cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Marquise Lightfoot /Miami

Marquise Lightfoot

DL · Miami · So · #12

Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.

25 TACKLES · 2.5 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Miami for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Miami for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Defensive line · Miami

Returning around him

  • 12% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • 9 Miami players drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -6 net (13 in / 19 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

Miami · Last season: 13-3 (AP #10) · Talent rank #15 · 2026 recruiting class #13

DL · MIAMI · ACC

Marquise Lightfoot

  • 2
  • #12
  • 6-5 | 230 lb
  • Chicago, IL

CFB Zeitgeist Score

71

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 85th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#7378

<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 1 · 2-deep

R04 · Rotational

Rotational. Earning real snaps in the rotation.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★★
#31 national
CFB
College
Miami
2024–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.

PositionDL
Class2
Jersey12
Measurements6-5 | 230 lb
HometownChicago, IL
Primary teamMiami

Recruiting Pedigree

How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.

Top pedigree 5-star No. 31 recruit
Composite rating 0.9855 HighSchool
Signed with Miami 2024
Origin Kenwood Academy Chicago, IL, USA
Class Profile Context
2024 5-star | 0.9855 No. 31 recruit | HighSchool | Miami

Transfer Arc

Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.

Portal moves 0 No portal entry on file
Latest destination -- --
Transfer stars -- CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility -- Transfer date TBD
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 16
Current nowcast#7378Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#7266Where the full season sim points
Win probability0.0%Chance to actually win the trophy
Finalist probability0.0%Chance to make the finalist tier
Ballot probability0.0%Chance to appear anywhere on a ballot
Best official finish--Best completed Heisman placement on file

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 Miami

Composite

0.9855

#31 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

PENDING

The 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 Marquise Lightfoot

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 Marquise Lightfoot

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.

A 3-act season arc returns once this player has six or more games on the ledger.

Season Pace · Projection

Where the defensive totals stand

projecting to 13-game
Through 12g
25Tackles
5.5Tackles for loss
2.5Sacks
Per game
2Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0.2Sacks
Projected (13g)
27Tackles
6.0Tackles for loss
2.7Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 25): needs 55/game over remaining 1.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 25): needs 75/game over remaining 1.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 2.5): needs 3.5/game over remaining 1.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 2.5): needs 7.5/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.

Marquise Lightfoot is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Miami's defense, with 2.5 sacks, 5.5 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.

Current place #7378 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 31 recruit

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
Total tackles 25 16 solo | #1667/4942 (66th pct)
TFL 5.5 Backfield disruption | #477/4972 (90th pct)
Sacks 2.5 Pass-rush finish | #393/4972 (92nd pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

High-disruption defender against FBS defenders.

High-disruption defender

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
25 66th
SOLO
16 71st
TFL
5.5 90th
SACK
2.5 92nd
QBH
6 94th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
1 43rd

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 27-24vs Notre Dame000.00.00
Wk 2W 45-3vs Bethune-Cookman421.00.00Season-high 4 tackles
Wk 3W 49-12vs South Florida100.00.00
Wk 4W 26-7vs Florida211.01.00
Wk 9W 42-7vs Stanford420.00.00
Wk 10L 20-26@ SMU320.50.51
Wk 12W 41-7vs NC State221.00.00
Wk 14W 38-7@ Pittsburgh220.00.00
BowlW 10-3@ Texas A&M220.00.00
BowlW 24-14@ Ohio State222.01.00
BowlW 31-27@ Ole Miss100.00.00
BowlL 21-27@ Indiana210.00.00
Total25165.52.51
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score

Traditional history

Traditional Stats

Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.

Season rows Career row

Season context · Team result + system

2024Miami10-3HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced, fast tempo
2025Miami13-3HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Miami25165.52.51----
2024Miami----0.00.0------
Career2 loaded seasons25165.52.51----
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Disruption stats

TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.

Coverage splash

Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.

Peer percentile

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.

Traditional first

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.

INT -- -- pick-six TD
Pass breakups 1 Coverage disruption | #1241/2184 (43rd pct)
QB pressures 6 Quarterback hurries | #117/1878 (94th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 25 #1667/4942 66th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 5.5 #477/4972 90th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 2.5 #393/4972 92nd pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 1 #1241/2184 43rd pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 6 #117/1878 94th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 16 #1348/4584 71st 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

StatusAwaiting tracker

The Lombardi 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/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home6g2.20.50.20.0
Road6g2.00.40.20.2

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins10g2.00.50.20.0
Losses2g2.50.20.20.5

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-78g1.80.50.20.0
Weeks 8+4g2.80.40.10.2

Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort

71Solid starter
6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: qb hurries (94th). Strength: sacks (85th).

QB hurries#117 / 2975 · 95th pct
6defe
Sacks#389 / 2975 · 85th pct
2.5defe
Tackles for loss#477 / 2975 · 83rd pct
5.5defe
Solo tackles#1348 / 2975 · 53rd pct
16defe
Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct
1defe
Tackles#1667 / 2975 · 43rd pct
25defe

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
EPA / dropback
awaiting
CPOE
awaiting
Success rate
awaiting
Explosive rate (20+)
awaiting
aDOT
awaiting
Deep-ball accuracy
awaiting
Pressure-to-sack
awaiting
3rd-down EPA
awaiting
Red-zone TD rate
awaiting
Play-action EPA
awaiting
Scramble EPA
awaiting
Turnover-worthy play rate
awaiting

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

3 peers · 6 metrics
Marquise LightfootMiamiRay ConeyTulsa· 70% simMaverick BaranowskiMinnesota· 70% simTreylin PayneTexas State· 70% sim
QB hurries
95
Lightfoot
88
Coney
82
Baranowski
82
Payne
Sacks
85
Lightfoot
80
Coney
89
Baranowski
80
Payne
Tackles for loss
83
Lightfoot
90
Coney
95
Baranowski
87
Payne
Solo tackles
53
Lightfoot
93
Coney
98
Baranowski
95
Payne
Passes defended
48
Lightfoot
67
Coney
48
Baranowski
67
Payne
Tackles
43
Lightfoot
100
Coney
98
Baranowski
98
Payne

Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.

Player DNA

The 3-Tech Penetrator

Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.

IDL

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina’s 2025 season.

Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina

79%match

Hawai'i · 2025

#2

Trey Sofia

Army · 2023

76%
#3

Chris Collins

North Carolina · 2021

76%
#4

Phillip Lee

Troy · 2023

74%
#5

Eyabi Anoma

Charlotte · 2023

74%

Matches Lesterlaisene on

Class year
Sack rate
TFL rate

Differs from Lesterlaisene on

Height (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina's sophomore season at Hawai'i (2025).

Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina

84%match

Hawai'i · 2025

#2

Leroy Harris III

Kansas · 2025

80%
#3

Shamar Meikle

Oregon State · 2025

78%
#4

Dallas Turner

Alabama · 2022

Consensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 1 · Pk 17
77%
#5

Michael Green

Marshall · 2023

76%

Matches Lesterlaisene on

Class year
Sack rate
TFL rate

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Mario Cristobal

Pass share

47.2%

496 pass / 554 run

Plays / game

65.6

16 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

4.1%

245 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2024–2025

1 coach
2024
Mario Cristobal
Miami
2025
Mario Cristobal
Miami

Played his entire career under Mario Cristobal.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.

HometownChicago, IL
Height6'5"
Weight230 lb
Class2
PositionDL
Jersey12

Trophy Case · Detail

Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.

Honors

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 Miami DL2 #7378 #7266 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | ACC

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Miami ACC DL 2 No. 12 | 6-5 | 230 lb | Chicago, IL
2024 Miami ACC DL 2 No. 12 | 6-5 | 230 lb | Chicago, IL