Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 63-7vs Grambling | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 |
#16
Koron Hayward
Senior edge rusher for TCU. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′5″ · 245 lb · Jacksonville, FL · Sandalwood
CFB Index 49 · #301 of 583 LBsMedium confidenceTransferred Western Kentucky → TCU 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
0.5
sacks · 2026
0.5 TFL · 1 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL, 1 tackles, vs Grambling
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 edge rusher for TCU. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Western Kentucky in 2023.
- Transferred from Western Kentucky to TCU in 2026.
Koron Hayward
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Tyson Helton and Sonny Dykes. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. One game to point at: 1 tackles, 0.5 sacks against Grambling — Week 2, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20235 games
- Signed with Western Kentucky3-star out of Sandalwood
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
TCU
Played his entire career under Sonny Dykes.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to TCU
2025Western Kentucky
2026TCU
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Western Kentucky8-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning
2024Western Kentucky8-6HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2025Western Kentucky9-4HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2026TCU1-1HC: Sonny Dykes · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High 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: 1.0 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
Sonny Dykes
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
49 · #301 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #301 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TCU | 1 | -- | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 19 | 12 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 29 | 17 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 63–7
vs Grambling
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Mason Reiger’s 2025 season.
Matches Mason on
Tackle volume
Sack rate
Differs from Mason on
Class year (lower)
PD rate (higher)
Solo tackle rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Isaiah Ward's junior season at Washington (2024).
Matches Isaiah on
Weight
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Isaiah on
Class year (lower)
Background
HONORS » 2025 CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week (10/27) » 2023 CUSA All-Freshman Team (LB) AT WESTERN KENTUCKY 2025 | JUNIOR (11/5) Played in 11 games and started in five … posted a total of 19 tackles with 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks … also returned an interception for a touchdown against Delawar...
The defensive line · TCU
- #97Paul Oyewale7.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #92Ansel Din-Mbuh6.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #16Koron Hayward3.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- Zachary Chapman3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #95Markis Deal2 tackles for loss · 2025
16 more on the roster · TCU team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology