Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 20-33@ Houston | 9 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 24-35vs Texas Tech | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#44
Takari Hickle
Senior linebacker for Oregon State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 270 lb · Tenino, WA · Tenino
CFB Index 46 · #332 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Oregon 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.
The numbers
12
tackles · 2026
2.5 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Texas Tech
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Oregon State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Oregon State in 2022.
Takari Hickle
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Three seasons at Oregon State, three different head coaches: Jonathan Smith, Trent Bray and JaMarcus Shephard. One game to point at: 9 tackles, 1.5 TFL against Houston — Week 1, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Oregon State3-star out of Tenino
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Oregon State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Jonathan Smith, Trent Bray, and JaMarcus Shephard. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Oregon State8-5HC: Jonathan Smith · Run-leaning
2025Oregon State2-10HC: Trent Bray · Balanced
2026Oregon State0-2HC: JaMarcus Shephard · Pass-heavy, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: tackles for loss (91st percentile). Strength: sacks (87th 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: 6.0 TKL/g, 1.2 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
JaMarcus Shephard
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
46 · #332 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #332 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Oregon State | 12 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Oregon State | 38 | 13 | 5.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Oregon State | 6 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 56 | 21 | 10.0 | 5.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Oregon State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Oregon State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -15 net (20 in / 35 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Oregon State · Last season: 2-10 · Talent rank #76 · 2026 recruiting class #100
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Malik Charles’s 2025 season.
60%match
Matches Malik on
Weight
Differs from Malik on
Hurry rate (higher)
Sack rate (lower)
Solo tackle rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Cohen Fuller's sophomore season at UNLV (2025).
79%match
Matches Cohen on
Hurry rate
Weight
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Takari Hickle
Background
2025 • Played in all 12 games, making nine starts • Recorded 37 tackles with five tackles for loss, two sacks and five quarterback hurries • Posted a season-high eight tackles at App State, adding half a sack and one tackle for loss • Recorded a 9-yard sack at Oregon, adding to three tackles • En...
The linebacker corps · Oregon State
- #2Aiden Sullivan72 tackles · 2025
- #44Takari Hickle38 tackles · 2025
- #25Nikko Taylor30 tackles · 2025
- #47Tyree Blake29 tackles · 2025
- #14Kord Shaw25 tackles · 2025
19 more on the roster · Oregon State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology