, +0.5 sacks.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Marshall6-7HC: Charles Huff · Balanced
2024Marshall10-3HC: Charles Huff · Run-leaning
2025Ole Miss13-2HC: Lane Kiffin · Balanced
2026Houston2-1HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Production sits in the middle of the position cohort across the board.
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.
Defensive profile
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
19tackles this seasonTFL rate
5%1 TFLSack rate
3%0 sacksPD rate
5%1 pass breakups19 tackles · 1 for loss · 0 sacks.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 9.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.2 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Fritz
Pass share
42.1%
88 pass / 121 run
Plays / game
69.7
3 games
Team sack rate
4.1%
97 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,573 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big 12 as a senior.
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Owen Pappoe’s 2019 season.
87%match
NFL Rd 5
Matches Owen on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Tate Romney's senior season at Oklahoma State (2026).
Matches Tate on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Tate on
Hurry rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaden Yates
Background
Prior to UH Started the first nine games at Ole Miss in 2025 after transferring from Marshall Played in all 14 games for Ole Miss 176 career tackles over three FBS seasons Two 75+ defense grades at Ole Miss Three 75+ defense grades at Marshall Four 80+ tackle grades at Ole Miss Three 80+ tackle…
The linebacker corps · Houston
- #1Jaden Yates55 tackles · 2025
- #12Sione Fotu53 tackles · 2025
- #10Latreveon McCutchin37 tackles · 2025
- #19Miller Malone37 tackles · 2025
- #4Brandon Mack32 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · Houston team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology