CFB Zeitgeist Score
41
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by yards / catch at the 99th percentile.
Jayden Ballard
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
150 REC YDS · 7 REC · 2 REC TD
2026 Outlook
Returning to Wisconsin for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Wisconsin
Returning around him
- 40% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- Transfer portal: +8 net (33 in / 25 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Wisconsin · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #28 · 2026 recruiting class #27
WR · WISCONSIN · BIG TEN
Jayden Ballard
- 4
- #4
- 6-2 | 205 lb
- Massillon, OH
Heisman Heat
#1514
<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 WR AWARD
Biletnikoff
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Splitting first-team reps.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Development Trajectory · receiving yards
2021–2025+3650%
Up 3650% from first season to most-recent.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3-star | 0.8611 | No. 1465 recruit | HighSchool | West Virginia |
| 2021 | 4-star | 0.9580 | No. 99 recruit | HighSchool | Ohio State |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State -> Wisconsin | 3-star | 0.8500 | Immediate |
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.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to West Virginia
Composite
0.8611
#1465 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 Jayden Ballard
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 Jayden Ballard
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 receiving totals stand
Through 5g
150Rec yards
7Receptions
2Rec TDs
Per game
30Rec yards
1Receptions
0Rec TDs
Projected (13g)
390Rec yards
18Receptions
5Rec TDs
To hit 700-yard receiver (currently 150): needs 68.8/game over remaining 8.
To hit 1,000-yard receiver (currently 150): needs 106.2/game over remaining 8.
To hit 60-catch season (currently 7): needs 6.6/game over remaining 8.
To hit 80-catch season (currently 7): needs 9.1/game over remaining 8.
To hit 8 receiving TDs (currently 2): needs 0.8/game over remaining 8.
To hit 10 receiving TDs (currently 2): needs 1/game over remaining 8.
What made this player interesting
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Jayden Ballard's story is about how role and output meet each other. For Wisconsin, the card already shows enough current-season production to explain why he is on the serious-player board, and the next layer is determining whether the profile is just very good or actually distinctive.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
WR 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?
Big-play receiver against FBS receiving peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Receiving
REC
7 40th
YDS
150 52nd
YPR
21.4 95th
TD
2 75th
Returns
PR YDS
6 16th
PR AVG
6.0 36th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 5 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-0vs Miami (OH) | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 2 | W 42-10vs Middle Tennessee | 2 | 73 | 36.5 | 1 | 58 | Season-high 73 yds |
| Wk 3 | L 14-38@ Alabama | 1 | 41 | 41.0 | 1 | 41 | |
| Wk 4 | L 10-27vs Maryland | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 7 | L 0-37vs Iowa | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total | 7 | 150 | 23.9 | 2 | 58 |
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
2021Ohio State10-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced, fast tempo
2022Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2023Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2025Wisconsin4-8HC: Luke Fickell · Run-heavy, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wisconsin | 7 | 150 | 21.4 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Ohio State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Ohio State | 8 | 155 | 19.4 | 1 | -- |
| 2021 | Ohio State | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 16 | 309 | 19.3 | 3 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wisconsin | -- | -- | -- | 6 | -- |
| 2023 | Ohio State | -- | -- | -- | 49 | -- |
| 2022 | Ohio State | -- | -- | -- | 14 | -- |
| 2021 | Ohio State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | -- | -- | -- | 69 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
The player's share of a team's passing-game involvement. It is the fastest way to see whether the receiver is a true focal point or more of a complementary piece.
A blended workload view that accounts for catches, designed touches, and any return-game involvement that shapes the overall profile.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Receptions | 7 | #667/1110 | 40th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 150 | #537/1107 | 52nd pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 2 | #281/1111 | 75th pct | Scoringvs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 21.4 | #58/1106 | 95th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt return yards | 6 | #190/224 | 16th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Pass share | 9.7% | #497/1137 | 56th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 58 | #193/1105 | 83rd pct | Metricvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt return avg | 6.0 | #144/222 | 36th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt returns | 1 | #182/237 | 24th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 7.6% | #259/1137 | 77th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 5.4% | #661/1137 | 42nd pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 4.5% | #684/1137 | 40th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Role share | 4.4% | #555/1137 | 51st pct | Share of team offensevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 4.0% | #522/1137 | 54th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 2.2% | #856/1137 | 25th pct | Early-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Rush share | 0.0% | #391/1137 | 66th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS WR |
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
Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 5 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 1.5 | 27.2 | 18.2 | 0.2 |
| Road1g | 1.0 | 41.0 | 41.0 | 1.0 |
Win vs Loss
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins2g | 2.5 | 50.0 | 22.8 | 0.5 |
| Losses3g | 0.7 | 16.7 | 25.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 1.4 | 30.0 | 23.9 | 0.4 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
41Mid-pack
Elite: yards / catch (98th). Concern: receptions (0th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · WR · 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
Jayden BallardWisconsinNik McMillanBuffalo· 43% simHarrison Wallace IIIOle Miss· 42% simChris Dawn Jr.Texas State· 39% sim
Yards / catch
Long catch
Rec TDs
Rec yards
Receptions
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Luke Fickell
Pass share
39.7%
272 pass / 413 run
Plays / game
57.1
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
10.8%
249 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
3 coaches2021
Paul Chryst
Wisconsin
2022era →
Jim Leonhard
Wisconsin
2023era →
Luke Fickell
Wisconsin
2025
Luke Fickell
Wisconsin
Played under 3 different head coaches: Paul Chryst, Jim Leonhard, and Luke Fickell. Multi-era developmental context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownMassillon, OH
Height6'2"
Weight205 lb
Class4
PositionWR
Jersey4
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamWisconsin
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc5 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 | Ohio State | WR4 | #1514 | #1143 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Ohio State | WR4 | #2074 | #1489 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2022 | Ohio State | WR4 | #744 | #513 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2021 | Ohio State | WR4 | #2181 | #1715 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 4 | 6-2 | 205 lb | Massillon, OH |
| 2024 | Ohio State | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 4 | 6-2 | 205 lb | Massillon, OH |
| 2023 | Ohio State | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 4 | 6-2 | 205 lb | Massillon, OH |
| 2022 | Ohio State | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 4 | 6-2 | 205 lb | Massillon, OH |
| 2021 | Ohio State | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 4 | 6-2 | 205 lb | Massillon, OH |