Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 13-20vs Tarleton State | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 7-56@ Nebraska | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#4
Kade Kostus
Senior defensive lineman for Bowling Green. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 265 lb · Rockford, MI · Rockford
CFB Index 57 · #114 of 285 interior linemenLow confidenceTransferred Central Michigan → Bowling Green 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
1
sack · 2026
1 TFL · 3 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 tackles, vs Tarleton State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman for Bowling Green. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Central Michigan in 2022.
- Transferred from Central Michigan to Bowling Green in 2026.
Kade Kostus
Wins his gap play after play. Across five seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Jim McElwain, Matt Drinkall and Eddie George. The receipt: 2 tackles, 1 sacks against Tarleton State — Week 1, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Central Michigan3-star out of Rockford
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coaches2022–2024
Bowling Green
2025–2026era →
Eddie George
Bowling Green
Coaching transition mid-career: Scot Loeffler → Eddie George. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Bowling Green
2025Central Michigan
2026Bowling Green
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning
2023Central Michigan5-7HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning
2024Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning
2025Central Michigan7-6HC: Matt Drinkall · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Bowling Green0-2HC: Eddie George · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). 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: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Eddie George
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
57 · #114 of 285 interior linemen
Three-star recruit. Now #114 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Bowling Green | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Central Michigan | 3 | -- | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Central Michigan | 24 | 10 | 4.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Central Michigan | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Central Michigan | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 34 | 16 | 6.0 | 3.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Justin Ellis’s 2022 season.
81%match
All-Sun BeltNFL Rd 4
Matches Justin on
Height
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Justin on
Hurry rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kieran Davis's junior season at East Carolina (2025).
84%match
Matches Kieran on
Class year
Height
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Kade Kostus
Background
Central Michigan Mount Pleasant, Mich. Appeared in 28 games with 15 starts over four years at Central Michigan Started all 12 games in 2024 at defensive end Earned preseason Third Team All-MAC honors by Phil Steele Magazine and Athlon Magazine prior to the 2025 season Made 32 tackles with 13 solo...
The defensive line · Bowling Green
- #23Myles Bradley5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #5Eriq George4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #54Dior Garner1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #4Kade Kostus0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #57Dayln White0 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Bowling Green team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology