Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-16vs Akron | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 38-36@ Purdue | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#2
Brian Blades
Senior defensive back on Wake Forest's 2026 roster.
5′11″ · 180 lb · Fort Lauderdale, FL
CFB Index 47 · #200 of 364 cornersLow confidenceTransferred Florida International → Wake Forest 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. 1562 nationally · Signed with Florida International
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Wake Forest's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Florida International in 2021.
Brian Blades
Erases the deep middle of the field. Brian Blades has played for four head coaches across six seasons and two programs. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles against Akron, Week 1, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 6 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20213 games
- Signed with Florida International3-star out of American Heritage
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2021–2026
2 coaches2021–2024
Wake Forest
Coaching transition mid-career: Dave Clawson → Jake Dickert. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Wake Forest
2025Florida International
2026Wake Forest
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2021Florida International1-11HC: Butch Davis · Balanced, slow tempo
2022Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Pass-leaning
2023Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Balanced
2024Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Florida International7-6HC: Willie Simmons · Balanced
2026Wake Forest2-0HC: Jake Dickert · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Elite: qb hurries (83rd 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 2 games: 3.5 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
Jake Dickert
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
47 · #200 of 364 corners
Three-star recruit. Now #200 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wake Forest | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Florida International | 26 | 24 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Florida International | 29 | 21 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Florida International | 24 | 21 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Florida International | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Florida International | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 98 | 76 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–36
at Purdue
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Thailand Baldwin’s 2025 season.
89%match
Matches Thailand on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Caine Savage's graduate season at Nevada (2024).
90%match
Matches Caine on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Brian Blades
The secondary · Wake Forest
- #5Davaughn Patterson80 tackles · 2025
- #8Braylon Johnson38 tackles · 2025
- #27Travon West31 tackles · 2025
- #2Brian Blades26 tackles · 2025
- #22Myles Turpin24 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Wake Forest team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology