CFB Zeitgeist Score
69
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 85th percentile.
Dakota Cochran
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
81 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Central Michigan for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Central Michigan
Returning around him
- 10% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: -5 net (12 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Central Michigan · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #121 · 2026 recruiting class #113
LB · CENTRAL MICHIGAN · MID-AMERICAN
Dakota Cochran
- 4
- #1
- 6-2 | 240 lb
- Shaker Heights, OH
Heisman Heat
#13565
<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 LB AWARD
Butkus
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career arc · Season-by-season Standing
4 seasons on the ladder
2021
Central Michigan · LB
—
2022
Central Michigan · LB
—
2023
Central Michigan · LB
—
★
2025
Central Michigan · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Central Michigan
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3-star | 0.8233 | No. 1932 recruit | HighSchool | Central Michigan |
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—
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to Central Michigan
Composite
0.8233
#1932 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
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 Dakota Cochran
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 Dakota Cochran
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
81Tackles
6Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Per game
6Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Final
81Tackles
6Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
✓ Hit 80-tackle season · finished with 81.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Dakota Cochran is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Central Michigan's defense, with 0.5 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss, and 1 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?
High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
81 97th
SOLO
42 96th
TFL
6.0 92nd
SACK
0.5 70th
QBH
5 90th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
3 76th
INT
1 65th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 16-14@ San José State | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 17-45@ Pittsburgh | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 3-63@ Michigan | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 49-10vs Wagner | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 24-13vs Eastern Michigan | 8 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 22-28@ Akron | 5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 8 | W 27-6@ Bowling Green | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 38-13vs Massachusetts | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 21-24@ Western Michigan | 11 | 9 | 2.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 12 | W 38-19vs Buffalo | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 28-16@ Kent State | 5 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | L 3-21vs Toledo | 9 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 7-34@ Northwestern | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 81 | 42 | 6.0 | 0.5 | 1 | 3 |
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
2021Central Michigan8-4HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2022Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning
2023Central Michigan5-7HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning
2025Central Michigan7-6HC: Matt Drinkall · Run-heavy, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Central Michigan | 81 | 42 | 6.0 | 0.5 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Central Michigan | 51 | 31 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Central Michigan | 25 | 18 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Central Michigan | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 162 | 93 | 10.5 | 1.5 | 8 | 2 | -- |
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 | 81 | #135/4942 | 97th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 6.0 | #406/4972 | 92nd pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.5 | #1501/4972 | 70th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 1 | #308/869 | 65th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 3 | #521/2184 | 76th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 5 | #188/1878 | 90th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 42 | #165/4584 | 96th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return avg | 30.0 | #93/578 | 84th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return yards | 30 | #216/578 | 63rd pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Defensive TD | 2 | #4/200 | 98th pct | Scoringvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Fumbles recovered | 2 | #13/736 | 98th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pick-six TD | 1 | #13/119 | 90th pct | Scoringvs 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.
ALL-CONF HM
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
ALL-CONF HM · Rung 9 of 16
Why he’s here
All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started.
What moves him up
A best-at-position run lifts to 1st team.
What moves him down
A back-end conference finish drops out of the honor list.
Accolade streams
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Butkus 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 6.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road8g | 6.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins7g | 6.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Losses6g | 6.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 5.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 7.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort
69Solid starter
Elite: tackles (95th). Strength: solo tackles (94th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · LB · 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
Dakota CochranCentral MichiganTrey FieldsNorth Texas· 94% simBryce BoettcherOregon· 93% simAndon ThomasArmy· 91% sim
Tackles
Solo tackles
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Passes defended
Sacks
Forced fumbles
Interceptions
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Every-Down Linebacker
Leads the team in tackles and rarely leaves the field.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Demetrius Knight II’s 2023 season.
Demetrius Knight II
81%match
All-AAC
#2
Brandon Randle
81%
#3
Jontrey Hunter
All-Sun Belt
80%
#4
Mariano Sori-Marin
80%
#5
Mariano Sori-Marin
All-Big Ten
80%
Matches Demetrius on
TFL rate
Weight
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Wayne Matthews III's graduate season at Michigan State (2025).
Wayne Matthews III
84%match
All-Sun Belt
#2
Xavian Sorey Jr.
84%
#3
Nic Mitchell
83%
#4
Brandon George
82%
#5
West Weeks
81%
Matches Wayne on
Sack rate
TFL rate
Weight
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Drinkall
Pass share
32.2%
252 pass / 531 run
Plays / game
60.2
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
10.1%
188 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coaches2021
Jim McElwain
Central Michigan
2022
Jim McElwain
Central Michigan
2023
Jim McElwain
Central Michigan
2025era →
Matt Drinkall
Central Michigan
Coaching transition mid-career: Jim McElwain → Matt Drinkall. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownShaker Heights, OH
Height6'2"
Weight240 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey1
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamCentral Michigan
ConferenceMid-American
Joined2025
Career arc5 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-MAC
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
1 all-conference honor
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-MAC | all_conference | Central Michigan | MAC | LB |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Central Michigan | LB4 | #13565 | #13635 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Mid-American |
| 2023 | Central Michigan | LB4 | #14528 | #14822 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Mid-American |
| 2022 | Central Michigan | LB4 | #11254 | #11575 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Mid-American |
| 2021 | Central Michigan | LB4 | #12436 | #12381 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Mid-American |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Central Michigan | Mid-American | LB | 4 | No. 1 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Shaker Heights, OH |
| 2024 | Central Michigan | Mid-American | LB | 4 | No. 1 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Shaker Heights, OH |
| 2023 | Central Michigan | Mid-American | LB | 4 | No. 1 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Shaker Heights, OH |
| 2022 | Central Michigan | Mid-American | LB | 4 | No. 1 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Shaker Heights, OH |
| 2021 | Central Michigan | Mid-American | LB | 4 | No. 1 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Shaker Heights, OH |