Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-15vs Boston College | 8 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 62-10vs Western Carolina | 6 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#22
Jonathan Thompson
Senior linebacker for Cincinnati. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 228 lb · Columbus, OH · St. Francis De Sales
CFB Index 50 · #296 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Cincinnati 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
14
tackles · 2026
2 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Boston College
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Cincinnati. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Cincinnati in 2022.
Jonathan Thompson
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. He has spent four seasons in the Cincinnati linebacker corps. One game to point at: 8 tackles, 1 sacks against Boston College — Week 1, 2026.
14 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Cincinnati3-star out of St. Francis de Sales
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Cincinnati
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Cincinnati
Played his entire career under Scott Satterfield.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Scott Satterfield — 17-22 over that span.
2023Cincinnati3-9HC: Scott Satterfield · Run-leaning
2024Cincinnati5-7HC: Scott Satterfield · Balanced
2025Cincinnati7-6HC: Scott Satterfield · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Cincinnati2-0HC: Scott Satterfield · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (85th 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: 7.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Scott Satterfield
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
50 · #296 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #296 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #40 of 73 Big 12 LBs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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 | Cincinnati | 14 | 8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Cincinnati | 67 | 32 | 8.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Cincinnati | 49 | 22 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Cincinnati | 31 | 20 | 4.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 161 | 82 | 19.5 | 4.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 62–10
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Cincinnati
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Cincinnati
Returning around him
- 4 Cincinnati players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (23 in / 23 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Cincinnati · Last season: 7-6 (AP #22) · Talent rank #77 · 2026 recruiting class #58
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jeslord Boateng’s 2021 season.
87%match
Matches Jeslord on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Hurry rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kaleb Spencer's junior season at Virginia Tech (2025).
90%match
Matches Kaleb on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Jonathan Thompson
The linebacker corps · Cincinnati
- #12Filip Maciorowski76 tackles · 2025
- #22Jonathan Thompson67 tackles · 2025
- #3Antwan Peek Jr.49 tackles · 2025
- #31Simeon Coleman39 tackles · 2025
- #44Montay Weedon27 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · Cincinnati team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology