Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 40-0vs Northern Illinois | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#40
Chima Chineke
Junior defensive end for Iowa. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 262 lb · Plano, TX · Plano East
Returning to Iowa for 2026
The numbers
1
sack · 2026
1 TFL · 1 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 tackles, vs Northern Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive end for Iowa. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Iowa in 2024.
Chima Chineke
The receipt on tape: 1 tackles, 1 sacks against Northern Illinois, Week 1, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Iowa3-star out of Plano East
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Iowa
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026Iowa2-0HC: Kirk Ferentz · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (87th 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: 1.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kirk Ferentz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iowa | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Iowa
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Iowa
Returning around him
- 7 Iowa players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +7 net (15 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #44 · 2026 recruiting class #26
The defensive line · Iowa
- #96Bryce Hawthorne3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #95Lance Ingold2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #44Kenneth Merrieweather1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #56Maddux Borcherding-Johnson1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #40Chima Chineke1 game · 2026
14 more on the roster · Iowa team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology