Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-18vs South Dakota State | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 |
#9
Braden Turner
Senior defensive back on Northwestern's 2026 roster.
5′10″ · 200 lb · Mobile, AL · McGill-Toolen Catholic
CFB Index 57 · #205 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Northwestern 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.
Recruiting
3★
CB recruit
No. 1261 nationally · Signed with Northwestern
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Northwestern's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northwestern in 2022.
Braden Turner
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. This is his fourth year in the same secondary at Northwestern. One game to point at: 7 tackles, 1 TFL against South Dakota State — Week 1, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Northwestern3-star out of McGill Toolen
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northwestern
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Northwestern
Played his entire career under David Braun.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under David Braun — 20-19 over that span.
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2026Northwestern1-0HC: David Braun · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceSustained Ascent
Elite: passes defended (99th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th 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 1 game: 7.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 3.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 1 game in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
57 · #205 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #205 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #33 of 77 Big Ten DBs
How the All-Big Ten 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
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 52 | 25 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 37 | 27 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 7 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 103 | 63 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 7 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–18
7 TOT · 5 SOLO · 1 TFL
With A. Chiles — 273 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · 18 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · J. Himon II — 87 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northwestern
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Northwestern
Returning around him
- 2 Northwestern players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +9 net (17 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northwestern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #60 · 2026 recruiting class #52
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Patrick Day’s 2023 season.
Matches Patrick on
Height
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Sharif Denson's junior season at Florida (2025).
Matches Sharif on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Braden Turner
Background
2025 Redshirt Junior: Earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention … Played in all 13 games with 12 starts … Posted 56 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a touchdown, an interception and two pass breakups … Set career highs in tackles, forced fumbles, intercep...
The secondary · Northwestern
- #6Robert Fitzgerald106 tackles · 2025
- #9Braden Turner52 tackles · 2025
- #18Garner Wallace45 tackles · 2025
- #13Josh Fussell29 tackles · 2025
- #3Brenden Deasfernandes25 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Northwestern team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology