Justin Walley

Former defensive back at Minnesota. 2024: 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups, 42 tackles.

DB · Minnesota · Sr. · #5

5′11″ · 195 lb · Diberville, MS

CFB Index 81 · #33 of 327 cornersLow confidenceAll-ConferenceIndianapolis — drafted 2025, Rd 3, Pick 16, #80 overall

Recruiting

3★

CB recruit

No. 707 nationally · Signed with Minnesota

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at Minnesota. 2024: 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups, 42 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Minnesota in 2021.
Drafted round 3 by the Indianapolis in 2025.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Minnesota, 142 tackles — drafted at #80 overall by Indianapolis.

His career

He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.

202110 games

Signed with Minnesota3-star out of D'Iberville

202410 games

All-Big Tensecond

2025

Drafted by Indianapolisround 3, pick 80

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#707 national

CFB

College

Minnesota

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #80

Indianapolis · 2025

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 honors

🎖

ALL-BIG TEN · 2ND TEAM

All-Big Ten 2nd team (2024)

🎓

FRESHMAN HONORS

Freshman recognition (2021)

1 mention(s)

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

1 coach

2021–2024

P.J. Fleck

Minnesota

Played his entire career under P.J. Fleck.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

IndianapolisEntering 2nd NFL season

#80Rd 3 · Pick 16

IndianapolisEntering 2nd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under P.J. Fleck — 32-20 over that span.

2021Minnesota9-4HC: P.J. Fleck · Run-heavy

2022Minnesota9-4HC: P.J. Fleck · Run-heavy

2023Minnesota6-7HC: P.J. Fleck · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2024Minnesota8-5HC: P.J. Fleck · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

81All-Conference level #33 of 327?

Low confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (99th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#19 / 2892 · 99th pct

Interceptions#132 / 862 · 74th pct

Solo tackles#781 / 2892 · 72nd pct

Tackles#852 / 2892 · 70th pct

Sacks#841 / 2892 · 63rd pct

1.0

QB hurries#941 / 2892 · 57th pct

Tackles for loss#1412 / 2892 · 47th pct

2.0

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

2024 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	3.5	0.0	0.0	1.3
Road4g	5.2	0.5	0.2	0.5

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	3.4	0.0	0.0	1.0
Weeks 8+5g	5.0	0.4	0.2	1.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

P.J. Fleck

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

81 · #33 of 327 corners

Three-star recruit. Now #33 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Minnesota	42	25	2.0	1.0	10	2	--
2023	Minnesota	38	32	2.0	0.0	8	1	--
2022	Minnesota	33	24	0.0	0.0	2	3	--
2021	Minnesota	29	21	0.0	0.0	7	1	--
Career		142	102	4.0	1.0	27	7	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 6 · 2024

W 24–17

vs USC

3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 4 PD

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 at home.

With D. Taylor — 144 rush yds (25 car) · M. Brosmer — 169 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 89.3 · 14 rush yds (7 car) · 3 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 17-19vs North Carolina	6	2	0.0	0.0	1	0
Wk 2	W 48-0vs Rhode Island	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 3	W 27-0vs Nevada	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 24-17vs USC	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	4
Wk 7	W 21-17@ UCLA	6	5	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	W 48-23vs Maryland	7	3	0.0	0.0	1	3	Season-high 7 tackles
Wk 10	W 25-17@ Illinois	7	6	1.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 11	L 19-26@ Rutgers	4	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 25-26vs Penn State	3	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	W 24-7@ Wisconsin	4	4	1.0	1.0	—	1
Total		42	25	2.0	1.0	2	10

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology