Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-42@ Memphis | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 52-7vs West Georgia | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#8
Brandon Barnes
Junior safety on Arkansas State's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 189 lb · Dallas, TX
CFB Index 56 · #221 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Arkansas 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.
Recruiting
3★
CB recruit
No. 1741 nationally · Signed with Arkansas State
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 safety on Arkansas State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Arkansas State in 2024.
Brandon Barnes
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. This is his third year in the same secondary at Arkansas State. One game to point at: 2 tackles against West Georgia — Week 2, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20244 games
- Signed with Arkansas State3-star out of Dallas Skyline
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Arkansas State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Arkansas State
Played his entire career under Butch Jones.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Butch Jones — 16-12 over that span.
2024Arkansas State8-5HC: Butch Jones · Balanced
2025Arkansas State7-6HC: Butch Jones · Balanced
2026Arkansas State1-1HC: Butch Jones · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
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 2 games: 2.0 TKL/g, 0.0 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
Butch Jones
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
56 · #221 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #221 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #19 of 42 Sun Belt Ss
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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 | Arkansas State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Arkansas State | 68 | 32 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Arkansas State | 7 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 79 | 41 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 52–7
vs West Georgia
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Arkansas State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Arkansas State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -12 net (25 in / 37 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Arkansas State · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #91 · 2026 recruiting class #85
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tao Johnson’s 2024 season.
Matches Tao on
Tackle volume
Class year
TFL rate
Differs from Tao on
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Kaj Sanders's sophomore season at Rutgers (2025).
84%match
Matches Kaj on
Class year
Tackle volume
PD rate
The secondary · Arkansas State
- #6AG McGhee83 tackles · 2025
- #8Brandon Barnes68 tackles · 2025
- #15Brandon Greil53 tackles · 2025
- #5Five Hamilton38 tackles · 2025
- #3Noah Flores26 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Arkansas State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology