Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-40@ Iowa | 6 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | L 24-28vs Illinois State | 12 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 12 tackles |
| Total | 18 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#44
Jack Murray
Freshman linebacker for Northern Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 236 lb · Brookfield, WI
Returning to Northern Illinois for 2026
How he plays
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage.
Tackles: 88th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
18
tackles · 2026
0.5 TFL · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL, at Iowa
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
1 linebacker for Northern Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northern Illinois in 2026.
Jack Murray
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. The receipt: 12 tackles against Illinois State — Week 2, 2026.
18 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- game log
His career
2026
- Signed with Northern Illinois3-star out of Brookfield East
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northern Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026Northern Illinois0-2HC: Rob Harley · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (88th 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: 9.0 TKL/g, 0.2 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
Rob Harley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northern Illinois | 18 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 18 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northern Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Northern Illinois
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -15 net (7 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northern Illinois · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #126 · 2026 recruiting class #82
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Michael Scherer’s 2016 season.
79%match
Matches Michael on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
TFL rate
Differs from Michael on
Hurry rate (lower)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Victor Earl's freshman season at Central Michigan (2025).
Matches Victor on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
PD rate
Differs from Victor on
Sack rate (lower)
The linebacker corps · Northern Illinois
- #15Broderick Windham11 tackles · 2025
- #57Kimar Nelson5 tackles · 2025
- #27Trey Porter4 tackles · 2025
- #8Cooper Mau1 game · 2026
- #44Jack Murray2 games · 2026
5 more on the roster · Northern Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology