Desmyn Baker

Former linebacker at Southern Miss. 2024: 42 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks.

LB · Southern Miss · Sr. · #1

6′2″ · 230 lb · Clinton, MS

CFB Index 43 · #347 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceSouthern Miss 2024 — college career complete

Recruiting

3★

LB recruit

No. 101 nationally · Joined Rice

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at Southern Miss. 2024: 42 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Rice in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Southern Miss, 127 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

4 programs, one constant: he played.

202110 games

Signed with Rice3-star out of Northwest Mississippi C.C.

2022

The snaps went the other way.

Entered the portal

202411 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

2025

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#101 national

CFB

College

3 teams

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

2 coaches

2021–2023

Will Hall

Southern Miss

2024

Reed Stringer

Southern Miss

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Will Hall → Reed Stringer. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Rice4-8HC: Mike Bloomgren · Run-leaning

2022Western Kentucky9-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning

2023Western Kentucky8-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning

2024Southern Miss1-11HC: Reed Stringer · Run-leaning, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

43Rotational starter #347 of 571?

High confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Production sits in the middle of the position cohort across the board.

Box-score production (6)

Sacks#714 / 2892 · 73rd pct

1.5

Tackles#852 / 2892 · 70th pct

Passes defended#755 / 2892 · 67th pct

Solo tackles#1114 / 2892 · 60th pct

QB hurries#941 / 2892 · 57th pct

Tackles for loss#1412 / 2892 · 47th pct

2.0

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

2024 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	3.3	0.2	0.1	0.3
Road5g	4.4	0.2	0.2	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	4.6	0.2	0.1	0.4
Weeks 8+6g	3.2	0.2	0.2	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Blake Anderson

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

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

43 · #347 of 571 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #347 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Southern Miss	42	19	2.0	1.5	2	--	--
2023	Western Kentucky	41	22	3.0	1.0	1	2	--
2022	Western Kentucky	1	1	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2021	Rice	43	24	3.5	1.5	--	--	--
Career		127	66	8.5	4.0	3	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2024

W 35–10

vs SE Louisiana

1 QB HUR · 1 PD · 0 TFL

Dominant 25-point win at home against SE Louisiana.

With B. Lofton — 47 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 55 LONG · T. Rodemaker — 179 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 32.7 · -4 rush yds (3 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 0-31@ Kentucky	4	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 35-10vs SE Louisiana	2	1	0.5	0.0	—	1
Wk 3	L 24-49vs South Florida	2	0	0.5	0.5	—	1
Wk 4	L 7-44@ Jacksonville State	6	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 13-23vs Louisiana	9	4	0.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 9 tackles
Wk 8	L 28-44vs Arkansas State	4	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 15-32@ James Madison	3	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 3-37vs Marshall	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 3-58@ Texas State	5	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 14-35vs South Alabama	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	L 20-52@ Troy	4	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Total		42	19	2.0	1.5	—	2

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