Senior linebacker for UCLA. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 224 lb · Compton, CA · St. John Bosco HS
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
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 98th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 9 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs San Diego State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for UCLA. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Jalen Woods
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Jalen Woods has played for four head coaches in five seasons at UCLA. One game to point at: 11 tackles, 0.5 TFL against California — Week 1, 2026.
29 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
4 coachesPlayed under 4 different head coaches: Chip Kelly, Deshaun Foster, Tim Skipper, and Bob Chesney. Multi-era developmental context.
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 45-24@ California | 11 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 28-10vs San Diego State | 9 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 52-38vs Purdue | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 14 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 45–24
at California
0.5 tackles for loss · 11 tackles · 4 solo tackles
Dominant 21-point win on the road against California.
With C. Gerrand — 43 yards per punt · 5 punts · 3 inside the 20 · W. Knight — 71 rush yds (8 car) · 3 TD
Since week 2: +9 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (98th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (93rd percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th 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.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
29tackles this seasonTFL rate
5%2 TFLSack rate
3%1 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups29 tackles · 2 for loss · 1 sacks · 1 interception.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 9.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 11.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 9.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bob Chesney
Pass share
39.0%
76 pass / 119 run
Plays / game
65.0
3 games
Team sack rate
5.7%
87 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #39 of 72 Big Ten LBs
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.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Ishmael Hargrove’s 2016 season.
Matches Ishmael on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Tarique Barnes's graduate season at Illinois (2023).
Matches Tarique on
Differs from Tarique on
Player DNA
Career Summary Has played in 39 games and made four starts through four seasons … has totaled 86 tackles (54-32-86), 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and five bass breakups … career high in tackles is eight (6-2-8) set in a win over Penn State in October 2025. 2025 Played in all 12 games and…
10 more on the roster · UCLA team page