Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 35-9@ Rice | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 36-20vs Colorado | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#2
Jesus Machado
Senior linebacker for Rice. 2025: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 220 lb · Miami, FL
CFB Index 59 · #208 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Houston → Rice 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
5
tackles · 2025
2 games into 2025 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, vs Colorado
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Rice. 2025: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Champagnat Catholic - Hialeah in 2020.
- Transferred from Houston to Rice in 2026.
Jesus Machado
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across five seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Willie Fritz and Slade Nagle. In 2023 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-AAC. The receipt: 4 tackles against Colorado — Week 3, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2020
- Recruited3-star out of Champagnat Catholic - Hialeah
202313 games
The role got bigger.
- All-AACsecond
2025
The snaps went the other way.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-AAC · 2ND TEAM
All-AAC 2nd team (2023)
Coaching lineage · 2020–2025
2 coaches2020–2023
Rice
2025era →
Scott Abell
Rice
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Bloomgren → Scott Abell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Rice
2025Houston
2026Rice
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2020Tulane6-6HC: Willie Fritz · Run-heavy
2021Tulane2-10HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
2022Tulane12-2HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
2023Tulane11-3HC: Slade Nagle · Run-leaning
2025Houston10-3HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
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: 2.5 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
Scott Abell
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Power Echols’s 2023 season.
78%match
All-ACC
Matches Power on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Power on
Height (higher)
Hurry rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Isaiah Nwokobia's senior season at SMU (2024).
87%match
All-ACC
Matches Isaiah on
Tackle volume
Hurry rate
Solo tackle rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Jesus Machado
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology