Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 3-56@ Ohio State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 41-17vs Stony Brook | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#15
Derek Fields Jr.
Junior defensive back on Ball State's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 195 lb · Saint Charles, MO
CFB Index 36 · #398 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceIn transfer portal — destination TBD (from Ball State)
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★
S recruit
No. 2283 nationally · Signed with Ball State
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Ball State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ball State in 2023.
Derek Fields Jr.
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Derek Fields Jr. has played for two head coaches in four seasons at Ball State. One game to point at: 4 tackles against Ohio State — Week 1, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Ball State3-star out of Chaminade
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Ball State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Ball State
2025–2026era →
Mike Uremovich
Ball State
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Neu → Mike Uremovich. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
In Portal · 2026
In transfer portal
2025Ball State
DestinationTBD
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Ball State4-8HC: Mike Neu · Run-heavy
2024Ball State3-9HC: Mike Neu · Balanced
2025Ball State4-8HC: Mike Uremovich · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Ball State1-1HC: Mike Uremovich · Pass-leaning
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, 0.0 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
Mike Uremovich
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
36 · #398 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #398 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ball State | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Ball State | 31 | 23 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Ball State | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Ball State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 47 | 31 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 41–17
vs Stony Brook
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
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 Landyn Cleveland’s 2025 season.
84%match
Matches Landyn on
PD rate
Weight
Tackle volume
Differs from Landyn on
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Tyler Turner's junior season at Baylor (2025).
Matches Tyler on
TFL rate
PD rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Derek Fields Jr.
The secondary · Ball State
- #4Willizhuan Yates32 tackles · 2025
- Derek Fields Jr.31 tackles · 2025
- #2Tobi Adewoyin14 tackles · 2025
- #12Deondre Shepherd13 tackles · 2025
- #5Chris Jackson7 tackles · 2025
19 more on the roster · Ball State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology