Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-7vs Lamar | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 30-49@ USC | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 |
#24
Lake Bates
Sophomore safety on Louisiana's 2026 roster.
5′11″ · 190 lb · Stonewall, LA · North DeSoto
CFB Index 17 · #516 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Louisiana 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.
The story
2 safety on Louisiana's 2026 roster.
The record fills in as he plays.
His career, year by yearLake Bates
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Second year in the Louisiana secondary, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 2 tackles against USC — Week 2, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Louisiana
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Michael Desormeaux — 7-8 over that span.
2025Louisiana6-7HC: Michael Desormeaux · Run-leaning
2026Louisiana1-1HC: Michael Desormeaux · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
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, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.2 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Michael Desormeaux
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
17 · #516 of 544 safeties
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #40 of 42 Sun Belt Ss
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 38–7
vs Lamar
2 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACKS
Dominant 31-point win at home against Lamar.
With L. Winfield — 189 yds · 0 TD · 2 INT · 84 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · M. Golding — 43 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 44 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Louisiana
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Louisiana
Returning around him
- 1 Louisiana player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -3 net (5 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Louisiana · Last season: 6-7 · Talent rank #99 · 2026 recruiting class #91
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 Isaiah Young’s 2022 season.
Matches Isaiah on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Differs from Isaiah on
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Tristan Teasdell's freshman season at NC State (2025).
Matches Tristan on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Background
2025 (Redshirt Freshman) Played in nine games, primarily in a special teams role and as a reserve safety, before being inserted into the starting lineup at Arkansas State … earned a start in the regular-season finale against ULM … had 21 tackles on the season with 17 over his final four games … p...
The secondary · Louisiana
- #11Brent Gordon Jr.62 tackles · 2025
- #4Tyree Skipper55 tackles · 2025
- #7Courtline Flowers48 tackles · 2025
- #21Maurion Eleam47 tackles · 2025
- #24Lake Bates22 tackles · 2025
24 more on the roster · Louisiana team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology