Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 5 | W 24-21@ Colorado | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Wk 7 | W 33-27@ Arizona | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 25-21vs Georgia Tech | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#96
Justin Kirkland
Senior defensive tackle on BYU's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 310 lb · West Haven, UT
CFB Index 42 · #175 of 285 interior linemenLow confidenceReturning to BYU 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
0
sacks · 2025
3 tackles
3 games into 2025 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, at Arizona
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive tackle on BYU's 2025 roster.
- Signed with Utah Tech in 2022.
- Transferred from Oklahoma State to BYU in 2025.
Justin Kirkland
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Justin Kirkland has played for two head coaches across three seasons and two programs. The receipt on tape: 1 tackles against Arizona, Week 7, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
3 programs, one constant: he played.
2022
- Signed with Utah Techout of Roy
202311 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
20253 games
The snaps went the other way.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023–2025
Played his entire career under Kalani Sitake.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Oklahoma State10-4HC: Mike Gundy · Pass-leaning
2024Oklahoma State3-9HC: Mike Gundy · Pass-leaning
2025BYU12-2HC: Kalani Sitake · Run-leaning
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
2025 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kalani Sitake
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
42 · #175 of 285 interior linemen
Unranked recruit. Now #175 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | BYU | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Oklahoma State | 18 | 11 | 3.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Oklahoma State | 22 | 11 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Career | 43 | 23 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
BYU
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive tackle · BYU
Returning around him
- 2 BYU players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (9 in / 14 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
BYU · Last season: 12-2 (AP #12) · Talent rank #59 · 2026 recruiting class #21
DNA match
Player DNA
Nose Anchor
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
IDL
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Joseph Evans’s 2022 season.
88%match
Matches Joseph on
TFL rate
Weight
Hurry rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Tyleik Williams's junior season at Ohio State (2023).
83%match
All-Big TenNFL Rd 1 · Pk 28
Matches Tyleik on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Justin Kirkland
The defensive line · BYU
- #48Bodie Schoonover5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #7Logan Lutui5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #57Keanu Tanuvasa4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #13Tausili Akana3.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #96Justin Kirkland0 tackles for loss · 2025
22 more on the roster · BYU team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology