Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 41-43vs The Citadel | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 9-41@ Ole Miss | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#12
CJ Clinkscales
Senior defensive back on Charlotte's 2026 roster.
5′8″ · 175 lb · Buford, GA
CFB Index 37 · #389 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Charlotte 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★
ATH recruit
No. 1261 nationally · Signed with Boston College
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Charlotte's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Boston College in 2022.
- Transferred from Boston College to Charlotte in 2024.
CJ Clinkscales
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Three head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 2 tackles against Ole Miss, Week 2, 2026.
4 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 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Boston College3-star out of Buford
20243 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Biff Poggi
Charlotte
Coaching transition mid-career: Biff Poggi → Tim Albin. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Boston College7-6HC: Jeff Hafley · Run-leaning
2024Charlotte5-7HC: Biff Poggi · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Charlotte1-11HC: Tim Albin · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Charlotte0-2HC: Tim Albin · Balanced
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, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tim Albin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
37 · #389 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #389 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-AAC
Based on 2025: #14 of 28 American Athletic DBs
How the All-AAC 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 | Charlotte | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Charlotte | 49 | 40 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Charlotte | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Boston College | 14 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 76 | 59 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Charlotte
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Charlotte
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -8 net (19 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Charlotte · Last season: 1-11 · Talent rank #104 · 2026 recruiting class #103
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tori Mulkey’s 2024 season.
Matches Tori on
Height
PD rate
Weight
Differs from Tori on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Avery Powell's junior season at Temple (2025).
74%match
Matches Avery on
Weight
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Avery on
Height (lower)
The secondary · Charlotte
- #12CJ Clinkscales49 tackles · 2025
- Collin Gill35 tackles · 2025
- #3Dy'Lon Womack10 tackles · 2025
- #28Cornell Allen3 tackles · 2025
- #1Jameel Croft1 tackle · 2025
17 more on the roster · Charlotte team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology