Travis Jones, Illinois State DL: the 2026 season story
Travis Jones is a senior defensive lineman for Illinois State (MVFC). He ranks 851st of 1,709 defensive linemen in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every defensive lineman on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Travis Jones's strongest measure is passes defended per game at 0.31, 46th of 892 (the average is 0.08). His weakest is tackles per game at 1.6, 773rd of 892 (the average is 2.6).
Season production
Why it matters. Totals reward staying healthy and getting the ball; per-game numbers show how much he really carries each week. His tackles per game, 1.6, ranks 773rd among 892 ranked defensive linemen.
Against every defensive lineman
Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of defensive lineman he is. Among ranked defensive linemen he sits, on average, in the 13th percentile for volume and 55th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 10 games, Travis Jones's best came in week 9 against Murray State and his quietest in week 2 at Northern Illinois.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.
National and conference
Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Travis Jones is 325th of 817 FCS defensive linemen and 29th of 55 in the MVFC. Next up nationally is Joshua Johnson of Dartmouth, 0.00 ahead on the index.
Defensive linemen like him
Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Justin Terrell of Sam Houston.
