Senior linebacker for Jacksonville State. 2026: 29 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.
6′3″ · 215 lb · White Plains, AL · White Plains HS
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.
How he plays
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage.
Tackles: 98th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
Best game: 13 tackles, 1 TFL, vs Georgia Southern
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Jacksonville State. 2026: 29 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.
The full story, with sourcesWalker O'Steen
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Walker O'Steen has been at Jacksonville State through two head coaches in three seasons. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Conference USA. One game to point at: 13 tackles, 1 TFL against Georgia Southern — Week 3, 2026.
29 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE USA · 2ND TEAM
All-Conference USA 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Rich Rodriguez → Charles Kelly. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jacksonville State | 29 | 12 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Jacksonville State | 78 | 48 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Jacksonville State | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 113 | 63 | 7.0 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 | -- |
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 4 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 7-33@ North Dakota State | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 1 | W 49-7vs Eastern Kentucky | 8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 27-29@ Ohio | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 31-27vs Georgia Southern | 13 | 7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 13 tackles |
| Total | 29 | 12 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 49–7
8 tackles · 1 solo tackles
Dominant 42-point win at home against Eastern Kentucky.
With C. Creel — 327 yds · 5 TD · 1 INT · 54 rush yds (10 car) · J. Williams — -4 rush yds (1 car)
Since week 2: +13 tackles, +1 tackle for loss, +1 pass breakup.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (98th percentile). Strength: passes defended (92nd percentile).
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.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
29tackles this seasonTFL rate
3%1 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
7%2 pass breakups29 tackles · 1 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 4 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 10.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Road2g | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 7.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Charles Kelly
Pass share
44.8%
103 pass / 127 run
Plays / game
57.5
4 games
Team sack rate
3.5%
115 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #2 of 45 Conference USA LBs
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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.
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Trent Martin’s 2016 season.
Matches Trent on
Differs from Trent on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Dylan Powell's junior season at Buffalo (2021).
Matches Dylan on
-2025 Second-Team All-Conference USA 2025: Played in all 14 games with eight starts...Second on the team in tackles with 84...Added seven for loss, six QB hurries, three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery...Racked up eight tackles at Georgia Southern (9/13)...Made…
13 more on the roster · Jacksonville State team page