Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 51-10vs Clemson | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 45-14vs Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
TC
Tamarcus Cooley
Junior safety on LSU's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 206 lb · Knightdale, NC · Rolesville HS
CFB Index 68 · #117 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to LSU 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★
S recruit
No. 990 nationally · Signed with Maryland
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 safety on LSU's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Maryland in 2023.
- Transferred from NC State to LSU in 2025.
Tamarcus Cooley
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Tamarcus Cooley has played for four head coaches across four seasons and three programs. The receipt: 2 tackles against Louisiana Tech — Week 2, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
3 programs, one constant: he played.
2023
- Signed with Maryland3-star out of Rolesville
202412 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
202512 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Brian Kelly, Frank Wilson, and Lane Kiffin. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Maryland8-5HC: Mike Locksley · Pass-leaning
2024NC State6-7HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced, slow tempo
2025LSU7-6HC: Frank Wilson · Balanced, slow tempo
2026LSU2-0HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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 2 games: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lane Kiffin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
68 · #117 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #117 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #8 of 28 SEC Ss
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
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.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 51–10
vs Clemson
1 TOT
Dominant 41-point win at home against Clemson.
With S. Leavitt — 230 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 113 rush yds (12 car) · 2 TD · W. Watkins — 14 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
LSU
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · LSU
Returning around him
- 7 LSU players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +3 net (44 in / 41 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
LSU · Last season: 7-6 (AP #20) · Talent rank #8 · 2026 recruiting class #11
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Durante Jones’s 2023 season.
Matches Durante on
Weight
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Differs from Durante on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Rashad Torrence II's junior season at Florida (2022).
86%match
Matches Rashad on
Class year
Weight
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Tamarcus Cooley
The secondary · LSU
- #2Ty Benefield105 tackles · 2025
- Tamarcus Cooley70 tackles · 2025
- #11P.J. Woodland38 tackles · 2025
- #5DJ Pickett35 tackles · 2025
- #10Dashawn Spears28 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · LSU team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology