Hezekiah Masses

Former defensive back at California. 2025: 5 interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 47 tackles.

DB · California · Sr. · #5

6′1″ · 185 lb · Deerfield Beach, FL

CFB Index 96 · #3 of 364 cornersLow confidenceAll-Conf 1st teamDrafted by Las Vegas — Rd 5, Pick 35, #175 overall

How he plays

Erases the deep middle of the field.

Passes defended: 100th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

interceptions · 2025

12 PBU · 47 tackles · 1 TFL

Best game: 1 INT, 1 PBU, 6 tackles, at Louisville

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at California. 2025: 5 interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 47 tackles.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to Florida International in 2022.
Transferred from Florida International to California in 2025.
Drafted round 5 by the Las Vegas in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at California, 143 tackles, a first-team All-Conference season (2025) — drafted at #175 overall by Las Vegas.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

202211 games

Signed with Florida International2-star out of Deerfield Beach

202513 games

Entered the portal
All-ACCfirst

2026

Drafted by Las Vegasround 5, pick 175

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#2711 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R5 · #175

Las Vegas · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 honors · 1 category

🥈

ALL-ACC · 1ST TEAM

All-ACC 1st team (2025)

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach

2022–2025

Justin Wilcox

California

Played his entire career under Justin Wilcox.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Las Vegas2026 NFL rookie season

#175Rd 5 · Pick 35

Las Vegas2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Pass-leaning

2023Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Balanced

2024Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2025California7-6HC: Justin Wilcox · Pass-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

96All-America level #3 of 364?

Low confidenceReinvented7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (100th percentile). Strength: interceptions (98th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (22nd percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#8 / 2975 · 100th pct

Interceptions#6 / 817 · 98th pct

Solo tackles#483 / 2975 · 83rd pct

Tackles#680 / 2975 · 77th pct

Tackles for loss#1936 / 2975 · 28th pct

1.0

Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct

0.0

QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	2.7	0.2	0.0	1.2
Road7g	4.4	0.0	0.0	0.7

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	4.0	0.1	0.0	0.9
Weeks 8+6g	3.2	0.0	0.0	1.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tosh Lupoi

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

All-Conference 1st team

First team in his league at the position.

our read the All-Conference 1st team honor is earned — and the box score backs it up emphatically: #3 of 364 FBS cornerbacks by CFB Index Score.2025 profile

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

96 · #3 of 364 corners

Two-star recruit. Now #3 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	California	47	31	1.0	12	5	--
2024	Florida International	38	24	1.0	4	1	--
2023	Florida International	33	29	0.0	4	1	--
2022	Florida International	25	13	3.5	4	--	--
Career		143	97	5.5	24	7	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 14 · 2025

W 38–35

vs SMU

1 PD

Edged out SMU at home in a shootout.

With J. Sagapolutele — 330 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 92.9 · K. Raphael — 111 rush yds (33 car) · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week