Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-9vs Furman | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 45-24@ Georgia Tech | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#1
TJ Metcalf
Senior defensive back on Tennessee's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 205 lb · Birmingham, AL · Pinson Valley
CFB Index 55 · #226 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceTransferred Michigan → Tennessee 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 story
4 defensive back on Tennessee's 2026 roster.
- Transferred from Michigan to Tennessee in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 18.4 points in belief.
30.9own fans
12.5national conversation
Tennessee Volunteers football supercharges its defense with two major transfer portal additions—Tulane edge rusher Jordan Norman and Michigan safety TJ Metcalf join the ranks, boosting depth and versatility for next season. Will these…
TJ Metcalf
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Across four seasons and three programs, three head coaches: Sam Pittman, Biff Poggi and Josh Heupel. The receipt: 7 tackles against Georgia Tech — Week 2, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
202513 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Tennessee
Played his entire career under Josh Heupel.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tennessee
2025Michigan
2026Tennessee
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Arkansas4-8HC: Sam Pittman · Run-leaning
2024Arkansas7-6HC: Sam Pittman · Run-leaning
2025Michigan9-4HC: Biff Poggi · Run-leaning
2026Tennessee2-0HC: Josh Heupel · 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 2 games: 4.0 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
Josh Heupel
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
55 · #226 of 544 safeties
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–9
vs Furman
1 TOT · 1 SOLO
Dominant 47-point win at home against Furman.
With F. Brandon — 226 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · 68 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · M. Matthews — 4 rec · 132 yds · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Key Lawrence’s 2022 season.
88%match
Matches Key on
Tackle volume
Interceptions
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to BeeJay Williamson's junior season at Louisiana Tech (2022).
89%match
All-Conference USA
Matches BeeJay on
Class year
Height
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like TJ Metcalf
Background
CAREER HONORS 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 2025 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Coaches) CAREER An All-Big Ten transfer starting safety who comes to Tennessee after one season at Michigan and two seasons at Arkansas … Back-to-back seasons as a starter in the Big Ten and SEC who is expected to p...
The secondary · Tennessee
- #15Edrees Farooq76 tackles · 2025
- #42DJ Burks73 tackles · 2025
- #1TJ Metcalf58 tackles · 2025
- #4Ty Redmond43 tackles · 2025
- #6Mar'Quavious Moss41 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Tennessee team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology