Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 20-13vs Liberty | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 87-3vs Wagner | 4 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#26
Jayden Studio
3rd-year linebacker for James Madison. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 225 lb · Perry, OH · Perry
CFB Index 40 · #373 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to James Madison 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 · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Liberty
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 linebacker for James Madison. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Kent State in 2024.
- Transferred from Kent State to James Madison in 2025.
Jayden Studio
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. Across three seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Kenni Burns, Bob Chesney and Billy Napier. One game to point at: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against Wagner — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
202410 games
- Signed with Kent State3-star out of Perry
20254 games
The snaps went the other way.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Bob Chesney
James Madison
Coaching transition mid-career: Bob Chesney → Billy Napier. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Kent State0-12HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025James Madison12-2HC: Bob Chesney · Run-heavy
2026James Madison2-0HC: Billy Napier · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Strength: 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, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Billy Napier
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
40 · #373 of 571 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #373 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | James Madison | 6 | 1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | James Madison | 8 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Kent State | 38 | 23 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 52 | 27 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 87–3
vs Wagner
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
James Madison
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · James Madison
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +6 net (37 in / 31 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
James Madison · Last season: 12-2 (AP #19) · Talent rank #101 · 2026 recruiting class #80
DNA match
Player DNA
Sideline-to-Sideline
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
LB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Taariq Al-Uqdah’s 2023 season.
Matches Taariq on
Tackle volume
Weight
Class year
Differs from Taariq on
Solo tackle rate (higher)
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).
84%match
Matches Taariq on
Weight
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Taariq on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jayden Studio
Background
2025: Played in five games with one start at linebacker Had eight tackles (three solo) to go with 1.5 tackles for loss and a half sack Had three tackles with a 1.5 TFL and a half sack vs. App State (Nov. 15) Also had two tackles vs. Washington State (Nov. 22) and at Oregon (Dec. 20) in the Colleg...
The linebacker corps · James Madison
- #2Nakian Jackson51 tackles · 2025
- #3Gannon Weathersby50 tackles · 2025
- #26Jayden Studio8 tackles · 2025
- #45Lee Johnson2 tackles · 2025
- #12Lathan Croley1 game · 2026
3 more on the roster · James Madison team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology