Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 7-12@ Pittsburgh | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#5
DJ Bell
Senior defensive back on UCF's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 185 lb · Pensacola, FL · Pensacola HS
CFB Index 22 · #317 of 364 cornersLow confidenceReturning to UCF 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★
S recruit
No. 1974 nationally · Signed with Memphis
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on UCF's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Memphis in 2022.
- Transferred from Memphis to UCF in 2025.
DJ Bell
Erases the deep middle of the field. Two head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 3 tackles against Pittsburgh, Week 2, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Memphis3-star out of Pensacola
20259 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
UCF
Coaching transition mid-career: Gus Malzahn → Scott Frost. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Memphis10-3HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced
2024Memphis11-2HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced
2025UCF5-7HC: Scott Frost · Balanced
2026UCF1-1HC: Scott Frost · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
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 1 game: 3.0 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
Scott Frost
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
22 · #317 of 364 corners
Three-star recruit. Now #317 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #41 of 42 Big 12 DBs
- #1Dalton Johnson
- #40Syeed Gibbs
- #41DJ Bell
- #42D.J. Graham
How the All-Big 12 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
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
UCF
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · UCF
Returning around him
- 1 UCF player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -3 net (32 in / 35 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UCF · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #66 · 2026 recruiting class #66
DNA match
Player DNA
Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Noah Boykin’s 2021 season.
Matches Noah on
PD rate
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Nathaniel Wiggins's junior season at Clemson (2023).
80%match
Matches Nathaniel on
Class year
Weight
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like DJ Bell
The secondary · UCF
- #8Demari Henderson61 tackles · 2025
- #7Antoine Jackson39 tackles · 2025
- #1Jayden Bellamy27 tackles · 2025
- #4Braeden Marshall22 tackles · 2025
- #5DJ Bell17 tackles · 2025
14 more on the roster · UCF team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology