Senior linebacker for Illinois. 2023: 25 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack.
6′1″ · 230 lb · Memphis, TN
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
OLB recruit
No. 1386 nationally · Signed with East
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Illinois. 2023: 25 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack.
Tarique Barnes
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Tarique Barnes has been at Illinois through three head coaches in five seasons. The receipt: 7 tackles, 2 TFL against Toledo — Week 1, 2023.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
How it ended
Five seasons at Illinois, 182 tackles — his college career is complete.
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2019–2023
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Lovie Smith, Rod Smith, and Bret Bielema. Multi-era developmental context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: passes defended (19th 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
2023 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2023
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Three-star recruit. Now #478 at the position.
Game log · Week-by-week
2023 season · 9 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 30-28vs Toledo | 7 | 5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 23-34@ Kansas | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 13-30vs Penn State | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 19-44@ Purdue | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 21-25vs Wisconsin | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 27-26@ Minnesota | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 48-45vs Indiana | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | L 13-15@ Iowa | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 43-45vs Northwestern | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 13 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
25 tackles. 0 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 2 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Jake Hansen’s 2021 season.
Matches Jake on
Differs from Jake on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Caleb Kibodi's graduate season at Louisiana (2025).
Matches Caleb on
Differs from Caleb on
Player DNA