CFB Zeitgeist Score
47
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 100th percentile.
Brent Austin
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
42 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to California for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · California
Returning around him
- 22% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 1 California player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -4 net (32 in / 36 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
California · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #36 · 2026 recruiting class #69
DB · CALIFORNIA · ACC
Brent Austin
- 4
- #4
- 5-11 | 180 lb
- San Bernardino, CA
Heisman Heat
#13874
<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 DB AWARD
Jim Thorpe
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Earning real snaps in the rotation.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| No recruiting profile is on file for this player. | ||
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| 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 16Heisman 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.
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
PENDINGThe 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 Brent Austin
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 Brent Austin
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.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the defensive totals stand
Through 13g
42Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Final
42Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Brent Austin is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on California's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 0.5 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.
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
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
42 83rd
SOLO
26 85th
TFL
0.5 47th
SACK
0.0 65th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
13 100th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-15@ Oregon State | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 35-3vs Texas Southern | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 27-14vs Minnesota | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 4 | L 0-34@ San Diego State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 28-24@ Boston College | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 21-45vs Duke | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 21-18vs North Carolina | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 9 | L 34-42@ Virginia Tech | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 21-31vs Virginia | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 6 | |
| Wk 11 | W 29-26@ Louisville | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 | |
| Wk 13 | L 10-31@ Stanford | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 38-35vs SMU | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 31-35@ Hawai'i | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 26 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 13 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2022James Madison8-3HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-leaning
2023James Madison11-2HC: Damian Wroblewski · Balanced
2025California7-6HC: Justin Wilcox · Pass-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | California | 42 | 26 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 13 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | James Madison | 12 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | James Madison | 8 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 62 | 38 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 14 | 1 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.
Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.
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.
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.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Total tackles | 42 | #834/4942 | 83rd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 0.5 | #2658/4972 | 47th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.0 | #1762/4972 | 65th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 13 | #2/2184 | 100th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 26 | #696/4584 | 85th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Fumbles recovered | 1 | #103/736 | 86th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 0 | #1/773 | 100th pct | Turnoversvs 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
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Thorpe 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 · 13 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 3.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| Road7g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins7g | 2.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Losses6g | 4.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 3.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.7 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort
47Mid-pack
Elite: passes defended (99th). Concern: tackles for loss (18th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DB · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
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
Brent AustinCaliforniaTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 80% simDalton JohnsonArizona· 77% simTyler MartinMassachusetts· 76% sim
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Tackles
Forced fumbles
Sacks
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kobe Singleton’s 2023 season.
Kobe Singleton
82%match
All-Conference USA
#2
Willie Roberts
All-Conference USA
80%
#3
Fentrell Cypress
All-ACC
76%
#4
Jabbar Muhammad
75%
#5
Robert Longerbeam
NFL Rd 6
73%
Matches Kobe on
Height
PD rate
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Willie Roberts's senior season at Louisiana Tech (2023).
Willie Roberts
90%match
All-Conference USA
#2
Jabbar Muhammad
All-Big Ten
85%
#3
M.J. Devonshire
NFL Rd 7
82%
#4
Zeke Berry
All-Big Ten
82%
#5
Renardo Green
All-ACCNFL Rd 2 · Pk 32
79%
Matches Willie on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Justin Wilcox
Pass share
57.0%
502 pass / 379 run
Plays / game
67.8
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
8.2%
353 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Pass-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
Justin Wilcox
California
2023
Justin Wilcox
California
2025
Justin Wilcox
California
Played his entire career under Justin Wilcox.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownSan Bernardino, CA
Height5'11"
Weight180 lb
Class4
PositionDB
Jersey4
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamCalifornia
ConferenceACC
Joined2025
Career arc4 season(s)
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
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 | South Florida | DB4 | #13874 | #13879 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | American Athletic |
| 2023 | James Madison | DB4 | #7092 | #7393 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2022 | James Madison | DB4 | #10694 | #10449 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Sun Belt |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | California | ACC | DB | 4 | No. 4 | 5-11 | 180 lb | San Bernardino, CA |
| 2024 | South Florida | American Athletic | DB | 4 | No. 4 | 5-11 | 180 lb | San Bernardino, CA |
| 2023 | James Madison | Sun Belt | DB | 4 | No. 4 | 5-11 | 180 lb | San Bernardino, CA |
| 2022 | James Madison | Sun Belt | DB | 4 | No. 4 | 5-11 | 180 lb | San Bernardino, CA |