#11

Jake Golday

Former linebacker at Cincinnati. 2025: 95 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks.

LB · Cincinnati · Sr. · #11

6′4″ · 240 lb · Arlington, TN

CFB Index 75 · #90 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceAll-Conf 1st teamDrafted by Minnesota — Rd 2, Pick 19, #51 overall

How he plays

Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.

Tackles: 98th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

tackles · 2025

4 TFL · 3.5 sacks · 3 PBU

Best game: 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Iowa State

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at Cincinnati. 2025: 95 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks.

Signed with Central Arkansas in 2021.
Transferred from Central Arkansas to Cincinnati in 2024.
Drafted round 2 by the Minnesota in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Two seasons at Cincinnati, 152 tackles, a first-team All-Conference season (2025) — drafted at #51 overall by Minnesota.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2021

Signed with Central Arkansasout of Arlington

202411 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

202512 games

All-Big 12first

2026

Drafted by Minnesotaround 2, pick 51

Career arc

Recruit

—

2021 class

CFB

College

Cincinnati

2024–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #51

Minnesota · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

4 honors · 1 category

🥈

ALL-BIG 12 · 1ST TEAM

All-Big 12 1st team (2025)

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Minnesota2026 NFL rookie season

#51Rd 2 · Pick 19

Minnesota2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2 seasons under Scott Satterfield — 12-13 over that span.

2024Cincinnati5-7HC: Scott Satterfield · Balanced

2025Cincinnati7-6HC: Scott Satterfield · Balanced, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

75Quality starter #90 of 583?

High confidenceAscending6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (98th percentile). Strength: sacks (91st percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Tackles#65 / 2975 · 98th pct

Sacks#233 / 2975 · 91st pct

3.5

Solo tackles#322 / 2975 · 89th pct

Passes defended#517 / 2975 · 78th pct

Tackles for loss#736 / 2975 · 73rd pct

4.0

QB hurries#634 / 2975 · 72nd pct

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

2025 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	8.2	0.5	0.4	0.4
Road4g	7.2	0.0	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	9.2	0.5	0.5	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	6.7	0.2	0.1	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Scott Satterfield

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

All-Conference 1st team

First team in his league at the position.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

75 · #90 of 583 LBs

Unranked recruit. Now #90 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Cincinnati	95	36	4.0	3.5	3	--	--
2024	Cincinnati	57	28	6.5	1.0	2	--	--
Career		152	64	10.5	4.5	5	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 6 · 2025

W 38–30

vs Iowa State

12 TOT · 6 SOLO · 1 SACKS

Edged out Iowa State at home in a shootout.

With B. Sorsby — 214 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.0 · 64 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD · M. Fletcher — 41 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 60 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week