Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-14vs Western Kentucky | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#91
James Gillespie
Senior defensive tackle on Nevada's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 315 lb · Woodbridge, VA
Returning to Nevada for 2026
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
1 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, vs Western Kentucky
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive tackle on Nevada's 2026 roster.
- Signed with Middle Tennessee in 2024.
James Gillespie
Wins his gap play after play. Two head coaches in two seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 1 tackles against Western Kentucky, Week 1, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20246 games
- Signed with Middle Tennesseeout of Ventura College
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Middle Tennessee3-9HC: Derek Mason · Pass-leaning
2026Nevada1-1HC: Jeff Choate · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
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 1 game: 1.0 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
Jeff Choate
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nevada | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Middle Tennessee | 10 | 3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 11 | 3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 49–14
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Nevada
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive tackle · Nevada
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -7 net (14 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Nevada · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #118 · 2026 recruiting class #98
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Omarr Norman-Lott’s 2023 season.
88%match
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 31
Matches Omarr on
Sack rate
Weight
Class year
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Thor Griffith's freshman season at Louisville (2024).
75%match
Matches Thor on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Thor on
Sack rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like James Gillespie
The defensive line · Nevada
- #32Dylan Labarbera16.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #10Logologo Va'a2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #96Tanner Vaughan1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #92Myles Williams1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #91James Gillespie1 game · 2026
14 more on the roster · Nevada team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology