cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Damarius McGhee /Florida Atlantic

Damarius McGhee

DB · Florida Atlantic · Sr

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

30 TACKLES · 0 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Florida Atlantic for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Florida Atlantic for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Defensive back · Florida Atlantic

Returning around him

  • 21% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • Transfer portal: -8 net (22 in / 30 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Florida Atlantic · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #82 · 2026 recruiting class #85

DB · FLORIDA ATLANTIC · AMERICAN ATHLETIC

Damarius McGhee

  • 4
  • 6-0 | 175 lb
  • Pensacola, FL

CFB Zeitgeist Score

41

Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 86th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#12662

<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 2 · Starter

R06 · Starter

Starter. A locked-in starting role.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★
#192 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.

PositionDB
Class4
Jersey--
Measurements6-0 | 175 lb
HometownPensacola, FL
Primary teamFlorida Atlantic

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 4-star No. 192 recruit
Composite rating 0.9231 HighSchool
Signed with LSU 2021
Origin Pensacola Catholic Pensacola, FL, USA
Class Profile Context
2021 4-star | 0.9231 No. 192 recruit | HighSchool | LSU

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#12662Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#12878Where 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 LSU

Composite

0.9231

#192 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 Damarius McGhee

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 Damarius McGhee

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 10g
30Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
39Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 30): needs 16.7/game over remaining 3.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 30): needs 23.3/game over remaining 3.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 2/game over remaining 3.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 3.3/game over remaining 3.

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Damarius McGhee is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Florida Atlantic's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 0.0 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 #12662 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 192 recruit

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 30 21 solo | #1362/4942 (72nd pct)
TFL 0.0 Backfield disruption | #3020/4972 (39th pct)
Sacks 0.0 Pass-rush finish | #1762/4972 (65th pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

Coverage splash against FBS defenders.

Coverage splash

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
30 72nd
SOLO
21 79th
TFL
0.0 39th
SACK
0.0 65th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
4 84th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1L 7-39@ Maryland110.00.01
Wk 2W 56-14vs Florida A&M100.00.01
Wk 5L 26-55vs Memphis320.00.00
Wk 6W 27-21@ Rice320.00.00
Wk 7W 53-33vs UAB320.00.00
Wk 8L 13-48@ South Florida220.00.00
Wk 9L 32-42@ Navy740.00.01Season-high 7 tackles
Wk 11W 40-21vs Tulsa550.00.01
Wk 12L 24-35@ Tulane430.00.00
Wk 13L 45-48vs UConn100.00.00
Total30210.00.04
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

2021LSU6-6HC: Ed Orgeron · Balanced
2023Kansas9-4HC: Lance Leipold · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2024Kansas5-7HC: Lance Leipold · Run-leaning
2025Florida Atlantic4-8HC: Zach Kittley · Pass-heavy, fast tempo
SeasonTeam
2025Florida Atlantic30210.00.04----
2024Kansas870.00.0------
2023Kansas110.00.0------
2021LSU530.00.0------
Career4 loaded seasons44320.00.04----
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 4 Coverage disruption | #340/2184 (84th pct)
QB pressures 0 Quarterback hurries
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 30 #1362/4942 72nd pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 0.0 #3020/4972 39th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 0.0 #1762/4972 65th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 4 #340/2184 84th pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 21 #959/4584 79th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense Defensive TD 1 #23/200 89th pct Scoringvs 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

StatusAwaiting 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 · 10 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home5g2.60.00.00.4
Road5g3.40.00.00.4

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins4g3.00.00.00.5
Losses6g3.00.00.00.3

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-75g2.20.00.00.4
Weeks 8+5g3.80.00.00.4

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort

41Mid-pack
7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (85th). Concern: tackles for loss (7th).

Passes defended#340 / 2975 · 86th pct
4defe
Solo tackles#959 / 2975 · 67th pct
21defe
Tackles#1362 / 2975 · 53rd pct
30defe
Forced fumbles#36 / 687 · 47th pct
0fumb
Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct
0.0defe
QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct
0defe
Tackles for loss#2548 / 2975 · 7th pct
0.0defe

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
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 · 7 metrics
Damarius McGheeFlorida AtlanticTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 72% simTyler MartinMassachusetts· 71% simDalton JohnsonArizona· 70% sim
Passes defended
86
McGhee
91
Ra-El
67
Martin
96
Johnson
Solo tackles
67
McGhee
100
Ra-El
87
Martin
97
Johnson
Tackles
53
McGhee
99
Ra-El
98
Martin
98
Johnson
Forced fumbles
47
McGhee
47
Ra-El
47
Martin
47
Johnson
Sacks
24
McGhee
24
Ra-El
24
Martin
63
Johnson
QB hurries
22
McGhee
22
Ra-El
22
Martin
22
Johnson
Tackles for loss
7
McGhee
56
Ra-El
63
Martin
47
Johnson

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 A'Marion McCoy’s 2025 season.

A'Marion McCoy

87%match

Boise State · 2025

All-Mountain West
#2

Jaheim Wilson-Jones

Hawai'i · 2025

84%
#3

Edward Woods

Arizona State · 2023

83%
#4

Jack Kane

Oregon State · 2023

82%
#5

A'Marion McCoy

Boise State · 2023

82%

Matches A'Marion on

Class year
Height
Weight

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Ar'mani Johnson's junior season at SMU (2022).

Ar'mani Johnson

96%match

SMU · 2022

#2

Deantre Prince

Ole Miss · 2023

NFL Rd 5
88%
#3

Kobee Minor

Indiana · 2023

NFL Rd 7
87%
#4

Jaheim Wilson-Jones

Hawai'i · 2025

87%
#5

Quadric Bullard

UCF · 2022

87%

Matches Ar'mani on

Class year
Height
Tackle volume

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Zach Kittley

Pass share

62.3%

580 pass / 351 run

Plays / game

77.6

12 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

5.2%

423 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Pass-heavy, fast tempo.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

4 coaches
2021
Willie Taggart
Florida Atlantic
2023
Tom Herman
Florida Atlantic
era →
2024
Chad Lunsford
Florida Atlantic
era →
2025
Zach Kittley
Florida Atlantic
era →

Played under 4 different head coaches: Willie Taggart, Tom Herman, Chad Lunsford, and Zach Kittley. Multi-era developmental context.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownPensacola, FL
Height6'0"
Weight175 lb
Class4
PositionDB

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 Kansas DB4 #12662 #12878 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Big 12
2023 Kansas DB4 #11424 #11216 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Big 12
2022 LSU DB4 #9087 #8659 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | SEC
2021 LSU DB4 #10764 #10588 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | SEC

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Florida Atlantic American Athletic DB 4 6-0 | 175 lb | Pensacola, FL
2024 Kansas Big 12 DB 4 6-0 | 175 lb | Pensacola, FL
2023 Kansas Big 12 DB 4 6-0 | 175 lb | Pensacola, FL
2022 LSU SEC DB 4 6-0 | 175 lb | Pensacola, FL
2021 LSU SEC DB 4 6-0 | 175 lb | Pensacola, FL