Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 12-13@ Michigan | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 2 | W 49-14vs Monmouth | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 |
#6
Joey Pope
Junior safety on Western Michigan's 2026 roster.
5′11″ · 165 lb · Glen Ellyn, IL
CFB Index 63 · #159 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Western Michigan 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
2★
S recruit
No. 2678 nationally · Signed with Western Michigan
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 safety on Western Michigan's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to Western Michigan in 2023.
Joey Pope
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. A 2-star signing who has since put four seasons on the field at Western Michigan. One game to point at: 5 tackles against Monmouth — Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- recruiting profile
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2023
- Signed with Western Michigan2-star out of Glenbard West
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
Western Michigan
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Western Michigan
Played his entire career under Lance Taylor.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Lance Taylor — 21-20 over that span.
2023Western Michigan4-8HC: Lance Taylor · Run-leaning
2024Western Michigan6-7HC: Lance Taylor · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Western Michigan10-4HC: Lance Taylor · Run-heavy
2026Western Michigan1-1HC: Lance Taylor · Run-heavy, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceBreakout
Elite: passes defended (99th percentile). 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: 4.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lance Taylor
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
63 · #159 of 544 safeties
Two-star recruit. Now #159 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-MAC
Based on 2025: #9 of 23 Mid-American Ss
How the All-MAC 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 Michigan | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Western Michigan | 44 | 28 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Western Michigan | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Western Michigan | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 61 | 37 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 5 | 3 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 49–14
vs Monmouth
5 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 PD
Dominant 35-point win at home against Monmouth.
With B. Lowry — 212 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 56.4 · 40 rush yds (4 car) · R. Millmore — 48 AVG · 56 LONG · 4 NO
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Western Michigan
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Western Michigan
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +1 net (14 in / 13 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Western Michigan · Last season: 10-4 · Talent rank #108 · 2026 recruiting class #112
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 Maurion Eleam’s 2025 season.
Matches Maurion on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Differs from Maurion on
Class year (lower)
TFL rate (higher)
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kimari Robinson's junior season at Duke (2025).
Matches Kimari on
TFL rate
PD rate
Weight
The secondary · Western Michigan
- #3Tate Hallock67 tackles · 2025
- #8Jarvarius Sims61 tackles · 2025
- #18Micah Davis60 tackles · 2025
- #1Joshua Franklin53 tackles · 2025
- #6Joey Pope44 tackles · 2025
24 more on the roster · Western Michigan team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology