Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 45-24@ Georgia Tech | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#14
Kayin Lee
New school, new number, same question — and Kayin Lee's early answer at Tennessee is No.147 4★, national recruit.
5′11″ · 190 lb · Ellenwood, GA · Cedar Grove
CFB Index 45 · #211 of 364 cornersLow confidenceTransferred Auburn → Tennessee 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
4★
CB recruit
No. 147 nationally · Signed with Auburn
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Tennessee's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Auburn in 2023.
- Transferred from Auburn to Tennessee in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans warmer than rivals
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
20.7own fans
-80rival fans
Also worth knowing:
Kayin Lee
On Trialas of 2026-09-15
Kayin Lee arrives at Tennessee with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
2TACKLES0SACKS
4★ · NATIONAL RECRUIT
No.147
recruiting national rank
Tennessee fans are litigating his worthiness — the eye test against the résumé.
high confidence7 sources
Minority viewA vocal minority sees it the other way.
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
202310 games
- Signed with Auburn4-star out of Cedar Grove
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Tennessee
Played his entire career under Josh Heupel.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tennessee
2025Auburn
2026Tennessee
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Auburn6-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Run-heavy
2024Auburn5-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Balanced
2025Auburn5-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Run-leaning
2026Tennessee2-0HC: Josh Heupel · Run-heavy
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 splits
Through 1 game: 2.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Josh Heupel
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
45 · #211 of 364 corners
Former four-star. Now #211 at the position.
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Cover Corner
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kamden Garrett’s 2023 season.
Matches Kamden on
Interceptions
Weight
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kent Robinson's junior season at Western Kentucky (2025).
93%match
Matches Kent on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Kayin Lee
Background
CAREER HONORS 2026 Senior Bowl Top 300 2026 East-West Shine Bowl 1000 CAREER Lockdown cornerback with multiple years of starting SEC experience who transfers to Tennessee from Auburn … Played three seasons for the Tigers and was considered one of the top cornerbacks in the 2026 transfer portal …...
The secondary · Tennessee
- #15Edrees Farooq76 tackles · 2025
- #42DJ Burks73 tackles · 2025
- #1TJ Metcalf58 tackles · 2025
- #4Ty Redmond43 tackles · 2025
- #14Kayin Lee31 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Tennessee team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology