Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-45@ Penn State | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 28-26vs Middle Tennessee | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#5
Javae Gilmore
Senior linebacker for Marshall. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 221 lb · Amite, LA
CFB Index 59 · #213 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Marshall 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 numbers
8
tackles · 2026
1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, at Penn State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Marshall. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Mississippi State in 2022.
- Transferred from Mississippi State to Marshall in 2025.
Javae Gilmore
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Jeff Lebby and Tony Gibson. The receipt: 5 tackles against Penn State — Week 1, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Mississippi State3-star out of Amite
202511 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Marshall
2025–2026era →
Tony Gibson
Marshall
Coaching transition mid-career: Charles Huff → Tony Gibson. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Mississippi State2-10HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2025Marshall5-7HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning
2026Marshall1-1HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High 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 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
Tony Gibson
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
59 · #213 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #213 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #17 of 63 Sun Belt LBs
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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 | Marshall | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Marshall | 56 | 18 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 66 | 24 | 10.5 | 1.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 28–26
3 TOT · 1 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 2 at home.
With C. Heimbach — 48 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 54 LONG · C. Del Rio-Wilson — 92 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.2 · 43 rush yds (10 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Marshall
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Marshall
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +6 net (28 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Marshall · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #97 · 2026 recruiting class #123
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to C.J. Goetz’s 2023 season.
Matches C.J. on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Differs from C.J. on
Sack rate (lower)
Hurry rate (higher)
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to AJ Vongphachanh's sophomore season at Utah State (2021).
66%match
Matches AJ on
TFL rate
Height
PD rate
Differs from AJ on
Hurry rate (higher)
Class year (lower)
Background
HERD FILE: Gilmore comes to Marshall from Mississippi State where he is joined by wide receiver Antonio Harmon, who was also with the Bulldogs. Gilmore appeared in 24 games over three seasons with Mississippi State. In 2024, he appeared in 11 games with zero starts and made his first career tackl...
The linebacker corps · Marshall
- #22Kerion Martin67 tackles · 2025
- #5Javae Gilmore56 tackles · 2025
- #7Jayland Parker42 tackles · 2025
- #27Cannon Lewis25 tackles · 2025
- #10Chason Clark6 tackles · 2025
11 more on the roster · Marshall team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology