Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 34-7vs Washington State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 31-20vs Tulane | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 |
#7
Kaleb Patterson
Senior cornerback on Kansas State's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 192 lb · Jackson, MS · Terry
CFB Index 6 · #542 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceTransferred Illinois → Kansas State 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.
Recruiting
3★
CB recruit
No. 47 nationally · Joined Illinois
Last played in 2026.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior cornerback on Kansas State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2023.
- Transferred from Illinois to Kansas State in 2026.
Kaleb Patterson
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Two head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 2 tackles against Tulane — Week 3, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
2023
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of Pearl River C.C.
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
Kansas State
2026era →
Collin Klein
Kansas State
Coaching transition mid-career: Chris Klieman → Collin Klein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Kansas State
2025Illinois
2026Kansas State
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kansas State | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Illinois | 16 | 13 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Illinois | 32 | 25 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| Career | 52 | 42 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 6 | -- | -- |
Game log
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +2 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Kansas State3-0HC: Collin Klein · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceFading
Elite: passes defended (92nd 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: 2.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Collin Klein
Pass share
43.2%
89 pass / 117 run
Plays / game
68.7
3 games
Team sack rate
0.0%
89 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
6 · #542 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #542 at the position.
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to John Howse IV’s 2023 season.
Matches John on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Champ Lewis's sophomore season at Tulsa (2025).
Matches Champ on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Kaleb Patterson
Background
2025 AT UNIV. OF ILLINOIS: Played in 10 games – with starts against Western Illinois, Duke and Indiana – as he saw time on 216 defensive snaps and 11 special teams plays... Totaled 15 tackles, a pass breakup and two fumble recoveries, the latter of which tied for 14th in the nation... Carded a…
The secondary · Kansas State
- #25Zashon Rich57 tackles · 2025
- Koy Beasley40 tackles · 2025
- #18Wesley Fair36 tackles · 2025
- #9Donovan McIntosh33 tackles · 2025
- #7Kaleb Patterson16 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Kansas State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology