#21

A.J. Finley

Senior safety for Ole Miss. 2022: 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, 71 tackles.

S · Ole Miss · Sr. · #21

6′3″ · 205 lb · Mobile, AL

CFB Index 67 · #113 of 493 safetiesMedium confidenceOle Miss 2022 alumnus

The story

4 safety for Ole Miss. 2022: 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, 71 tackles.

The record fills in as he plays.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Ole Miss, 239 tackles — his college career is complete.

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

Ole Miss

2019–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2019–2022

2 coaches

2019

Matt Luke

Ole Miss

2020–2022

Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Matt Luke → Lane Kiffin. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2019Ole Miss4-8HC: Matt Luke · Run-heavy

2020Ole Miss5-5HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021Ole Miss10-3HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2022Ole Miss8-5HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-heavy, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

67Quality starter #113 of 493?

Medium confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (94th percentile). Strength: tackles (92nd percentile). Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Solo tackles#165 / 2755 · 94th pct

Tackles#212 / 2755 · 92nd pct

Interceptions#124 / 811 · 73rd pct

Passes defended#744 / 2755 · 66th pct

Tackles for loss#868 / 2755 · 66th pct

3.5

Forced fumbles#58 / 737 · 46th pct

QB hurries#1444 / 2755 · 24th pct

Sacks#1454 / 2755 · 24th pct

0.0

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

2022 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	5.7	0.0	0.0	0.1
Road5g	6.2	0.7	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	7.6	0.1	0.0	0.3
Weeks 8+5g	3.6	0.6	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Pete Golding

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

Starter

Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

67 · #113 of 493 safeties

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Ole Miss	71	43	3.5	2	2	--
2021	Ole Miss	90	36	1.0	4	3	--
2020	Ole Miss	62	40	2.0	7	3	--
2019	Ole Miss	16	12	2.0	--	--	--
Career		239	131	8.5	13	8	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2022

W 22–19

vs Kentucky

9 TOT · 6 SOLO · 2 REC

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.

With J. Dart — 213 yds · 0 TD · 1 INT · QBR 71.7 · 40 rush yds (8 car) · F. Masin — 43 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 58 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 28-10vs Troy	5	5	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 59-3vs Central Arkansas	2	2	0.0	—	1
Wk 3	W 42-0@ Georgia Tech	7	4	0.0	—	1
Wk 4	W 35-27vs Tulsa	9	3	0.0	1	0
Wk 5	W 22-19vs Kentucky	9	6	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 52-28@ Vanderbilt	13	5	0.5	—	0	Season-high 13 tackles
Wk 7	W 48-34vs Auburn	8	4	0.0	1	0
Wk 8	L 20-45@ LSU	2	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	W 31-28@ Texas A&M	4	4	1.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 24-30vs Alabama	3	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 27-42@ Arkansas	5	3	2.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 22-24vs Mississippi State	4	4	0.0	—	0
Total		71	43	3.5	2	2

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

A.J. Finley

2022 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Starter

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Box Safety

Players who play like A.J. Finley