Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-51@ Oklahoma | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 51-10vs Texas Southern | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 8 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#10
Jayden Wilson
Senior linebacker for UTEP. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 218 lb · El Paso, TX
CFB Index 64 · #172 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to UTEP 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
8
tackles · 2026
1.5 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, vs Texas Southern
Statement game16 tackles · 2 TFLvs Liberty (FBS) · L 8-19
Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for UTEP. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to New Mexico in 2023.
- Transferred from New Mexico to UTEP in 2025.
Jayden Wilson
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Danny Gonzales, Bronco Mendenhall and Scotty Walden. The receipt: 5 tackles, 1 TFL against Texas Southern — Week 2, 2026.
8 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.
20235 games
- Signed with New Mexico2-star out of El Paso Austin
202512 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
UTEP
Coaching transition mid-career: Dana Dimel → Scotty Walden. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023New Mexico4-8HC: Danny Gonzales · Run-leaning
2024New Mexico5-7HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Run-leaning
2025UTEP2-10HC: Scotty Walden · Balanced
2026UTEP1-1HC: Scotty Walden · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceSustained Ascent
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: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.8 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
Scotty Walden
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
64 · #172 of 583 LBs
Two-star recruit. Now #172 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Mountain West
Based on 2025: #15 of 45 Conference USA LBs — his program moves to the Mountain West for 2026
How the All-Mountain West estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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. The base rate was measured on players who stayed in the same conference; this estimate is not adjusted for the move to the Mountain West.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UTEP | 8 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | UTEP | 92 | 35 | 8.0 | 0.5 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | New Mexico | 32 | 10 | 2.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | New Mexico | 9 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 141 | 50 | 12.0 | 2.5 | -- | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 51–10
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
UTEP
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · UTEP
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +1 net (21 in / 20 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UTEP · Last season: 2-10 · Talent rank #102 · 2026 recruiting class #92
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Dequan Jackson’s 2021 season.
82%match
Matches Dequan on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Hurry rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Taye Brown's junior season at Arizona (2025).
85%match
Matches Taye on
Solo tackle rate
Sack rate
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Jayden Wilson
The linebacker corps · UTEP
- #10Jayden Wilson92 tackles · 2025
- #4Garrett Hawkins10 tackles · 2025
- #41Vashon Brunswick II8 tackles · 2025
- #8Shay Smith2 games · 2026
- #13Isaiah Bogerty2 games · 2026
4 more on the roster · UTEP team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology