Darian Hicks

Cornerback for Michigan State. 2016: 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 30 tackles.

CB · Michigan State · #2

5′11″ · Solon, OH

Michigan State 2016 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

CB recruit

No. 569 nationally · Signed with Michigan State

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

2016 cornerback for Michigan State. 2016: 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 30 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Michigan State in 2013.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Two seasons at Michigan State, 30 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

2013

Signed with Michigan State3-star out of Solon

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#569 national

CFB

College

Michigan State

2014–2016

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

2016 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2 seasons under Mark Dantonio — 14-11 over that span.

2014Michigan State11-2HC: Mark Dantonio · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2016Michigan State3-9HC: Mark Dantonio · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (96th percentile). Concern: sacks (25th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#95 / 2668 · 96th pct

Interceptions#152 / 763 · 68th pct

Tackles#1365 / 2668 · 48th pct

Solo tackles#1523 / 2668 · 41st pct

Tackles for loss#1737 / 2668 · 28th pct

1.0

QB hurries#1174 / 2668 · 28th pct

Sacks#1331 / 2668 · 25th pct

0.0

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

2016 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	3.6	0.2	0.0	1.0
Road5g	2.4	0.0	0.0	0.6

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-74g	3.5	0.2	0.0	1.5
Weeks 8+6g	2.7	0.0	0.0	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Pat Fitzgerald

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2016

Rotational

Earning real snaps in the rotation without a starting job.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2016	Michigan State	30	15	1.0	0.0	8	2	--
2014	Michigan State	--	--	--	--	--	2	--
Career		30	15	1.0	0.0	8	4	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2016

W 36–28

at Notre Dame

3 TOT · 3 SOLO

Edged out Notre Dame on the road in a shootout.

With T. O'Connor — 241 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 80.6 · 43 rush yds (10 car) · J. Hartbarger — 38 AVG · 42 LONG · 7 NO

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2016 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 28-13vs Furman	2	2	0.0	—	3
Wk 3	W 36-28@ Notre Dame	3	3	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 6-30vs Wisconsin	6	3	1.0	1	2	Season-high 6 tackles
Wk 5	L 21-24@ Indiana	3	3	0.0	—	1
Wk 8	L 17-28@ Maryland	3	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 23-32vs Michigan	3	1	0.0	1	0
Wk 10	L 27-31@ Illinois	2	0	0.0	—	2
Wk 11	W 49-0vs Rutgers	4	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 16-17vs Ohio State	3	0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 12-45@ Penn State	1	1	0.0	—	0
Total		30	15	1.0	2	8

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology