Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 14-49@ Nevada | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 20-70@ Georgia | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#5
Dave Herard
Redshirt senior defensive back on Western Kentucky's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 204 lb · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Stranahan HS
CFB Index 46 · #312 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Western Kentucky 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★
CB recruit
No. 1264 nationally · Signed with Stranahan
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Western Kentucky's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Stranahan in 2020.
Dave Herard
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Dave Herard has played for two head coaches across five seasons and two programs. The receipt: 1 tackles against Georgia — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
3 programs, one constant: he played.
2020
- Recruited3-star out of Stranahan
202410 games
- Entered the portal
202513 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Western Kentucky
Played his entire career under Tyson Helton.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Virginia3-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2023Virginia3-9HC: Tony Elliott · Run-leaning
2024Western Kentucky8-6HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2025Western Kentucky9-4HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2026Western Kentucky0-2HC: Tyson Helton · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceReinvented
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: 1.0 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
Tyson Helton
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
46 · #312 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #312 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #25 of 43 Conference USA DBs
How the All-Conference USA estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 58 | 39 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 17 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Virginia | 40 | 25 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Virginia | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 121 | 81 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 6 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Western Kentucky
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Western Kentucky
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -4 net (19 in / 23 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Western Kentucky · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #87 · 2026 recruiting class #81
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jaylen McCollough’s 2023 season.
Matches Jaylen on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Jaylen McCollough's senior season at Tennessee (2023).
Matches Jaylen on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Dave Herard
Background
AWARDS/HONORS 2026 Athlon Sports Preseason All Conference USA Second Team (S) 2025 (r-Sr.) | 13/12: Herard appeared in all 13 games and started the final 12 games of the 2025 season for the Hilltoppers at safety. He finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 58. Herard posted three tackles...
The secondary · Western Kentucky
- #7Jaylen Lewis74 tackles · 2025
- #5Dave Herard58 tackles · 2025
- #11Kent Robinson29 tackles · 2025
- #2Al-Ma'Hi Ali28 tackles · 2025
- #12Jaavan Mack26 tackles · 2025
23 more on the roster · Western Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology