CFB Zeitgeist Score
75
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 89th percentile.
Kayden McDonald
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
65 TACKLES · 3 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
Houston2026 NFL rookie season
#36Rd 2 · Pick 4
Houston2026 NFL rookie season
DL · OHIO STATE · BIG TEN
Kayden McDonald
- 3
- #98
- 6-3 | 326 lb
- Suwanee, GA
Heisman Heat
#3964
<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 DEFENSE AWARD
Nagurski
—
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 · Season-by-season Standing
2 seasons on the ladder
2023
Ohio State · DL
—
★
2025
Ohio State · DL
R14 · Unanimous All-American
Elite
NFL Draft 2026 · Rd 2, Pick 4 · #36 overall · Houston
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Ohio State
NFL
NFL Draft
R2 · #36
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4-star | 0.9103 | No. 269 recruit | HighSchool | Ohio 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.
Achievements
- Honors Badge 0.7% Honors Badge Recognized on a major honors list (Heisman, All-American, Davey O'Brien, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Nagurski, Biletnikoff). Held by 0.7% of the 2025 pool. Recognized on: All-America (AFCA).
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★★☆
to Ohio State
Composite
0.9103
#269 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 2, Pick 4
#36 overall · Houston
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 Kayden McDonald
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 Kayden McDonald
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 14g
65Tackles
9Tackles for loss
3Sacks
Per game
5Tackles
0.6Tackles for loss
0.2Sacks
Final
65Tackles
9Tackles for loss
3Sacks
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Kayden McDonald is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Ohio State's defense, with 3.0 sacks, 9.0 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.
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?
High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
65 93rd
SOLO
31 89th
TFL
9.0 97th
SACK
3.0 94th
QBH
2 66th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
1 43rd
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 14 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 14-7vs Texas | 8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 70-0vs Grambling | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 37-9vs Ohio | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 24-6@ Washington | 7 | 4 | 3.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 6 | W 42-3vs Minnesota | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-16@ Illinois | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 34-0@ Wisconsin | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 38-14vs Penn State | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 34-10@ Purdue | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 48-10vs UCLA | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 42-9vs Rutgers | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 27-9@ Michigan | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 15 | L 10-13vs Indiana | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 14-24vs Miami | 8 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 65 | 31 | 9.0 | 3.0 | — | 1 |
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
2023Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State | 65 | 31 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Ohio State | 1 | -- | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 66 | 31 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 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 | 65 | #331/4942 | 93rd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 9.0 | #142/4972 | 97th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 3.0 | #292/4972 | 94th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 1 | #1241/2184 | 43rd pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 2 | #647/1878 | 66th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 31 | #483/4584 | 89th pct | Volumevs 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.
UNANIMOUS AA
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
UNANIMOUS AA · Rung 14 of 16
Why he’s here
Unanimous All-American — 1st team on all five NCAA-recognized selectors.
What moves him up
The only step up is a Player-of-the-Year invite.
What moves him down
Losing a selector drops this to Consensus.
Accolade streams
All-America statusCONSENSUS
Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.
AP1st
FWAA1st
AFCA1st
WCFF1st
SN1st
SI1st
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 14 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home9g | 4.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Road5g | 4.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins12g | 4.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Losses2g | 6.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Weeks 8+7g | 4.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort
75All-Conference
Elite: tackles for loss (94th). Strength: tackles (88th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DL · 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
Kayden McDonaldOhio StateMaverick BaranowskiMinnesota· 92% simAmare CampbellPenn State· 91% simJackson KuwatchMiami (OH)· 90% sim
Tackles for loss
Tackles
Sacks
Solo tackles
QB hurries
Passes defended
Forced fumbles
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Nose Anchor
Two-gap space-eater who occupies blockers and frees the linebackers.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to A'Mauri Washington’s 2025 season.
A'Mauri Washington
94%match
All-Big Ten
#2
Logologo Va'a
93%
#3
Jay Toia
NFL Rd 7
91%
#4
Da'Jon Terry
90%
#5
Christian Clayton
90%
Matches A'Mauri on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to A'Mauri Washington's junior season at Oregon (2025).
A'Mauri Washington
96%match
All-Big Ten
#2
Jayvon Parker
92%
#3
Robby Harrison
86%
#4
Mason Graham
Consensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 1 · Pk 5
85%
#5
Kalvin Dinkins
80%
Matches A'Mauri on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Pass share
47.0%
408 pass / 461 run
Plays / game
62.1
14 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
4.9%
267 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
Ryan Day
Ohio State
2025
Ryan Day
Ohio State
Played his entire career under Ryan Day.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownSuwanee, GA
Height6'3"
Weight326 lb
Class3
PositionDL
Jersey98
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamOhio State
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc3 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🏆
ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS
Consensus AA (2025)
11 first-team selectors
🥈
ALL-CONFERENCE · 1ST TEAM
All-Conf 1st team (2025)
All-Big Ten
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
12 All-America selections
National selector recognition is one of the strongest non-Heisman signals on a player card and should sit near the top of the showcase.
2 all-conference honors
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-America (USA Today) | all_america | USA Today | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (SI) | all_america | SI | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (PFF) | all_america | PFF | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (ESPN) | all_america | ESPN | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (CBS) | all_america | CBS | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (The Athletic) | all_america | The Athletic | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (WCFF) | all_america | WCFF | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (SN) | all_america | SN | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (FWAA) | all_america | FWAA | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (AP) | all_america | AP | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (AFCA) | all_america | AFCA | DL |
| 2025 | All-America (Consensus) | all_america | Ohio State | Consensus | -- |
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | DT |
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | SMIT |
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 | DL3 | #3964 | #3546 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Ohio State | DL3 | #4940 | #4514 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State | Big Ten | DL | 3 | No. 98 | 6-3 | 326 lb | Suwanee, GA |
| 2024 | Ohio State | Big Ten | DL | 3 | No. 98 | 6-3 | 326 lb | Suwanee, GA |
| 2023 | Ohio State | Big Ten | DL | 3 | No. 98 | 6-3 | 326 lb | Suwanee, GA |