Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 12-13@ Michigan | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 49-14vs Monmouth | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 9 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#1
Joshua Franklin
Senior defensive back on Western Michigan's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 175 lb · University Park, IL
CFB Index 72 · #74 of 364 cornersLow 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.
The story
4 defensive back on Western Michigan's 2026 roster.
The record fills in as he plays.
His career, year by yearJoshua Franklin
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. This is his second year in the same secondary at Western Michigan. One game to point at: 5 tackles against Michigan — Week 1, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Western Michigan
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Lance Taylor — 11-5 over that span.
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
Low 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: 4.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 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
72 · #74 of 364 corners
Unranked recruit. Now #74 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-MAC
Based on 2025: #8 of 40 Mid-American DBs
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 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Western Michigan | 53 | 32 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 10 | -- | 2 |
| Career | 62 | 39 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 11 | -- | 2 |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 49–14
vs Monmouth
4 TOT · 3 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
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Western Michigan
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · 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
Rover
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Natrone Brooks’s 2020 season.
72%match
All-Conference USA
Matches Natrone on
Height
Class year
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Raion Strader's freshman season at Miami (OH) (2023).
74%match
All-MAC
Matches Raion on
Class year
Tackle volume
Weight
Differs from Raion on
TFL rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Joshua Franklin
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