Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#11
Nick James
5th-year defensive lineman for Pittsburgh. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 295 lb · Bradenton, FL · IMG Academy (FL)
CFB Index 42 · #257 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Pittsburgh 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
2 TFL · 3 tackles · 1 hurries
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Miami (OH)
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman for Pittsburgh. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Indiana in 2022.
- Transferred from Indiana to Pittsburgh in 2024.
Nick James
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Across five seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Tom Allen and Pat Narduzzi. The receipt: 3 tackles, 2 TFL against Miami (OH) — 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
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Indiana4-star out of IMG Academy
202411 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Indiana4-8HC: Tom Allen · Pass-leaning
2023Indiana3-9HC: Tom Allen · Run-leaning
2024Pittsburgh7-6HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2026Pittsburgh2-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (85th 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 1 game: 3.0 TKL/g, 2.0 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
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
42 · #257 of 420 edge rushers
Former four-star. Now #257 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #46 of 73 ACC DLs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 21 | 7 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh | 20 | 7 | 2.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Indiana | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Indiana | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 51 | 19 | 11.5 | 3.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Pittsburgh
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Pittsburgh
Returning around him
- 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #64 · 2026 recruiting class #44
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to James Rawls’s 2022 season.
90%match
Matches James on
Sack rate
TFL rate
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Merhauti Xepera's senior season at Fresno State (2025).
Matches Merhauti on
Weight
Sack rate
Height
Differs from Merhauti on
Hurry rate (higher)
TFL rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Nick James
Background
2025: Played in all 13 games, making four starts, and collected career highs in tackles (22), tackles for loss (seven), sacks (two) and passes batted down (two)…had a season-high six tackles at West Virginia, along with a TFL…at Florida State, helped lead the team to an upset road win over a...
The defensive line · Pittsburgh
- #44Jimmy Scott7.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #2Isaiah Neal7 tackles for loss · 2025
- #11Nick James6 tackles for loss · 2025
- #55Sean FitzSimmons3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #5Zach Crothers3 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology