Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 14-49@ Nevada | 6 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 20-70@ Georgia | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 13 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#7
Jaylen Lewis
Redshirt senior defensive back on Western Kentucky's 2026 roster.
5′11″ · 187 lb · Brownsville, TN · Haywood HS
CFB Index 77 · #59 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Western Kentucky 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.
Recruiting
3★
CB recruit
No. 562 nationally · Signed with Arkansas
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Western Kentucky's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Arkansas in 2022.
Jaylen Lewis
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. Three head coaches in four seasons, at three different programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Conference USA. The receipt on tape: 7 tackles against Georgia, Week 2, 2026.
13 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2022
- Signed with Arkansas3-star out of Haywood
202513 games
- All-Conference USAhonorable_mention
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE USA
All-Conference USA mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Western Kentucky
Played his entire career under Tyson Helton.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Arkansas4-8HC: Sam Pittman · Run-leaning
2024Temple3-9HC: Everett Withers · Balanced
2025Western Kentucky9-4HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2026Western Kentucky0-2HC: Tyson Helton · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceAscending
Elite: solo tackles (80th percentile). Concern: tackles for loss (20th 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: 6.5 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
Tyson Helton
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #6 of 43 Conference USA DBs
How the All-Conference USA estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. 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 | Western Kentucky | 13 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 5 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Temple | 43 | 31 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Arkansas | 2 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 132 | 88 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 10 | 4 | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Western Kentucky
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Western Kentucky
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -4 net (19 in / 23 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Western Kentucky · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #87 · 2026 recruiting class #81
DNA match
Player DNA
Rover
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jeremiah Lewis’s 2022 season.
Matches Jeremiah on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Ayden Jackson's junior season at Georgia Southern (2025).
87%match
Matches Ayden on
Class year
Height
Interceptions
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaylen Lewis
Background
AWARDS/HONORS 2027 Shriners Children's 1000 Watchlist 2026 CUSA Preseason Watch List 2026 Athlon Sports Preseason All Conference USA First Team (S) 2026 Phil Steele Preseason CUSA All-Conference Second Team (S) 2025 Phil Steele CUSA All-Conference Fourth Team (S) 2025 All-Conference USA Honorable...
The secondary · Western Kentucky
- #7Jaylen Lewis74 tackles · 2025
- #5Dave Herard58 tackles · 2025
- #11Kent Robinson29 tackles · 2025
- #2Al-Ma'Hi Ali28 tackles · 2025
- #12Jaavan Mack26 tackles · 2025
23 more on the roster · Western Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology