Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 27-13vs Syracuse | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
#6
Raion Strader
Senior defensive back for Pittsburgh. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 190 lb · Pittsburgh, PA · Penn Hills
CFB Index 86 · #21 of 327 cornersLow confidenceTransferred Auburn → Pittsburgh 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 numbers
1
interception · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 INT, 4 tackles, vs Syracuse
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive back for Pittsburgh. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Miami (OH) in 2023.
- Transferred from Auburn to Pittsburgh in 2026.
Raion Strader
Reads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away. Raion Strader has played for three head coaches across four seasons and three programs. His first career honor landed in 2024: All-MAC. One game to point at: 4 tackles against UCF — Week 2, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
202313 games
- Signed with Miami (OH)out of Penn Hills
202412 games
- All-MACfirst
20255 games
The snaps went the other way.
- Entered the portal
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-MAC · 1ST TEAM
All-MAC 1st team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Pittsburgh
2025Auburn
2026Pittsburgh
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 10 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Auburn | 9 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Miami (OH) | 53 | 40 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 17 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Miami (OH) | 57 | 41 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 12 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 129 | 97 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 32 | 4 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Raion Strader's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
4 tackles · 1 pass breakups · 3 solo tackles
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
With G. Russo — 40.8 yards per punt · 8 punts · 3 inside the 20 · M. Heintschel — 212 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.1 · 13 rush yds (7 car)
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +4 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Miami (OH)11-3HC: Chuck Martin · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2024Miami (OH)9-5HC: Chuck Martin · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Auburn5-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Run-leaning
2026Pittsburgh3-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Concern: tackles (8th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Pass share
47.5%
96 pass / 106 run
Plays / game
67.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.8%
105 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Reads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Ball Hawk
Reads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away.
S
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Roger McCreary’s 2021 season.
77%match
1st-team All-AmericanNFL Rd 2 · Pk 3
Matches Roger on
Interceptions
PD rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Roger on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Josh Fussell's sophomore season at Northwestern (2025).
74%match
Matches Josh on
Height
PD rate
Weight
Differs from Josh on
Class year (higher)
Tackle volume (higher)
Background
Enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in January 2026 following his transfer from Auburn. AUBURN (2025): Played cornerback in all 12 games for the Tigers…made nine tackles with three pass breakups…finished the year ranked third among all active FBS players with 37 career passes defended.…
The secondary · Pittsburgh
- #12Cruce Brookins53 tackles · 2025
- #3Shawn Lee Jr.31 tackles · 2025
- #21Shadarian Harrison29 tackles · 2025
- #26Allen Bryant16 tackles · 2025
- #6Raion Strader9 tackles · 2025
13 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology