Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 40-0vs Northern Illinois | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 16-13vs Iowa State | 4 | 3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 6 | 4 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#36
Jayden Montgomery
Senior linebacker for Iowa. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 227 lb · Suamico, WI · Bay Port
CFB Index 32 · #448 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Iowa 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
6
tackles · 2026
2 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 2 TFL, vs Iowa State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Iowa. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Iowa in 2022.
Jayden Montgomery
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Second year in the Iowa linebacker corps, same address the whole way. The receipt: 4 tackles, 2 TFL against Iowa State — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Iowa3-star out of Bay Port
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Iowa
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Kirk Ferentz — 11-4 over that span.
2025Iowa9-4HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Iowa2-0HC: Kirk Ferentz · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: tackles for loss (85th 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: 3.0 TKL/g, 1.0 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
Kirk Ferentz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
32 · #448 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #448 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #61 of 72 Big Ten LBs
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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 16–13
vs Iowa State
4 TOT · 3 SOLO · 2 TFL
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With B. Everitt — 44 AVG · 4 IN 20 · 51 LONG · H. Brown — 191 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 34.2 · 22 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Iowa
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Iowa
Returning around him
- 7 Iowa players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +7 net (15 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #44 · 2026 recruiting class #26
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Korey Smith’s 2025 season.
Matches Korey on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Korey on
Class year (higher)
Hurry rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Taariq Al-Uqdah's freshman season at Washington State (2023).
77%match
Matches Taariq on
Weight
Tackle volume
PD rate
Differs from Taariq on
Height (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jayden Montgomery
The linebacker corps · Iowa
- #36Jayden Montgomery44 tackles · 2025
- #46Preston Ries7 tackles · 2025
- #33Cam Buffington7 tackles · 2025
- #23Landyn Van Kekerix5 tackles · 2025
- #22Derek Weisskopf4 tackles · 2025
8 more on the roster · Iowa team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology