Jaylin Thomas

Senior linebacker for Ball State. 2021: 112 tackles, 7 tackles for loss.

LB · Ball State · Sr. · #6

6′1″ · 235 lb · Lima, OH

CFB Index 58 · #219 of 578 LBsHigh confidenceAll-ConferenceBall State 2021 alumnus

Recruiting

2★

OLB recruit

No. 2568 nationally · Signed with Ball State

Statement game16 tackles · 0.5 TFLvs Western Michigan (FBS) · W 30-27

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 linebacker for Ball State. 2021: 112 tackles, 7 tackles for loss.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to Ball State in 2016.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Ball State, 401 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2016

Signed with Ball State2-star out of Lima Senior

20207 games

All-MACthird

202112 games

All-MACsecond

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#2568 national

CFB

College

Ball State

2017–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

4 honors · 1 category

🎖

ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM

All-MAC 2nd team (2021)

Coaching lineage · 2017–2021

1 coach

2017–2021

Mike Neu

Ball State

Played his entire career under Mike Neu.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

5 seasons under Mike Neu — 24-33 over that span.

2017Ball State2-10HC: Mike Neu · Run-leaning

2018Ball State4-8HC: Mike Neu · Balanced, fast tempo

2019Ball State5-7HC: Mike Neu · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2020Ball State7-1HC: Mike Neu · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021Ball State6-7HC: Mike Neu · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

58Quality starter #219 of 578?

High confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (98th percentile). Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Tackles#25 / 2743 · 99th pct

112

Solo tackles#58 / 2743 · 98th pct

Interceptions#14 / 824 · 97th pct

Tackles for loss#336 / 2743 · 87th pct

7.0

Passes defended#481 / 2743 · 78th pct

QB hurries#1413 / 2743 · 24th pct

Sacks#1435 / 2743 · 24th pct

0.0

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

2021 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	10.0	0.5	0.0	0.3
Road6g	7.7	0.3	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	7.9	0.4	0.0	0.1
Weeks 8+5g	10.2	0.4	0.0	0.4

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Mike Uremovich

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2021

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

58 · #219 of 578 LBs

Two-star recruit. Now #219 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Ball State	112	56	7.0	0.0	3	4	--
2020	Ball State	78	38	5.0	1.0	2	--	--
2019	Ball State	97	57	7.5	0.0	2	--	--
2018	Ball State	76	43	5.0	2.5	2	1	1
2017	Ball State	38	19	4.0	1.0	--	--	--
Career		401	213	28.5	4.5	9	5	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2021

W 31–21

vs Western Illinois

9 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL

With D. Plitt — 188 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 31.7 · 18 rush yds (5 car) · N. Snyder — 41 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 46 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 31-21vs Western Illinois	9	2	1.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 13-44@ Penn State	7	5	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	L 12-45@ Wyoming	7	4	1.0	—	1
Wk 4	L 12-22vs Toledo	7	2	0.0	1	0
Wk 5	W 28-16vs Army	11	7	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 45-20@ Western Michigan	8	8	0.0	1	0
Wk 7	W 38-31@ Eastern Michigan	6	2	1.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 17-24vs Miami (OH)	8	3	1.0	—	1
Wk 10	W 31-25@ Akron	3	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 29-30@ Northern Illinois	15	3	0.0	—	0	Season-high 15 tackles
Wk 12	L 17-37vs Central Michigan	11	10	1.0	1	0
Wk 13	W 20-3vs Buffalo	14	6	0.0	1	1
Total		106	54	5.0	4	3

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology