Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-40@ Iowa | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 24-28vs Illinois State | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 |
#18
Jay'shon Thomas
Junior defensive end for Northern Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 246 lb · Cataula, GA
CFB Index 22 · #364 of 420 edge rushersMedium confidenceReturning to Northern Illinois 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
0.5
sacks · 2026
0.5 TFL · 6 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Illinois State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive end for Northern Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northern Illinois in 2023.
Jay'shon Thomas
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come. Jay'shon Thomas has been at Northern Illinois through two head coaches in two seasons. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Iowa — Week 1, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Northern Illinois3-star out of Harris County
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northern Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Northern Illinois
2026era →
Rob Harley
Northern Illinois
Coaching transition mid-career: Thomas Hammock → Rob Harley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Northern Illinois3-9HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Northern Illinois0-2HC: Rob Harley · 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 2 games: 3.0 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.2 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rob Harley
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
22 · #364 of 420 edge rushers
Three-star recruit. Now #364 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Mountain West
Based on 2025: #11 of 13 Mid-American DEs — his program moves to the Mountain West for 2026
How the All-Mountain West 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. The base rate was measured on players who stayed in the same conference; this estimate is not adjusted for the move to the Mountain West.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northern Illinois | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Northern Illinois | 19 | 8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 25 | 10 | 3.5 | 2.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northern Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Northern Illinois
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -15 net (7 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northern Illinois · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #126 · 2026 recruiting class #82
DNA match
Player DNA
Pressure Merchant
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Demeioun Robinson’s 2021 season.
Matches Demeioun on
Sack rate
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Demeioun on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Lawrence Falatea's freshman season at Washington State (2022).
82%match
Matches Lawrence on
Height
Weight
Sack rate
Differs from Lawrence on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jay'shon Thomas
The defensive line · Northern Illinois
- #18Jay'shon Thomas3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #11Amari Washington0 tackles for loss · 2025
- #93Fawzy Omotoso0 tackles for loss · 2025
- Montrel Canion0 tackles for loss · 2025
- #58Christopher Allen Jr.1 game · 2025
18 more on the roster · Northern Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology