#26

Kaevon Merriweather

Senior defensive back for Iowa. 2022: 3 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 47 tackles.

DB · Iowa · Sr. · #26

6′0″ · 212 lb · Belleville, MI

CFB Index 62 · #150 of 493 safetiesLow confidenceNational watchIowa 2022 alumnus

On production he ranks #150 of 493 safeties; on reputation he is on a national watch list. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

Recruiting

3★

S recruit

No. 2063 nationally · Signed with Iowa

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 defensive back for Iowa. 2022: 3 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 47 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Iowa in 2018.
Named All-America (CBS) in 2022.
Named All-America (CBS) in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Iowa, 118 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2018

Signed with Iowa3-star out of Belleville

202212 games

The role got bigger.

All-Americafirst

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#2063 national

CFB

College

Iowa

2018–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 honors · 1 category

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2022)

1 selectors honored him

Coaching lineage · 2018–2022

1 coach

2018–2022

Kirk Ferentz

Iowa

Played his entire career under Kirk Ferentz.

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

5 seasons under Kirk Ferentz — 43-18 over that span.

2018Iowa9-4HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-leaning

2019Iowa10-3HC: Kirk Ferentz · Balanced

2020Iowa6-2HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-leaning

2021Iowa10-4HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-leaning

2022Iowa8-5HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-leaning, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

62Quality starter #150 of 493?

Medium confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: interceptions (90th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (88th percentile). Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Interceptions#42 / 811 · 90th pct

Solo tackles#311 / 2755 · 88th pct

Passes defended#492 / 2755 · 78th pct

Tackles#625 / 2755 · 77th pct

QB hurries#823 / 2755 · 59th pct

Tackles for loss#1332 / 2755 · 47th pct

2.0

Forced fumbles#58 / 737 · 46th pct

Sacks#1454 / 2755 · 24th pct

0.0

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

2022 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	3.9	0.1	0.0	0.3
Road5g	4.0	0.2	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	4.7	0.2	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	3.2	0.2	0.0	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Kirk Ferentz

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

Awards

Player standing · 2022

National watch / fringe AA

In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

62 · #150 of 493 safeties

Three-star recruit. Now #150 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2022

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Iowa	47	36	2.0	3	3	--
2021	Iowa	42	30	0.0	4	1	--
2020	Iowa	23	13	0.0	1	--	--
2019	Iowa	5	2	0.0	1	--	--
2018	Iowa	1	1	0.0	--	--	--
Career		118	82	2.0	9	4	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 12 · 2022

W 13–10

at Minnesota

3 SOLO · 4 TOT

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 on the road.

With T. Taylor — 42 AVG · 4 IN 20 · 56 LONG · S. Petras — 221 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 64.9 · -14 rush yds (5 car) · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 7-3vs South Dakota State	4	3	1.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 7-10vs Iowa State	5	4	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 27-0vs Nevada	5	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 27-10@ Rutgers	3	1	0.0	1	1
Wk 5	L 14-27vs Michigan	6	5	0.0	—	0	Season-high 6 tackles
Wk 6	L 6-9@ Illinois	5	5	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 10-54@ Ohio State	5	4	1.0	—	0
Wk 9	W 33-13vs Northwestern	2	2	0.0	1	0
Wk 10	W 24-3@ Purdue	3	2	0.0	1	0
Wk 11	W 24-10vs Wisconsin	3	3	0.0	—	2
Wk 12	W 13-10@ Minnesota	4	3	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 17-24vs Nebraska	2	2	0.0	—	0
Total		47	36	2.0	3	3

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