Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 24-21vs Sam Houston | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 34-17vs Alabama State | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 11 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
#4
TJ Thompson
Senior linebacker for Troy. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 219 lb · Bolton, MS · Warren Central HS
CFB Index 45 · #335 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Troy 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
11
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, vs Sam Houston
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Troy. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to Troy in 2023.
TJ Thompson
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. TJ Thompson has played for two head coaches in three seasons at Troy. One game to point at: 6 tackles against Alabama State — Week 2, 2026.
11 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20236 games
- Signed with Troy2-star out of East Central C.C.
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
Troy
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Jon Sumrall
Troy
Coaching transition mid-career: Jon Sumrall → Gerad Parker. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Troy11-3HC: Jon Sumrall · Balanced
2025Troy8-6HC: Gerad Parker · Balanced
2026Troy2-0HC: Gerad Parker · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile). Concern: solo tackles (7th 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 splits
Through 2 games: 5.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Gerad Parker
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
45 · #335 of 583 LBs
Two-star recruit. Now #335 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #33 of 63 Sun Belt LBs
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 2 · 2026
W 34–17
6 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 PD
With E. Crenshaw — 46 AVG · 58 LONG · 3 NO · W. Crowder — 201 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 24.0 · -1 rush yds (5 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Troy
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Troy
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -13 net (14 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Troy · Last season: 8-6 · Talent rank #96 · 2026 recruiting class #76
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Fred Thompkins’s 2022 season.
Matches Fred on
Height
Solo tackle rate
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Terry Thomas's sophomore season at Troy (2023).
Matches Terry on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like TJ Thompson
Background
2025 (RS-Junior): Played in all 14 games, playing 490 snaps on defense and special teams … Finished season with 44 tackles (20 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack … Forced a fumble on a sack against Jacksonville State in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl which was recovered in the end zone for...
The linebacker corps · Troy
- #4TJ Thompson44 tackles · 2025
- #44Luke Hodge42 tackles · 2025
- #2Bryce Steele16 tackles · 2025
- #20Keyshawn Campbell8 tackles · 2025
- #18Jordan Perry8 tackles · 2025
9 more on the roster · Troy team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology