Kade Kostus
Kade Kostus
Wins his gap play after play. Four seasons at Central Michigan, two different head coaches: Jim McElwain and Matt Drinkall. The receipt: 2 tackles, 0.5 sacks against Eastern Michigan — Week 5, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jim McElwain → Matt Drinkall. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Drinkall
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Central Michigan | 3 | -- | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Central Michigan | 24 | 10 | 4.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Central Michigan | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Central Michigan | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 31 | 13 | 5.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 4 · 2025
W 49–10
vs Wagner
1 TOT
Dominant 39-point win at home against Wagner.
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
2026 Outlook
Central Michigan
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Central Michigan
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -5 net (12 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Central Michigan · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #121 · 2026 recruiting class #95
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Justin Ellis’s 2022 season.
Matches Justin on
Differs from Justin on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kieran Davis's junior season at East Carolina (2025).
Matches Kieran on