Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 18-21vs California | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#7
Nazir Ward
Junior defensive back on Syracuse's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 185 lb · Miami, FL · Miami Northwestern
CFB Index 60 · #130 of 364 cornersLow confidenceTransferred Western Kentucky → Syracuse 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
3★
CB recruit
No. 1772 nationally · Signed with Western Kentucky
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Syracuse's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Western Kentucky in 2023.
- Transferred from Western Kentucky to Syracuse in 2026.
Nazir Ward
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Nazir Ward has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. The receipt: 1 tackles, 1 TFL against California — Week 2, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20234 games
- Signed with Western Kentucky3-star out of Miami Northwestern
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
2 coaches2023
Nunzio Campanile
Syracuse
Coaching transition mid-career: Nunzio Campanile → Fran Brown. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Syracuse
2025Western Kentucky
2026Syracuse
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
2026Syracuse1-1HC: Fran Brown · Balanced, fast tempo
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: 1.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Fran Brown
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
60 · #130 of 364 corners
Three-star recruit. Now #130 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Syracuse | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 35 | 20 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 47 | 29 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Justin Harris’s 2023 season.
78%match
Matches Justin on
PD rate
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Differs from Justin on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Chris Peal's junior season at Syracuse (2025).
82%match
Matches Chris on
PD rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Background
Career Overview: Transferred to Syracuse from Western Kentucky in January, 2026 ... Has appeared in 26 games with 45 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception and six pass breakups in his career, heading into the 2026 season ... Redshirt Sophomore Year (2025 at Western Kentucky):...
The secondary · Syracuse
- Braheem Long Jr.42 tackles · 2025
- #12Chris Peal39 tackles · 2025
- #19Cornell Perry37 tackles · 2025
- #1Demetres Samuel Jr.37 tackles · 2025
- #7Nazir Ward35 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Syracuse team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology