Junior linebacker for Northern Illinois. 2025: 5 tackles.
6′0″ · 225 lb · Omaha, NE
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 numbers
tackles · 2025
2 PBU
Best game: 1 tackles, vs San Diego State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Northern Illinois. 2025: 5 tackles.
Jake Gassaway
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. He has spent three seasons in the Northern Illinois linebacker corps. One game to point at: 2 tackles against Eastern Michigan — Week 7, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Thomas Hammock.
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Thomas Hammock — 18-20 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th 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 · 4 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Road2g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
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.
Player standing · 2024
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Three-star recruit. Now #459 at the position.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Illinois | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Northern Illinois | 25 | 18 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northern Illinois | 2 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 32 | 20 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 4 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 4 | L 10-38@ Mississippi State | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 5 | L 3-6vs San Diego State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | L 14-25vs Miami (OH) | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | L 10-16@ Eastern Michigan | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 |
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northern Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Northern Illinois
Returning around him
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
Player DNA
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Jackson Powell’s 2023 season.
Matches Jackson on
Differs from Jackson on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Jackson Powell's sophomore season at Army (2023).
Matches Jackson on
Differs from Jackson on
Player DNA