Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 7-38@ New Mexico | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 1 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 13-10vs Colgate | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 7 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 2 |
#4
Jaion Jackson
Junior defensive back on Central Michigan's 2026 roster.
5′10″ · 170 lb · St. Louis, MO · East St. Louis H.S.
CFB Index 76 · #55 of 364 cornersLow confidenceReturning to Central Michigan 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★
CB recruit
No. 2691 nationally · Signed with Central Michigan
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Central Michigan's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Central Michigan in 2024.
Jaion Jackson
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. Three seasons at Central Michigan, two different head coaches: Jim McElwain and Matt Drinkall. The receipt on tape: 5 tackles, 0.5 sacks against New Mexico, Week 1, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
202410 games
- Signed with Central Michigan3-star out of East St. Louis
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Central Michigan
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Central Michigan
2025–2026era →
Matt Drinkall
Central Michigan
Coaching transition mid-career: Jim McElwain → Matt Drinkall. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning
2025Central Michigan7-6HC: Matt Drinkall · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Central Michigan1-1HC: Matt Drinkall · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidenceBreakout
Elite: passes defended (94th percentile). 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: 3.5 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.2 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Drinkall
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
76 · #55 of 364 corners
Three-star recruit. Now #55 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-MAC
Based on 2025: #5 of 40 Mid-American DBs
How the All-MAC estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. 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
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Central Michigan | 7 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Central Michigan | 45 | 24 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 7 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Central Michigan | 39 | 26 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| Career | 91 | 52 | 7.0 | 2.5 | 12 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 13–10
vs Colgate
2 TOT · 1 PD
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With A. H Flores — 57 yds · 0 TD · 1 INT · QBR 24.4 · 122 rush yds (22 car) · 1 TD · D. Duley — 32 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 37 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Central Michigan
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Central Michigan
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -5 net (12 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Central Michigan · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #125 · 2026 recruiting class #95
DNA match
Player DNA
Rover
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Dennis Barnes’s 2022 season.
69%match
All-Conference USA
Matches Dennis on
Height
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Dennis on
Class year (lower)
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Shaw's sophomore season at Washington (2024).
78%match
Matches Jordan on
PD rate
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaion Jackson
Background
CAREER In 25 games and 22 career starts, has made 86 total tackles (51 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss for 39 yards, two sacks, intercepted one pass, 11 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery … Has started 22 out of 25 career games at cornerback … Has started 13 consecutive games …...
The secondary · Central Michigan
- #4Jaion Jackson45 tackles · 2025
- #14Justin Taylor17 tackles · 2025
- #7Ed Conoran8 tackles · 2025
- #23Kyle Krebs3 tackles · 2025
- #21Jamari Allen2 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Central Michigan team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology