Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 19-9vs Florida International | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 28-24@ Army | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#1
C.J. Hicks
Graduate defensive end on South Florida's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 240 lb · Dayton, OH · Archbishop Alter HS
CFB Index 36 · #404 of 571 LBsMedium confidenceTransferred Ohio State → South Florida 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
0
sacks · 2026
1 TFL · 9 tackles · 2 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 TFL, 5 tackles, at Army
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive end on South Florida's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 5-star recruit to Ohio State in 2022.
- Transferred from Ohio State to South Florida in 2026.
C.J. Hicks
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Two head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 5 tackles, 1 TFL against Army — Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
20225 games
- Signed with Ohio State5-star out of Archbishop Alter
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Badges
- Top-10 Recruit
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
4 coaches2022
South Florida
2025era →
Kevin Patrick
South Florida
2026era →
Brian Hartline
South Florida
Played under 4 different head coaches: Jeff Scott, Alex Golesh, Kevin Patrick, and Brian Hartline. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to South Florida
2025Ohio State
2026South Florida
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2023Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
2026South Florida2-0HC: Brian Hartline · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: qb hurries (96th 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: 4.5 TKL/g, 0.5 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
Brian Hartline
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
36 · #404 of 571 LBs
Former five-star. Now #404 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | South Florida | 9 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 22 | 10 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Ohio State | 8 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Ohio State | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 51 | 25 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 28–24
at Army
5 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 TFL
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 4 on the road.
With M. Van Buren Jr. — 239 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 82.3 · 45 rush yds (5 car) · 2 TD · L. Goater — 42 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 48 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
EDGE
His 2024 production profile sits closest to MJ Sherman’s 2023 season.
Matches MJ on
Tackle volume
Sack rate
Solo tackle rate
Differs from MJ on
PD rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Isaiah Johnson's junior season at Fresno State (2022).
80%match
Matches Isaiah on
TFL rate
Weight
Height
Differs from Isaiah on
Hurry rate (lower)
Sack rate (higher)
Background
A transfer defensive end who arrived in January of 2025 after playing in 44 games for Ohio State over four seasons…a veteran of 44 games as a Buckeye - 12 as a true freshman in 2022 – including playing in 15 games in 2024 when Ohio State won the national championship… posted 42 career tackles and...
The defensive line · South Florida
- #4Michael Williams II2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #18Levi Smiley2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #11Asani Redwood1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #1C.J. Hicks1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #28Ryan Jenkins0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
11 more on the roster · South Florida team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology