Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | W 45-17@ Arkansas | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 4 tackles |
#7
Khalil Barnes
Senior safety on Georgia's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 200 lb · Athens, GA · North Oconee
CFB Index 41 · #352 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceTransferred Clemson → Georgia 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
4★
ATH recruit
No. 399 nationally · Signed with Clemson
Last played in 2026.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior safety on Georgia's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Clemson in 2023.
- Transferred from Clemson to Georgia in 2026.
Khalil Barnes
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart. His first career honor landed in 2023: ACC Defensive Back Player of the Week. The receipt: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against Arkansas — Week 3, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
202310 games
- Signed with Clemson4-star out of North Oconee
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 · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Georgia
Played his entire career under Kirby Smart.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Georgia
2025Clemson
2026Georgia
Career stats
Game log
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Clemson9-4HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced, fast tempo
2024Clemson10-4HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced
2025Clemson7-6HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced
2026Georgia3-0HC: Kirby Smart · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceFading
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 1 game: 4.0 TKL/g, 1.0 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
Kirby Smart
Pass share
44.4%
79 pass / 99 run
Plays / game
59.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.5%
86 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
41 · #352 of 544 safeties
Former four-star. Now #352 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.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Bralen Trahan’s 2021 season.
94%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Bralen on
PD rate
Height
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Coleman's junior season at Ball State (2024).
Matches Jordan on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Khalil Barnes
Background
2026: Selected to preseason All-SEC Third Team by SEC Media 2023-25 (Clemson): Transferred to Georgia in winter 2026...247sports three-star transfer prospect…ranked as the #274 overall prospect and the #21 safety prospect…On3.com three-star transfer prospect…ranked as the #324 overall prospect…
The secondary · Georgia
- #4KJ Bolden77 tackles · 2025
- #12Ja'Marley Riddle70 tackles · 2025
- #7Khalil Barnes40 tackles · 2025
- #2Zion Branch28 tackles · 2025
- #8Demello Jones24 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · Georgia team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology