Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-3vs Ball State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 23-24@ Texas | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 59-3vs Kent State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 9 | 6 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#7
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Senior cornerback on Ohio State's 2026 roster.
5′11″ · 195 lb · Cincinnati, OH
CFB Index 67 · #96 of 364 cornersLow confidence
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.
Recruiting
4★
CB recruit
No. 52 nationally · Signed with Ohio State
Last played in 2026.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior cornerback on Ohio State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ohio State in 2023.
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. Fourth year in the Ohio State secondary, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL against Texas — Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20236 games
- Signed with Ohio State4-star out of Winton Woods
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Ohio State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Ohio State
Played his entire career under Ryan Day.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ohio State | 9 | 6 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 26 | 20 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 22 | 14 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Ohio State | 13 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 70 | 49 | 5.5 | 2.0 | 6 | 3 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Jermaine Mathews Jr.'s 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–3
vs Ball State
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +1 pass breakup, +2 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Ryan Day — 39-7 over that span.
2023Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
2026Ohio State2-1HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidenceBreakout
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Road1g | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Pass share
48.3%
97 pass / 104 run
Plays / game
67.0
3 games
Team sack rate
4.8%
105 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
67 · #96 of 364 corners
Former four-star. Now #96 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #2 of 18 Big Ten CBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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.
How he plays
Play style
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
Returning starter at defensive back for a 12-2 Ohio State team that went -21 in the portal.
DNA match
Player DNA
Cover Corner
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Adrian Cole’s 2023 season.
89%match
Matches Adrian on
PD rate
Weight
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Shawn Dourseau's junior season at East Carolina (2022).
100%match
Matches Shawn on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Background
Follow on Social Media Instagram: @_justmaine Twitter: @jr2maine Career Highs 6 Total Tackles vs. Miami (Dec. 31, 2025) 1.0 Sacks (Two times – last at Illinois on Oct. 11, 2025) 1.0 Tackles for Loss (Three times – last at Illinois on Oct. 11, 2025) 1 Interception (Three times – last at Purdue…
The secondary · Ohio State
- #1Earl Little II76 tackles · 2025
- #8Jaylen McClain53 tackles · 2025
- #7Jermaine Mathews Jr.26 tackles · 2025
- #6Devin Sanchez15 tackles · 2025
- #10Leroy Roker III8 tackles · 2025
19 more on the roster · Ohio State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology