Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 13-38vs Mississippi State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#1
Jaxon Howard
Senior defensive lineman on Minnesota's 2026 roster.
6′4″ · 260 lb · Crystal, MN · Robbinsdale Cooper
CFB Index 66 · #118 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Minnesota 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.
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
1 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, vs Mississippi State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Minnesota's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to LSU in 2022.
- Transferred from LSU to Minnesota in 2024.
Jaxon Howard
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Brian Kelly and P.J. Fleck. One game to point at: 1 tackles against Mississippi State — Week 2, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 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 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with LSU4-star out of St. Thomas More
20233 games
- Signed with LSU4-star out of Robbinsdale Cooper
20247 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Minnesota
Played his entire career under P.J. Fleck.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023LSU10-3HC: Brian Kelly · Balanced
2024Minnesota8-5HC: P.J. Fleck · Balanced
2025Minnesota8-5HC: P.J. Fleck · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Minnesota1-1HC: P.J. Fleck · Pass-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceBreakout
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
P.J. Fleck
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
66 · #118 of 420 edge rushers
Former four-star. Now #118 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #23 of 69 Big Ten DLs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Minnesota
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Minnesota
Returning around him
- 1 Minnesota player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -1 net (19 in / 20 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Minnesota · Last season: 8-5 · Talent rank #41 · 2026 recruiting class #28
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Victor Jones’s 2021 season.
82%match
Matches Victor on
Height
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Victor on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Koron Hayward's junior season at Western Kentucky (2025).
80%match
Matches Koron on
Weight
TFL rate
Sack rate
Differs from Koron on
Hurry rate (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaxon Howard
Background
PRONUNCIATION Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. HONORS Academic All-Big Ten (2025) OVERVIEW: Enrolled at Minnesota in June 2024 • spent the 2023 at LSU. 2025 • SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in all 13 games • made 29 tackles • recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Game-by-Game: Totaled...
The defensive line · Minnesota
- Anthony Smith17.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #3T.J. Bush10.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #11Karter Menz9 tackles for loss · 2025
- #1Jaxon Howard5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #70Naquan Crowder3 tackles for loss · 2025
19 more on the roster · Minnesota team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology