Sr.+ defensive lineman on Indiana's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 273 lb · Winchester, VA · John Handley
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
sacks · 2026
1 TFL · 6 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 TFL, 5 tackles, vs Howard
Statement game6 tackles · 4.5 TFL · 1 sackat Purdue (FBS) · W 56-3
Top 0.1% tackles for loss game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Indiana's 2026 roster.
“LFG. Thank you to that court injunction for keeping Stephen Daley and Sam Alexis on campus. Hopefully Kellan Wyatt joins him. And thank you to the NFL for not signing/drafting Wyatt or Daley.”
Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim
Jamari Sharpe and Stephen Daley at Indiana. Daley is back due to the 5 yr rule and had 19 TFLs last season.
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Aug 17, 2026 · via The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast
Stephen Daley
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Stephen Daley has played for three head coaches across five seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 5 tackles, 1 TFL against Howard — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
The role got bigger.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Tom Allen → Curt Cignetti. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
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
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.0 TKL/g, 0.5 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
Curt Cignetti
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2025
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Three-star recruit. Now #41 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #6 of 69 Big Ten DLs
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. 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.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Indiana | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Indiana | 35 | 24 | 19.0 | 5.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Kent State | 51 | 27 | 9.0 | 4.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Kent State | 47 | 23 | 5.5 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Kent State | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 143 | 80 | 35.5 | 11.5 | 3 | 1 | -- |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 55–0
vs Howard
5 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL
Dominant 55-point win at home against Howard.
With J. Hoover — 145 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.5 · 18 rush yds (6 car) · T. Richard — 108 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-16vs North Texas | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 55-0vs Howard | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Indiana
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Indiana
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Indiana · Last season: 16-0 (AP #1) · Talent rank #38 · 2026 recruiting class #29
Player DNA
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to De'Jon Benton’s 2023 season.
Matches De'Jon on
Differs from De'Jon on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Gabriel Lopez's senior season at New Mexico (2025).
Matches Gabriel on
Differs from Gabriel on
Player DNA
Career Notes & Records Appeared in 47 career games with 30 starts ... Played in 34 games with 24 starts over three season at Kent State (2022-24) ... Collegiate debut game against LIU (9/17) in 2022 season opener ... Made first-career start in season opener at UCF (8/31) as a sophomore ... First...
14 more on the roster · Indiana team page