Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 4 | W 31-13@ Liberty | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#44
DJ Cotton
Sophomore defensive lineman for James Madison. 2025: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 284 lb · Reston, VA
Returning to James Madison for 2026
The numbers
1
sack · 2025
1 TFL · 1 tackles
1 game into 2025 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 tackles, at Liberty
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 defensive lineman for James Madison. 2025: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed with West Virginia in 2023.
DJ Cotton
This is his second year in the same defensive front at James Madison. The receipt: 1 tackles, 1 sacks against Liberty — Week 4, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with West Virginiaout of Mt. Zion Prep
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
James Madison
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Bob Chesney — 21-6 over that span.
2024James Madison9-4HC: Bob Chesney · Run-leaning
2025James Madison12-2HC: Bob Chesney · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
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: 1.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Billy Napier
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | James Madison | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | James Madison | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
James Madison
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · James Madison
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +6 net (37 in / 31 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
James Madison · Last season: 12-2 (AP #19) · Talent rank #101 · 2026 recruiting class #80
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology