Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 7-38@ New Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 13-10vs Colgate | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#14
Justin Taylor
Junior defensive back on Central Michigan's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 200 lb · Chicago, IL · Nazareth Academy
CFB Index 22 · #492 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceTransferred Wyoming → Central 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
3★
ATH recruit
No. 938 nationally · Signed with Wisconsin
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Central Michigan's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Wisconsin in 2023.
- Transferred from Wyoming to Central Michigan in 2026.
Justin Taylor
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Justin Taylor has played for three head coaches across three seasons and three programs. The receipt: 6 tackles against Colgate — Week 2, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Wisconsin3-star out of Nazareth Academy
20259 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Central Michigan
2025–2026era →
Matt Drinkall
Central Michigan
Coaching transition mid-career: Jim McElwain → Matt Drinkall. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Central Michigan
2025Wyoming
2026Central Michigan
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced
2025Wyoming4-8HC: Jay Sawvel · Balanced
2026Central Michigan1-1HC: Matt Drinkall · Run-heavy, slow tempo
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 2 games: 3.5 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
Matt Drinkall
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
22 · #492 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #492 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Central Michigan | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Wyoming | 17 | 11 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 25 | 15 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 13–10
vs Colgate
6 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 PD
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With A. H Flores — 57 yds · 0 TD · 1 INT · QBR 24.4 · 122 rush yds (22 car) · 1 TD · D. Duley — 32 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 37 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
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 Cam Fleming’s 2025 season.
Matches Cam on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Cam Fleming's sophomore season at App State (2025).
Matches Cam on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Justin Taylor
Background
CAREER Has seen action in 14 games combining his career at Wyoming and Wisconsin … Enrolled at Central Michigan in January 2026. 2025 AT WYOMING As a redshirt sophomore, saw action in all 12 games … Finished the year with 19 tackles (12 solo), one interception, 0.5 tackles for loss, one pass brea...
The secondary · Central Michigan
- #4Jaion Jackson45 tackles · 2025
- #14Justin Taylor17 tackles · 2025
- #7Ed Conoran8 tackles · 2025
- #23Kyle Krebs3 tackles · 2025
- #21Jamari Allen2 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Central Michigan team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology