Kevin Roberts, James Madison DL: the 2026 season story
Kevin Roberts is a junior defensive lineman for James Madison (Sun Belt). He ranks 981st 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. Every measure is set against every ranked defensive lineman, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Kevin Roberts's strongest measure is passes defended per game at 0.14, 198th of 892 (the average is 0.08). His weakest is tackles for loss per game at 0.18, 688th of 892 (the average is 0.40).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His tackles per game, 2.2, ranks 508th among 892 ranked defensive linemen.
Against every defensive lineman
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked defensive linemen he sits, on average, in the 43rd percentile for volume and 47th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 8 games, Kevin Roberts's best came in week 4 at Old Dominion and his quietest in week 7 against Georgia State.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every defensive lineman on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Kevin Roberts is 592nd of 892 FBS defensive linemen and 54th of 93 in the Sun Belt. Next up nationally is Jo Chavez of Rice, 0.00 ahead on the index.
Defensive linemen like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Latrevion Thompson of Western Kentucky.
