Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 4 | W 14-13vs Toledo | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#2
Popeye Williams
Junior defensive end on Western Michigan's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 250 lb · Westfield, IN
CFB Index 28 · #340 of 426 edge rushersMedium confidenceIn transfer portal — destination TBD (from Western Michigan)
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
sacks · 2025
1 tackles
1 game into 2025 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, vs Toledo
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive end on Western Michigan's 2025 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Louisville in 2022.
Popeye Williams
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come. Three head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 1 tackles against Toledo — Week 4, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20223 games
- Signed with Louisville4-star out of Westfield
2023
The snaps went the other way.
- Signed with Western Michigan3-star out of West Bloomfield
202411 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
2 coaches2022
Western Michigan
Coaching transition mid-career: Tim Lester → Lance Taylor. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
In Portal · 2026
In transfer portal
2025Western Michigan
DestinationTBD
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Louisville8-5HC: Scott Satterfield · Run-leaning
2023Louisville10-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Run-leaning
2024Western Michigan6-7HC: Lance Taylor · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Western Michigan10-4HC: Lance Taylor · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium 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, 0.0 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
Lance Taylor
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
28 · #340 of 426 edge rushers
Former four-star. Now #340 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Western Michigan | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Western Michigan | 19 | 12 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Louisville | -- | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Louisville | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 23 | 16 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Pressure Merchant
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.
EDGE
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Marcus Bradley’s 2023 season.
Matches Marcus on
TFL rate
Sack rate
Weight
Differs from Marcus on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Ugonna Nwoha's junior season at Kennesaw State (2025).
91%match
Matches Ugonna on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Popeye Williams
The defensive line · Western Michigan
- #20Kershawn Fisher6.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #31DeJuan Echoles6 tackles for loss · 2025
- #91Marcel Tyler5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #58Tyson Lee3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #2Popeye Williams0 tackles for loss · 2025
23 more on the roster · Western Michigan team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology