Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-39@ USC | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 49-3vs Sacramento State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#4
Ethan Tierney
Junior defensive back on Fresno State's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 187 lb · Dekalb, IL · DeKalb HS
CFB Index 28 · #460 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Fresno State 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
2★
S recruit
No. 2678 nationally · Signed with Northern Illinois
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Fresno State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to Northern Illinois in 2023.
- Transferred from Northern Illinois to Fresno State in 2025.
Ethan Tierney
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Thomas Hammock and Matt Entz. One game to point at: 5 tackles against USC — Week 1, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Northern Illinois2-star out of DeKalb
202510 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Tim Skipper
Fresno State
2025–2026era →
Matt Entz
Fresno State
Coaching transition mid-career: Tim Skipper → Matt Entz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Northern Illinois8-5HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-leaning
2025Fresno State9-4HC: Matt Entz · Run-leaning
2026Fresno State1-1HC: Matt Entz · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium 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 2 games: 4.5 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
Matt Entz
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
28 · #460 of 544 safeties
Two-star recruit. Now #460 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Pac-12
Based on 2025: #33 of 42 Mountain West DBs — his program moves to the Pac-12 for 2026
How the All-Pac-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. The base rate was measured on players who stayed in the same conference; this estimate is not adjusted for the move to the Pac-12.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fresno State | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Fresno State | 20 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 30 | 16 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 49–3
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Fresno State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Fresno State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +3 net (13 in / 10 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Fresno State · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #88 · 2026 recruiting class #70
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kevis Thomas’s 2024 season.
Matches Kevis on
PD rate
Tackle volume
Height
Differs from Kevis on
Weight (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Josh Franklin's sophomore season at Western Michigan (2024).
Matches Josh on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Ethan Tierney
Background
2025 (SOPHOMORE): Appeared in 10 games this season … started in five … had 22 tackles … added one interception, two pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry … had a blocked punt against Miami (OH) in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl … had a season-high five tackles against Georgia Southern (Aug. 30) … g...
The secondary · Fresno State
- #5Simeon Harris53 tackles · 2025
- #33Taylor Powell30 tackles · 2025
- #37Ryan Wilson25 tackles · 2025
- #4Ethan Tierney20 tackles · 2025
- #28Jomarion Briggs14 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Fresno State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology