Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-49@ Nebraska | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 29-27vs Jacksonville State | 9 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Total | 11 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#2
DJ Walker
Junior safety on Ohio's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 198 lb · Aliquippa, PA · Aliquippa
CFB Index 61 · #175 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Ohio 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. 2529 nationally · Signed with Ohio
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 safety on Ohio's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ohio in 2023.
DJ Walker
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Four seasons at Ohio, three different head coaches: Tim Albin, Brian Smith and John Hauser. In 2024 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-MAC. The receipt on tape: 9 tackles against Jacksonville State, Week 2, 2026.
11 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2023
- Signed with Ohio3-star out of Aliquippa
202414 games
The role got bigger.
- All-MACsecond
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Ohio
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM
All-MAC 2nd team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Tim Albin, Brian Smith, and John Hauser. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Ohio10-3HC: Tim Albin · Run-leaning
2024Ohio11-3HC: Tim Albin · Run-heavy
2025Ohio9-4HC: Brian Smith · Run-heavy
2026Ohio1-1HC: John Hauser · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: solo tackles (80th percentile). Concern: tackles for loss (20th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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: 5.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
John Hauser
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
61 · #175 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #175 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot to repeat All-MAC
Based on 2025: #11 of 23 Mid-American Ss
How the All-MAC estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 29–27
9 TOT · 7 SOLO · 1 REC
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 2 at home.
With D. James-Hamilton — 1 SOLO · 1 TD · 3 TOT · M. Vezza — 80 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 53.9 · 67 rush yds (12 car)
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
Ohio
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Ohio
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +3 net (19 in / 16 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Ohio · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #129 · 2026 recruiting class #107
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 Terry Jones Jr.’s 2022 season.
75%match
Matches Terry on
Height
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Terry on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu's junior season at UNLV (2025).
78%match
Matches Blesyng on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Blesyng on
Weight (lower)
Background
2025: Started all 13 games for Ohio…one of two defensive team captains... recorded 61 tackles, including 37 solo stops and 6 tackles for a loss…tallied two interceptions and one pass breakup…his first interception came against Bowling Green (Sept. 27) and his second against UNLV in the Scooters C...
The secondary · Ohio
- #5Adonis Williams Jr.75 tackles · 2025
- #2DJ Walker55 tackles · 2025
- #7Tank Pearson49 tackles · 2025
- #9Michael Mack II35 tackles · 2025
- #3Peter Kemeni9 tackles · 2025
27 more on the roster · Ohio team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology