CFB Zeitgeist Score
59
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 99th percentile.
Julian Neal
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
55 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
Seattle2026 NFL rookie season
#99Rd 3 · Pick 35
Seattle2026 NFL rookie season
DB · ARKANSAS · SEC
Julian Neal
- 4
- #23
- 6-2 | 200 lb
- San Francisco, CA
Heisman Heat
#11559
<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 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Splitting first-team reps.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
R3 · #99
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 | 0.8348 | No. 1608 recruit | HighSchool | Fresno State |
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—
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 Fresno State
Composite
0.8348
#1608 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 3, Pick 35
#99 overall · Seattle
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 Julian Neal
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 Julian Neal
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 12g
55Tackles
2Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
5Tackles
0.2Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
60Tackles
2.2Tackles for loss
0Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 55): needs 25/game over remaining 1.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 55): needs 45/game over remaining 1.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 6/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 10/game over remaining 1.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Julian Neal is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Arkansas's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 2 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?
Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
55 90th
SOLO
32 90th
TFL
2.0 71st
SACK
0.0 65th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
10 99th
INT
2 87th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-7vs Alabama A&M | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 56-14vs Arkansas State | 11 | 5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 3 | L 35-41@ Ole Miss | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 4 | L 31-32@ Memphis | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 13-56vs Notre Dame | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | L 31-34@ Tennessee | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 42-45vs Texas A&M | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 9 | L 24-33vs Auburn | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 10 | L 35-38vs Mississippi State | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 12 | L 22-23@ LSU | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 13 | L 37-52@ Texas | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | L 17-31vs Missouri | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 55 | 32 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 10 |
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
2022Fresno State10-4HC: Jeff Tedford · Balanced
2023Fresno State9-4HC: Jeff Tedford · Pass-leaning
2025Arkansas2-10HC: Sam Pittman · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Arkansas | 55 | 32 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Fresno State | 9 | 7 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Fresno State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 65 | 40 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 12 | 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 | 55 | #484/4942 | 90th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 2.0 | #1443/4972 | 71st pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.0 | #1762/4972 | 65th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 2 | #114/869 | 87th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 10 | #20/2184 | 99th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return yards | 34 | #189/578 | 67th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 32 | #448/4584 | 90th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return avg | 17.0 | #253/578 | 56th pct | Takeawaysvs 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
Status—Awaiting 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 · 12 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 5.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| Road5g | 2.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins2g | 7.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Losses10g | 4.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 5.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 3.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort
59Solid starter
Elite: passes defended (99th). Strength: solo tackles (84th). Concern: qb hurries (22nd).
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
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
Julian NealArkansasTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 90% simDevin LafayetteTroy· 83% simDalton JohnsonArizona· 82% sim
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Tackles
Interceptions
Tackles for loss
Sacks
QB hurries
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ja'Quan Sheppard’s 2022 season.
Ja'Quan Sheppard
86%match
All-AAC
#2
Malcom DeWalt IV
86%
#3
John Saunders Jr.
All-MAC
86%
#4
Anthony Johnson
82%
#5
Tarheeb Still
NFL Rd 5
76%
Matches Ja'Quan on
PD rate
Weight
Height
Differs from Ja'Quan on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Damaje Yancey's senior season at Troy (2024).
Damaje Yancey
80%match
#2
Latrell McCutchin
78%
#3
T.J. Tampa
NFL Rd 4
80%
#4
Al Blades Jr.
72%
#5
Josh DeBerry
71%
Matches Damaje on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Sam Pittman
Pass share
48.8%
381 pass / 400 run
Plays / game
65.1
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
8.3%
324 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
Sam Pittman
Arkansas
2023
Sam Pittman
Arkansas
2025
Sam Pittman
Arkansas
Played his entire career under Sam Pittman.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownSan Francisco, CA
Height6'2"
Weight200 lb
Class4
PositionDB
Jersey23
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamArkansas
ConferenceSEC
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 | Fresno State | DB4 | #11559 | #11485 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Mountain West |
| 2023 | Fresno State | DB4 | #12931 | #12750 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Mountain West |
| 2022 | Fresno State | DB4 | #10046 | #9776 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Mountain West |
| 2021 | Fresno State | DB4 | #10488 | #10229 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Mountain West |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Arkansas | SEC | DB | 4 | No. 23 | 6-2 | 200 lb | San Francisco, CA |
| 2024 | Fresno State | Mountain West | DB | 4 | No. 23 | 6-2 | 200 lb | San Francisco, CA |
| 2023 | Fresno State | Mountain West | DB | 4 | No. 23 | 6-2 | 200 lb | San Francisco, CA |
| 2022 | Fresno State | Mountain West | DB | 4 | No. 23 | 6-2 | 200 lb | San Francisco, CA |
| 2021 | Fresno State | Mountain West | DB | 4 | No. 23 | 6-2 | 200 lb | San Francisco, CA |