Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 41-43vs The Citadel | 28/41 | 322 | 3 | 2 | 7.9 | — | Season-high 322 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 9-41@ Ole Miss | 14/21 | 128 | 0 | 1 | 6.1 | 47.1 | |
| Total | 42/62 | 450 | 3 | 3 | 7.0 | 47.1 |
#9
Cole Gonzales
Cole Gonzales chose Charlotte out of the portal; now both sides find out if they chose right.
6′0″ · 200 lb · Ocala, FL · Trinity Catholic
Transferred Pittsburgh → Charlotte for 2026
The numbers
450
passing yards · 2026
3 TD · 3 INT · 7.3 per attempt
2 games into 2026 so far
The play that turned itSwung Charlotte from 63% to 100% to win.The Citadel at Charlotte · 43-41
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 quarterback for Charlotte. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Western Carolina in 2022.
- Transferred from Pittsburgh to Charlotte in 2026.
Cole Gonzales
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Cole Gonzales arrives at Charlotte with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
450PASS YDS3PASS TD37RUSH YDS
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
2022
- Signed with Western Carolinaout of Trinity Catholic
20253 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Charlotte
2025Pittsburgh
2026Charlotte
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2026Charlotte0-2HC: Tim Albin · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: rush tds (88th percentile). Strength: completion % (85th percentile). Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Passing profile
Pass Profile · True throw depth (charted plays)
Adjusted ANY/A, sack rate, and where the yards came from
62 of 62 attempts matched to play-by-play
62 of 62 attempts charted for true throw depth
Adjusted ANY/A
5.8656 of 75 QBsSack rate
1.6%12 of 75 QBsRarely sacked (12 of 75), but Adjusted ANY/A hasn't followed (56 of 75).
Adjusted ANY/A uses full-season box-score totals (attempts, yards, TDs, INTs); sack rate is play-by-play-derived.
Behind LOS · Negative air yds
18% of attempts (11)
100%comp
Air -3.2 · YAC 7.5 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
53% of attempts (33)
64%comp2 INT
Air 4.7 · YAC 3.5 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
18% of attempts (11)
55%comp1 INT
Air 14.4 · YAC 1.3 avg
Deep · 20+ air yds
11% of attempts (7)
57%comp
Air 28.9 · YAC 3.8 avg
Overall 67.7% completion on 62 attempts · 53% of attempts thrown 0–9 air yds.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 225 YDS/g, 1.5 TD/g, 7.0 YPA, 1.5 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tim Albin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Charlotte | 42 | 62 | 67.7% | 450 | 7.3 | 3 | 3 | 135.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 11 | 22 | 50.0% | 118 | 5.4 | 1 | 1 | 101.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 53 | 84 | 63.1% | 568 | 6.8 | 4 | 4 | 126.1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Charlotte | 11 | 37 | 3.4 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 13 | 38 | 2.9 | 2 | -- |
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 3&5 · Q1 · EPA +3.81(02:41) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass complete deep right to #1 J.Barnes caught at CIT43, for 37 yards to the CIT38, out of bounds at CIT38, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA -3.72(00:06) Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass intercepted by #18 Z.Stroup at CIT18 broken up by #34 J.Wright #18 Z.Stroup return 20 yards to the CIT38 (#1 J.Barnes)
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 4&3 · Q4 · EPA -3.57(06:08) Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales rush middle for 2 yards gain to the CIT16 (#34 J.Wright), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +3.35(05:53) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass complete deep middle to #89 D.Eley caught at CIT01, for 43 yards to the CIT00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:47, 1ST DOWN #44 I.Kelly kick attempt good (H: #95 B.Long, LS: #33 H.Searcy)
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 3&11 · Q3 · EPA +3.15(07:44) Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales rush middle for 11 yards gain to the CIT00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:38. The previous play is under automatic review - "Runner broke the plane". CALL UPHELD #44 I.Kelly kick attempt good (H: #95 B.Long, LS: #33 H.Searcy)
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 3&6 · Q4 · EPA +2.82(00:30) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass complete short left to #2 J.Hampton caught at CIT00, for 6 yards to the CIT00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:24 #44 I.Kelly kick attempt good (H: #95 B.Long, LS: #33 H.Searcy)
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -2.82(09:51) Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass intercepted by #2 Z.Brown at CIT45 #2 Z.Brown return 7 yards to the CLT48 (#7 C.Williams)
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 2&3 · Q6 · EPA +2.37(00:00) Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass complete short right to #2 J.Hampton caught at CIT00, for 18 yards to the CIT00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:00, 1ST DOWN. The previous play is under automatic review - "Pass completion". CALL UPHELD #9 C.Gonzales pass attempt failed
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 1&8 · Q5 · EPA +2.32Cole Gonzales 8 Yd Run (Ian Kelly Kick)
- Week 1 · The Citadel · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.27(12:43) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 C.Gonzales pass complete deep middle to #2 J.Hampton caught at CIT33, for 38 yards to the CIT24 (#29 D.McGruder), 1ST DOWN
Game log
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #177
Peaked at #177 this season.
Background
Awards and Honors Walter Payton Award, Finalist (2023, 2024) All-SoCon First Team (2023, 2024) FCS National Player of the Week (2024) Roy M. "Legs" Hawley SoCon Offensive Player of the Year (2023) SoCon Offensive Player of the Week, three times (2023, 2024) FedEx Ground National Offensive Player...
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology