“Oh, he put McClain on a poster”
5 stories in the last 30 days, from 4 outlets.
Jaylen McClain
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Third year in the same secondary at Ohio State. First career honor, 2025: All-Big Ten. One game to point at: 8 tackles against Maryland — Week 6, 2026.
37 tackles · 1 sack
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
37 tackles. 4 passes defended. 2 interceptions. 1 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 4 outlets
CBS Sports Oct 29 · 1 outlet
Eleven WarriorsJaylen McClain is One of 15 Semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe AwardOct 27
247SportsOhio State's Jaylen McClain named a semifinalist for the 2026 Thorpe AwardOct 27from 6 outlets
CBS Sports Oct 29 · 1 outlet
Ohio State AthleticsJaylen McClain Named to Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List - Ohio StateAug 11Eleven WarriorsJaylen McClain is One of 15 Semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe AwardOct 27247SportsOhio State's Jaylen McClain named a semifinalist for the 2026 Thorpe AwardOct 27CBS Sports247SportsOhio State Athletics
Land-Grant Holy LandEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Fans first named Jaylen McClain at Texas.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ohio State | 37 | 18 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 53 | 42 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 15 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 105 | 68 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 8 | 2 |
Last game (Wk 9): 5 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| 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@ No. 4 Texas | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 59-3vs Kent State | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 42-19vs Illinois | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 4 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 5 | W 31-14@ No. 14 Iowa | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 45-16vs Maryland | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 19-15@ No. 5 Indiana | 4 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 18-30@ USC | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 18 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 4 |
Oct. 31 · L 18-30 at USC, play by play
5 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
His game this year: coverage — 4 passes defended in the 8 games with play by play.
How Ohio State’s defense played that day
USC’s 11 drives: 5 stopped (1 takeaway) · 6 scored. While the game was within a score they held 1 of 5.
4 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
8 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles, including 1 interception. His interception ended Iowa’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted. Third quarter, up 24-6. Ended Iowa’s drive (int).
8 tackles, including 4 passes broken up, tied for 2nd-most passes broken up in FBS that week. His pass breakup on 4th and 4 ended Illinois’s drive (downs).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Broke up a pass on 4th and 4. Fourth quarter, up 28-13. Ended Illinois’s drive (downs).
Broke up a pass on 4th and 6. Fourth quarter, up 42-19. Ended Illinois’s drive (downs).
3 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
5 tackles, including 1 interception. His interception ended Texas’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted. First quarter, up 3-0. Ended Texas’s drive (int).
1 tackle.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Week 7 · 2026
W 19-15
at Indiana
1 sack · 1 tackle for loss · 4 tackles
A close one, won by 4 on the road.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -21 to +24 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
11%4 pass breakupsInterceptions
2interceptionsTackle volume
37tackles this seasonTFL rate
3%1 TFL37 tackles · 1 for loss · 1 sack · 4 pass breakups · 2 interceptions.
3 seasons under Ryan Day — 32-6 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Road4g | 4.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Pass share
45.0%
250 pass / 306 run
Plays / game
69.5
8 games
Team sack rate
5.8%
275 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2025
Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #11 of 15 Big Ten Ss
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 22% of returning players who ranked #11–20 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 19–25%).
2026 is in progress.
A blue-chip recruit with honors.
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-BIG TEN
All-Big Ten mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Ryan Day.
