Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-3vs Ball State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 23-24@ Texas | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
#8
Jaylen McClain
Junior safety for Ohio State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 203 lb · Rahway, NJ
CFB Index 38 · #381 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Ohio State 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
6 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 INT, 5 tackles, at Texas
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 safety for Ohio State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ohio State in 2024.
Jaylen McClain
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. This is his third year in the same secondary at Ohio State. His first career honor landed in 2025: All-Big Ten. One game to point at: 5 tackles, 1 INT against Texas — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.
20249 games
- Signed with Ohio State4-star out of Seton Hall Prep
202514 games
- All-Big Tenthird
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Ohio State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-BIG TEN
All-Big Ten mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Ohio State
Played his entire career under Ryan Day.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Ryan Day — 27-5 over that span.
2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
2026Ohio State1-1HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceAscending
Concern: tackles (0th 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: 3.0 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
Ryan Day
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
Outside shot to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #11 of 15 Big Ten Ss
How the All-Big Ten 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.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ohio State | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 53 | 42 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 15 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 74 | 53 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–3
vs Ball State
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Ohio State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Ohio State
Returning around him
- 11 Ohio State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -21 net (17 in / 38 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Ohio State · Last season: 12-2 (AP #3) · Talent rank #5 · 2026 recruiting class #4
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 Khalil Barnes’s 2024 season.
Matches Khalil on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Ike Rowell's sophomore season at UAB (2023).
94%match
Matches Ike on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaylen McClain
Background
Career Highs 8 Total Tackles vs. Texas (Aug. 30, 2025) 1.0 Tackles for Loss vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 7, 2024) Honors and Awards 2026: AFCA Good Works Team Nominee, Iron Buckeye, Nagurski Watch List, Wuerffel Trophy Watch List 2025: Third Team All-Big Ten, CSC Academic All-District, Academic Al...
The secondary · Ohio State
- #1Earl Little II76 tackles · 2025
- #8Jaylen McClain53 tackles · 2025
- #7Jermaine Mathews Jr.26 tackles · 2025
- #6Devin Sanchez15 tackles · 2025
- #10Leroy Roker III8 tackles · 2025
19 more on the roster · Ohio State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology