Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#96
Darrell Prater
Senior defensive lineman on Illinois's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 305 lb · Fort Payne, AL · Fort Payne
CFB Index 39 · #277 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceTransferred Jacksonville State → Illinois 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
0.5 TFL · 7 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, vs Duke
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Illinois's 2026 roster.
- Transferred from Jacksonville State to Illinois in 2026.
Darrell Prater
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Three head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. One game to point at: 4 tackles against Duke — Week 2, 2026.
7 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.
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Illinois
2025Jacksonville State
2026Illinois
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Jacksonville State9-4HC: Rich Rodriguez · Run-heavy, fast tempo
2024Jacksonville State9-5HC: Rich Rodriguez · Run-heavy
2025Jacksonville State9-5HC: Charles Kelly · Run-heavy
2026Illinois1-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceAscending
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: 3.5 TKL/g, 0.2 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
Bret Bielema
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
39 · #277 of 420 edge rushers
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Illinois | 7 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Jacksonville State | 21 | 13 | 4.0 | 3.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Jacksonville State | 25 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Jacksonville State | 14 | 8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 67 | 29 | 7.5 | 4.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 42–23
vs UAB
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 TFL
With K. Houser — 182 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 98.9 · 29 rush yds (3 car) · 1 TD · C. Valentine — 88 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Anisi Purcell’s 2025 season.
90%match
Matches Anisi on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Mehki Wingo's junior season at LSU (2023).
Matches Mehki on
Class year
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Mehki on
Height (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Darrell Prater
Background
Pronunciation: dare-ull Prater 2025 - Jacksonville State Played in all 14 games with three starts at defensive tackle 23 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks on the season Tied career high with six tackles against Kennesaw State in the CUSA Championship (12/5/25), while also adding 1.5 ta...
The defensive line · Illinois
- #96Darrell Prater4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #17Isaiah Thomison3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #43Joe Barna2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #52Pat Farrell2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #90Carter Janki2 games · 2026
12 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology