Auburn · L 15-21
No tackles.
Daniels has tackles in 7 of Vanderbilt’s 8 games: none against Auburn.
Cayden Daniels
Doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. Two seasons in the Vanderbilt secondary to date. A game that shows it: 6 tackles against Kentucky — Week 8, 2026.
22 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.
On3 Oct 25
PennLive Oct 17Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vanderbilt | 22 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 28 | 17 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 |
Last game (Wk 8): 6 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 28-9vs Austin Peay | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-31vs NC State | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 5 | L 14-38@ No. 2 Georgia | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | L 17-52vs No. 9 Ole Miss | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | L 21-31vs Arkansas | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 17-34@ No. 12 Kentucky | 6 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 22 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 |
Oct. 24 · L 17-34 at Kentucky, play by play
6 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
His game this year: coverage — 4 passes defended in the 7 games with play by play.
How Vanderbilt’s defense played that day
1 tackle.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
1 tackle, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
4 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles, including 2 passes broken up, tied for 4th-most passes broken up in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles, including 1 interception. His interception ended Delaware’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted. Fourth quarter, up 35-26. Ended Delaware’s drive (int).
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 2 of his 4, sacks included.
Ratings of the games shown run from -12 to +27 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
18%4 pass breakupsInterceptions
1interceptionsTackle volume
22tackles this season22 tackles · 4 pass breakups · 1 interception.
2 seasons under Clark Lea, all balanced, slow tempo offenses — 13-8 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Road2g | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clark Lea
Pass share
51.0%
253 pass / 243 run
Plays / game
62.0
8 games
Team sack rate
5.0%
281 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer tackles a game than most FBS defensive backs who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #109 at the position.
The No. 1,008 recruit in the country is starting in the secondary in the SEC as a sophomore.
2026 is in progress.
