Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 47-0vs West Georgia | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 17-31vs Georgia State | 11 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Total | 12 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#44
Baron Hopson
Senior linebacker for Kennesaw State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 222 lb · Leesburg, GA
CFB Index 81 · #52 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Kennesaw 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 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 11 tackles, vs Georgia State
Statement game16 tackles · 1 TFLat Liberty (FBS) · W 48-42
Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Kennesaw State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Jackson State in 2021.
- Named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2025.
Baron Hopson
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Baron Hopson has been at Kennesaw State through two head coaches in three seasons. 2025 brought the first one: Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. The receipt: 11 tackles against Georgia State — Week 2, 2026.
12 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.
2021
- Signed with Jackson State3-star out of Lee County
202514 games
- Conference USA Defensive Player of the Yearwinner
- All-Conference USAfirst
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Kennesaw State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-CONFERENCE USA · 1ST TEAM
All-Conference USA 1st team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Chandler Burks
Kennesaw State
2025–2026era →
Jerry Mack
Kennesaw State
Coaching transition mid-career: Chandler Burks → Jerry Mack. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Kennesaw State2-10HC: Chandler Burks · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Kennesaw State10-4HC: Jerry Mack · Run-leaning
2026Kennesaw State1-1HC: Jerry Mack · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Concern: solo tackles (3rd 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, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jerry Mack
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #3 of 45 Conference USA LBs
How the All-Conference USA estimate is computed
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.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kennesaw State | 12 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Kennesaw State | 139 | 67 | 10.0 | 0.5 | 6 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Kennesaw State | 19 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 170 | 75 | 10.0 | 0.5 | 7 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 47–0
vs West Georgia
1 TOT
Dominant 47-point win at home against West Georgia.
With T. Morgan — 76 rush yds (5 car) · 1 TD · R. Collins — 156 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 58.3 · 51 rush yds (7 car) · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kennesaw State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Kennesaw State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +10 net (29 in / 19 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kennesaw State · Last season: 10-4 · Talent rank #133 · 2026 recruiting class #120
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kyle Harmon’s 2021 season.
69%match
All-Mountain West
Matches Kyle on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Height
Differs from Kyle on
PD rate (higher)
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Kyle Harmon's sophomore season at San José State (2021).
81%match
All-Mountain West
Matches Kyle on
Tackle volume
Weight
Solo tackle rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Baron Hopson
The linebacker corps · Kennesaw State
- #44Baron Hopson139 tackles · 2025
- #11Tywon Christopher81 tackles · 2025
- #18Josh Anglin38 tackles · 2025
- #1Donovan Westmoreland35 tackles · 2025
- #28Karson Moss3 tackles · 2025
11 more on the roster · Kennesaw State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology