Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-66@ Florida | 6 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 38-30vs Navy | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 10 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
#22
Jayden Sweeney
Senior safety for Florida Atlantic. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 190 lb · Birmingham, AL · Clay-Chalkville
CFB Index 42 · #345 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Florida Atlantic 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
1
interception · 2026
1 PBU · 12 tackles · 1 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 INT, 6 tackles, at Florida
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety for Florida Atlantic. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Liberty in 2022.
- Transferred from Liberty to Florida Atlantic in 2025.
Jayden Sweeney
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Two head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 6 tackles against Navy — Week 2, 2026.
12 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 Liberty3-star out of Clay-Chalkville
202511 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coaches2023
Florida Atlantic
2025–2026era →
Zach Kittley
Florida Atlantic
Played under 3 different head coaches: Tom Herman, Chad Lunsford, and Zach Kittley. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Liberty13-1HC: Jamey Chadwell · Run-heavy
2024Liberty8-4HC: Jamey Chadwell · Run-heavy
2025Florida Atlantic4-8HC: Zach Kittley · Pass-heavy, fast tempo
2026Florida Atlantic1-1HC: Zach Kittley · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: solo tackles (87th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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: 6.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Zach Kittley
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
42 · #345 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #345 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-AAC
Based on 2025: #26 of 38 American Athletic Ss
How the All-AAC 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
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida Atlantic | 12 | 10 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Florida Atlantic | 41 | 27 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Liberty | 14 | 12 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Liberty | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 69 | 51 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 6 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–30
vs Navy
6 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 PD
Edged out Navy at home in a shootout.
With C. Veltkamp — 386 yds · 5 TD · 0 INT · QBR 83.4 · -22 rush yds (5 car) · E. Messer — 8 rec · 179 yds · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Florida Atlantic
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Florida Atlantic
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -8 net (22 in / 30 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Florida Atlantic · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #98 · 2026 recruiting class #130
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caleb Weaver’s 2023 season.
Matches Caleb on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kaleb Cost's junior season at North Carolina (2025).
Matches Kaleb on
Class year
TFL rate
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Jayden Sweeney
Background
At Florida Atlantic Graduate (2026) Senior (2025) Joined the Owls and new Head Coach Zach Kittley in the summer of 2025 Added a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry in the Owls' season opener versus Maryland Recorded an assisted tackle in the Owls' 561-4 win over FAMU Credited with three tackles v...
The secondary · Florida Atlantic
- #22Jayden Sweeney41 tackles · 2025
- #11Gavench Marcelin32 tackles · 2025
- #4Damarius McGhee30 tackles · 2025
- #12Jay Crable28 tackles · 2025
- #5Deshaun Batiste23 tackles · 2025
28 more on the roster · Florida Atlantic team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology