Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 12 | L 24-53vs North Texas | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#21
Josh Baka
Senior safety on UAB's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 205 lb · Ottawa, ON
CFB Index 66 · #127 of 537 safetiesMedium confidenceIn transfer portal — destination TBD (from UAB)
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
3★
CB recruit
No. 2057 nationally · Signed with St. Thomas More
Statement game18 tacklesvs Ohio (FBS) · L 0-41
Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety on UAB's 2025 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to St. Thomas More in 2021.
Josh Baka
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Josh Baka has played for three head coaches across four seasons and two programs. The receipt on tape: 2 tackles against North Texas, Week 12, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
2021
- Recruited3-star out of St. Thomas More
2022
- Signed with Kent State2-star out of Vanier College
2025
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Bryant Vincent, Trent Dilfer, and Alex Mortensen. Multi-era developmental context.
In Portal · 2026
In transfer portal
2025UAB
DestinationTBD
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Kent State5-7HC: Sean Lewis · Run-leaning
2023Kent State1-11HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning
2024Kent State0-12HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025UAB4-8HC: Alex Mortensen · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium 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 1 game: 2.0 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
Alex Mortensen
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Impact starter
Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
66 · #127 of 537 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #127 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UAB | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Kent State | 90 | 58 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 5 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Kent State | 23 | 8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Kent State | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 118 | 68 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 7 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2024 production profile sits closest to DeMarcco Hellams’s 2021 season.
87%match
NFL Rd 7
Matches DeMarcco on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Troy Brown's junior season at Ole Miss (2022).
92%match
All-MAC
Matches Troy on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Josh Baka
The secondary · UAB
- #1Darrell Sweeting37 tackles · 2025
- #1Sirad Bryant37 tackles · 2025
- #7Pierre Royster37 tackles · 2025
- #29T'sai McDaniel29 tackles · 2025
- #21Josh Baka2 tackles · 2025
26 more on the roster · UAB team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology