CFB Zeitgeist Score
57
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by interceptions at the 90th percentile.
Kavir Bains
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
58 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Pittsburgh for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Pittsburgh
Returning around him
- 75% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #56 · 2026 recruiting class #51
DB · PITTSBURGH · ACC
Kavir Bains
- 4
- #20
- 5-10 | 175 lb
- San Jose, CA
Heisman Heat
Awaiting
Not on the live Heisman board this week.
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
—
TOP DB AWARD
Jim Thorpe
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
Pittsburgh
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2-star | 0.7833 | No. 3377 recruit | HighSchool | UC Davis |
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
Where the model places this player relative to the rest of the Heisman field.
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 UC Davis
Composite
0.7833
#3377 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 Kavir Bains
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 Kavir Bains
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
58Tackles
1Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
5Tackles
0.1Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
63Tackles
1.1Tackles for loss
0Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 58): needs 22/game over remaining 1.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 58): needs 42/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.
Kavir Bains is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Pittsburgh's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 1.0 tackles for loss, and 3 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
58 91st
SOLO
37 93rd
TFL
1.0 59th
SACK
0.0 65th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
4 84th
INT
3 94th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 61-9vs Duquesne | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 24-31@ West Virginia | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 27-34vs Louisville | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | W 48-7vs Boston College | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-31@ Florida State | 13 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 13 tackles |
| Wk 8 | W 30-13@ Syracuse | 5 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 53-34vs NC State | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 10 | W 35-20@ Stanford | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 12 | L 15-37vs Notre Dame | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 42-28@ Georgia Tech | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 7-38vs Miami | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 17-23@ East Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 58 | 37 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 4 |
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
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 58 | 37 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | -- |
| Career | 1 loaded season | 58 | 37 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | -- |
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 | 58 | #433/4942 | 91st pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 1.0 | #2051/4972 | 59th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.0 | #1762/4972 | 65th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 3 | #56/869 | 94th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 4 | #340/2184 | 84th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return yards | 116 | #9/578 | 99th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return avg | 38.7 | #57/578 | 90th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 37 | #303/4584 | 93rd pct | Volumevs 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 4.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Road6g | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins7g | 5.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Losses5g | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 5.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort
57Solid starter
Elite: interceptions (89th). Strength: solo tackles (89th). Concern: qb hurries (22nd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DB · 2025
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
Kavir BainsPittsburghTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 87% simDalton JohnsonArizona· 82% simDevin LafayetteTroy· 80% sim
Interceptions
Solo tackles
Passes defended
Tackles
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 Brandon Johnson’s 2023 season.
Brandon Johnson
81%match
#2
TJ Smith
81%
#3
Andrew Powdrell
78%
#4
Tyan Milton
79%
#5
Jordan Wright
73%
Matches Brandon on
Height
PD rate
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Jalen Mcmurray's graduate season at Tennessee (2025).
Jalen Mcmurray
72%match
#2
Jeremy Smith
74%
#3
Nicolas Sessions
71%
#4
Jonathan McGill
All-AAC
71%
#5
Avante Dickerson
70%
Matches Jalen on
Class year
Tackle volume
Weight
Differs from Jalen on
Height (lower)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Pass share
52.3%
464 pass / 424 run
Plays / game
68.3
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
9.3%
365 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2025
1 coach2025
Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownSan Jose, CA
Height5'10"
Weight175 lb
Class4
PositionDB
Jersey20
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamPittsburgh
ConferenceACC
Joined2025
Career arc1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This player hasn’t appeared on a Heisman ballot tracked by the model. | |||||||||
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | ACC | DB | 4 | No. 20 | 5-10 | 175 lb | San Jose, CA |