Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 27-21@ UNLV | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 45-21vs UT Martin | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#4
Joseph Head Jr.
Junior defensive lineman for Memphis. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 228 lb · Lexington, MS · Holmes County Central HS
Transferred Mississippi State → Memphis for 2026
The numbers
1
sack · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 3 tackles, at UNLV
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior defensive lineman for Memphis. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Mississippi State in 2023.
- Transferred from Mississippi State to Memphis in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Country hotter than the fans
The wider college football conversation reads him warmer than his own fans do — a gap of 24.5 points in belief.
5.1own fans
29.6national conversation
Also worth knowing:
Joseph Head Jr.
Wins his gap play after play. Joseph Head Jr. has played for two head coaches across three seasons and two programs. The receipt: 3 tackles, 1 sacks against UNLV — Week 1, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Mississippi State3-star out of Holmes County
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Memphis
Coaching transition mid-career: Ryan Silverfield → Charles Huff. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Memphis
2025Mississippi State
2026Memphis
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Memphis | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 11 | -- | 1.0 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 22 | 5 | 2.0 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 45–21
vs UT Martin
1 hurries
Dominant 24-point win at home against UT Martin.
With M. Stokes — 258 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.4 · 2 rush yds (3 car) · J. Thompson — 110 rush yds (6 car) · 1 TD
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +1 hurry.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Mississippi State2-10HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2025Mississippi State5-8HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2026Memphis3-1HC: Charles Huff · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (84th percentile). 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: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Charles Huff
Pass share
40.7%
101 pass / 147 run
Plays / game
62.0
4 games
Team sack rate
4.4%
114 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Dominic Lolesio’s 2024 season.
Matches Dominic on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Zakaih Saez's freshman season at Oregon State (2024).
Matches Zakaih on
Class year
Sack rate
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Joseph Head Jr.
The defensive line · Memphis
- #15Elijah Kinsler4.5 tackles for loss · 2026
- #14J'Mond Tapp2.5 tackles for loss · 2026
- #90Taylor Burton1.5 tackles for loss · 2026
- #56K.J. Miles1 tackle for loss · 2026
- #4Joseph Head Jr.1 tackle for loss · 2026
14 more on the roster · Memphis team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology