Senior defensive back on Nevada's 2025 roster.
6′2″ · 208 lb · Dickinson, TX
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.
The story
4 defensive back on Nevada's 2025 roster.
DJ Warnell
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Across six seasons and four programs, four head coaches: Chip Kelly, Jedd Fisch, Curt Cignetti and Jeff Choate. The receipt on tape: 3 tackles against UNLV, Week 14, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 6 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2020–2025
4 coachesPlayed under 4 different head coaches: Jay Norvell, Vai Taua, Ken Wilson, and Jeff Choate. Multi-era developmental context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: passes defended (18th percentile).
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 · Per-game
2025 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-72g | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Choate
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2025
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Mountain West
Based on 2025: #42 of 42 Mountain West DBs
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.
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 8 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 11-46@ Penn State | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 7 | L 10-44vs San Diego State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 22-24@ New Mexico | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Wk 9 | L 3-24vs Boise State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 14-51@ Utah State | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 55-10vs San José State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 13-7@ Wyoming | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 17-42vs UNLV | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Nevada
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Nevada
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Nevada · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #118 · 2026 recruiting class #98
Player DNA
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jay Jones’s 2023 season.
Matches Jay on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
Player DNA