Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 16-52@ Indiana | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 44-6vs UNLV | 5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 13 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 1 |
#3
Zakye Barker
Senior linebacker for North Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 225 lb · Norcross, GA · Norcross HS
CFB Index 15 · #551 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred SMU → North Texas 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 numbers
13
tackles · 2026
0.5 TFL · 0.5 sacks · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, vs UNLV
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for North Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to East Carolina in 2022.
- Transferred from SMU to North Texas in 2026.
Zakye Barker
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Zakye Barker has played for three head coaches across four seasons and three programs. In 2024 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-AAC. The receipt on tape: 8 tackles against Indiana, Week 1, 2026.
13 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2022
- Signed with East Carolina3-star out of Norcross
202411 games
- All-AACsecond
202510 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
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-AAC · 2ND TEAM
All-AAC 2nd team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Eric Morris, Drew Svoboda, and Neal Brown. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to North Texas
2025SMU
2026North Texas
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023East Carolina2-10HC: Mike Houston · Balanced
2024East Carolina8-5HC: Mike Houston · Balanced
2025SMU9-4HC: Rhett Lashlee · Balanced
2026North Texas1-1HC: Neal Brown · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceFading
Concern: solo tackles (7th 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: 6.5 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.2 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Neal Brown
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
15 · #551 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #551 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | North Texas | 13 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | SMU | 27 | 11 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | East Carolina | 81 | 26 | 12.0 | 1.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | East Carolina | 21 | 13 | 2.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 142 | 53 | 15.0 | 2.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 44–6
vs UNLV
5 TOT · 0 SACKS · 0 TFL
Dominant 38-point win at home against UNLV.
With T. Jackson — 233 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 74.9 · 15 rush yds (7 car) · 1 TD · J. White — 124 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ruben Hyppolite II’s 2022 season.
70%match
NFL Rd 4
Matches Ruben on
Weight
Tackle volume
Class year
Differs from Ruben on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Percy Courtney Jr.'s junior season at Florida International (2024).
77%match
Matches Percy on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Percy on
Height (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Zakye Barker
Background
Prior to UNT: Spent the 2025 season at SMU and the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons at East Carolina … was a Second Team All-American Conference selection in 2024 at ECU … has appeared in 31 games in his career with 12 starts … tallied 133 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and three forced fumbles as a co...
The linebacker corps · North Texas
- #7Aaron Alexander92 tackles · 2025
- #3Zakye Barker27 tackles · 2025
- #30Chantz Johnson7 tackles · 2025
- #36Jaden Manning6 tackles · 2025
- #34Brenden Reese3 tackles · 2025
4 more on the roster · North Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology