cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Blaine Spires /Pittsburgh

Blaine Spires

DL · Pittsburgh · Sr · #10

Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.

16 TACKLES · 2.5 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Pittsburgh for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Pittsburgh for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Defensive line · Pittsburgh

Returning around him

  • 75% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
  • 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #56 · 2026 recruiting class #51

DL · PITTSBURGH · ACC

Blaine Spires

  • 4
  • #10
  • 6-3 | 250 lb
  • Youngstown, OH

CFB Zeitgeist Score

57

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 85th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#14781

<1% win probability

Fan Belief

Awaiting

Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.

Respect Gap

Awaiting

Coming online with player-level FI.

Reality Gap

Awaiting

Coming online with player-level FI.

ACCOLADE PROBABILITY

Heisman

<1%

TOP DEFENSE AWARD

Nagurski

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 1 · 2-deep

R04 · Rotational

Rotational. Earning real snaps in the rotation.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★
#3462 national
CFB
College
3 teams
2021–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.

PositionDL
Class4
Jersey10
Measurements6-3 | 250 lb
HometownYoungstown, OH
Primary teamPittsburgh

Recruiting Pedigree

How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.

Top pedigree 2-star No. 3462 recruit
Composite rating 0.7744 HighSchool
Signed with Bowling Green 2019
Origin East Youngstown, OH, USA
Class Profile Context
2019 2-star | 0.7744 No. 3462 recruit | HighSchool | Bowling Green

Transfer Arc

Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.

Portal moves 0 No portal entry on file
Latest destination -- --
Transfer stars -- CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility -- Transfer date TBD
Season Move Context
No transfer portal moves on file for this player.

Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final

Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.

HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16
Current nowcast#14781Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#14919Where the full season sim points
Win probability0.0%Chance to actually win the trophy
Finalist probability0.0%Chance to make the finalist tier
Ballot probability0.0%Chance to appear anywhere on a ballot
Best official finish--Best completed Heisman placement on file

Heisman Futures

Not yet listed on major futures markets.

No achievements unlocked yet this season.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP
FWAA
AFCA
WCFF
SN
SI

Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.

NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft

Market value, pedigree & pro outcome

Recruit stars

★★☆☆☆

to Bowling Green

Composite

0.7744

#3462 national

Today’s Hot-Take

The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.

Anti-Take

PENDING

The contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.

The Room on Blaine Spires

Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal

The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.

Cohort divergence map

Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.

Rival Radar

How rival fanbases talk about Blaine Spires

No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.

Signature Story

Awaiting candidate metric

He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.

Signature Moment

No signature moment on the ledger yet.

Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.

A 3-act season arc returns once this player has six or more games on the ledger.

Season Pace · Projection

Where the defensive totals stand

projecting to 13-game
Through 7g
16Tackles
5Tackles for loss
2.5Sacks
Per game
2Tackles
0.7Tackles for loss
0.4Sacks
Projected (13g)
30Tackles
9.3Tackles for loss
4.6Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 16): needs 10.7/game over remaining 6.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 16): needs 14/game over remaining 6.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 2.5): needs 0.6/game over remaining 6.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 2.5): needs 1.2/game over remaining 6.

Why this is a rare defensive case

The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.

Blaine Spires is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Pittsburgh's defense, with 2.5 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss, and -- interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.

Current place #14781 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Transfer path 0 portal moves

2025 Season · Final

Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.

Last season

DEF season snapshot

2025 season snapshot | final

2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Total tackles 16 9 solo | #2295/4942 (54th pct)
TFL 5.0 Backfield disruption | #553/4972 (89th pct)
Sacks 2.5 Pass-rush finish | #393/4972 (92nd pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

High-disruption defender against FBS defenders.

High-disruption defender

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
16 54th
SOLO
9 54th
TFL
5.0 89th
SACK
2.5 92nd
QBH
3 75th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 7 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 61-9vs Duquesne221.00.00
Wk 2W 45-17vs Central Michigan320.50.50
Wk 3L 24-31@ West Virginia521.51.00Season-high 5 tackles
Wk 5L 27-34vs Louisville222.01.00
Wk 13W 42-28@ Georgia Tech210.00.00
Wk 14L 7-38vs Miami100.00.00
BowlL 17-23@ East Carolina100.00.00
Total1695.02.50
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score

Traditional history

Traditional Stats

Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.

Season rows Career row

Season context · Team result + system

2021Bowling Green4-8HC: Scot Loeffler · Balanced
2022Bowling Green6-7HC: Scot Loeffler · Balanced
2023Utah State6-7HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Pittsburgh1695.02.5------
2023Utah State26127.55.01----
2022Bowling Green1793.01.0------
2021Bowling Green35185.01.51----
Career4 loaded seasons944820.510.02----
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Disruption stats

TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.

Coverage splash

Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.

Peer percentile

Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.

Traditional first

The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.

INT -- -- pick-six TD
Pass breakups 0 Coverage disruption
QB pressures 3 Quarterback hurries | #462/1878 (75th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 16 #2295/4942 54th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 5.0 #553/4972 89th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 2.5 #393/4972 92nd pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 3 #462/1878 75th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 9 #2127/4584 54th pct Volumevs FBS DEF

Player Standing

Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.

AWAITING CLASSIFICATION

On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex

AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16

Why he’s here

Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.

What moves him up

What moves him down

Accolade streams

StatusAwaiting tracker

The Lombardi award tracker integrates per-week probability once a dedicated scraper for this award lands. Confirmed past winners and finalists for this player will surface here.

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 7 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home4g2.00.90.40.0
Road3g2.70.50.30.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins3g2.30.50.20.0
Losses4g2.20.90.50.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-75g2.61.00.50.0
Weeks 8+2g1.50.00.00.0

Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort

57Solid starter
6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (85th). Strength: qb hurries (81st). Concern: passes defended (17th).

Sacks#389 / 2975 · 85th pct
2.5defe
QB hurries#457 / 2975 · 82nd pct
3defe
Tackles for loss#553 / 2975 · 80th pct
5.0defe
Solo tackles#2127 / 2975 · 26th pct
9defe
Tackles#2295 / 2975 · 21st pct
16defe
Passes defended#1916 / 2975 · 18th pct
0defe

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Advanced Savant · DL · 2024

Percentile Card

Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.

P4G5All FBS
EPA / dropback
awaiting
CPOE
awaiting
Success rate
awaiting
Explosive rate (20+)
awaiting
aDOT
awaiting
Deep-ball accuracy
awaiting
Pressure-to-sack
awaiting
3rd-down EPA
awaiting
Red-zone TD rate
awaiting
Play-action EPA
awaiting
Scramble EPA
awaiting
Turnover-worthy play rate
awaiting

Advanced Savant

Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.

Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.

Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match

Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile

3 peers · 6 metrics
Blaine SpiresPittsburghMarcAnthony ParkerNavy· 57% simEthan WesloskiNorth Texas· 55% simMicah DaveyUTEP· 55% sim
Sacks
85
Spires
80
Parker
74
Wesloski
63
Davey
QB hurries
82
Spires
88
Parker
95
Wesloski
82
Davey
Tackles for loss
80
Spires
87
Parker
95
Wesloski
91
Davey
Solo tackles
26
Spires
96
Parker
99
Wesloski
99
Davey
Tackles
21
Spires
98
Parker
99
Wesloski
99
Davey
Passes defended
18
Spires
18
Parker
18
Wesloski
18
Davey

Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.

Player DNA

The 3-Tech Penetrator

Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.

IDL

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jasheen Davis’s 2023 season.

Jasheen Davis

89%match

Wake Forest · 2023

#2

RJ Oben

Duke · 2021

84%
#3

David Anenih

Houston · 2021

All-AAC
84%
#4

Garret Fountain

San Diego State · 2021

84%
#5

Keshawn Banks

San Diego State · 2021

All-Mountain West
83%

Matches Jasheen on

TFL rate
Height
Weight

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Pat Narduzzi

Pass share

52.3%

464 pass / 424 run

Plays / game

68.3

13 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

9.3%

365 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

1 coach
2021
Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh
2022
Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh
2023
Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh
2025
Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh

Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.

HometownYoungstown, OH
Height6'3"
Weight250 lb
Class4
PositionDL
Jersey10

Trophy Case · Detail

Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.

Honors

No formal honors on the ledger yet

All-America, all-conference, player-of-the-week, watch-list, and postseason awards land here when they're earned. The absence is the signal: most players never collect formal honors, and that's its own kind of context.

Honors Timeline

Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.

Season Honor Scope Team / Selector Context
No formal honors on the ledger yet. All-America, all-conference, weekly awards, watch lists, and postseason trophies land here when they’re earned.

Heisman By Year

Modeled rank and official finish by season.

Season Team Role Latest Model Forecast Win Finalist Official Finish Points Context
2024 Utah State DL4 #14781 #14919 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Mountain West
2023 Utah State DL4 #9199 #9977 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Mountain West
2022 Bowling Green DL4 #11605 #11907 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Mid-American
2021 Bowling Green DL4 #10183 #10553 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Mid-American

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Pittsburgh ACC DL 4 No. 10 | 6-3 | 250 lb | Youngstown, OH
2024 Utah State Mountain West DL 4 No. 10 | 6-3 | 250 lb | Youngstown, OH
2023 Utah State Mountain West DL 4 No. 10 | 6-3 | 250 lb | Youngstown, OH
2022 Bowling Green Mid-American DL 4 No. 10 | 6-3 | 250 lb | Youngstown, OH
2021 Bowling Green Mid-American DL 4 No. 10 | 6-3 | 250 lb | Youngstown, OH