CFB Zeitgeist Score
68
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 94th percentile.
Patrick Payton
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
33 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to LSU for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · LSU
Returning around him
- 66% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 7 LSU players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (41 in / 41 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
LSU · Last season: 7-6 (AP #20) · Talent rank #6 · 2026 recruiting class #10
DE · LSU · SEC
Patrick Payton
- 4
- #6
- 6-6 | 255 lb
- Miami, FL
Heisman Heat
#13440
<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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4-star | 0.8986 | No. 329 recruit | HighSchool | Florida 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 Florida State
Composite
0.8986
#329 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 Patrick Payton
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 Patrick Payton
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
33Tackles
4.5Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.4Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
36Tackles
4.9Tackles for loss
1.1Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 33): needs 47/game over remaining 1.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 33): needs 67/game over remaining 1.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 1): needs 5/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 1): needs 9/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.
Patrick Payton is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on LSU's defense, with 1.0 sacks, 4.5 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.
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 | Coverage splash against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
33 76th
SOLO
17 73rd
TFL
4.5 87th
SACK
1.0 82nd
QBH
2 66th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
6 93rd
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-10@ Clemson | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 23-7vs Louisiana Tech | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 20-10vs Florida | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 19-24@ Ole Miss | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 7 | W 20-10vs South Carolina | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 24-31@ Vanderbilt | 4 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 25-49vs Texas A&M | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 11 | L 9-20@ Alabama | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 23-22vs Arkansas | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 13-10vs Western Kentucky | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | L 13-17@ Oklahoma | 4 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Bowl | L 35-38@ Houston | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 17 | 4.5 | 1.0 | — | 6 |
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
2022Florida State10-3HC: Mike Norvell · Run-leaning
2023Florida State13-1HC: Mike Norvell · Balanced
2025LSU7-6HC: Brian Kelly · Balanced, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | LSU | 33 | 17 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 6 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Florida State | 43 | 28 | 13.5 | 6.0 | 9 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Florida State | 30 | 21 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 106 | 66 | 24.0 | 12.0 | 18 | -- | -- |
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 | 33 | #1194/4942 | 76th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 4.5 | #648/4972 | 87th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 1.0 | #872/4972 | 82nd pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 6 | #144/2184 | 93rd pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 2 | #647/1878 | 66th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 17 | #1252/4584 | 73rd 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.
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 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 vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Road6g | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins6g | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Losses6g | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DE cohort
68Solid starter
Elite: passes defended (93rd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DE · 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
Patrick PaytonLSUEli BlakeyMiami (OH)· 77% simColton PharesApp State· 76% simMarsel McDuffieUNLV· 76% sim
Passes defended
Tackles for loss
QB hurries
Sacks
Tackles
Solo tackles
Forced fumbles
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Versatile End
Holds up against run and pass without a single dominant trait.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Cam Williams’s 2025 season.
Cam Williams
81%match
#2
Kyle Kennard
NFL Rd 4
81%
#3
Vincent Anthony
81%
#4
Zion Young
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 13
80%
#5
Myjai Sanders
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 36
78%
Matches Cam on
Class year
Sack rate
Weight
Differs from Cam on
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Samuel Dankah's senior season at East Carolina (2025).
Samuel Dankah
81%match
#2
Jabari Ishmael
81%
#3
Nyjalik Kelly
80%
#4
Mykol Clark
77%
#5
Sean McLaughlin
77%
Matches Samuel on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Differs from Samuel on
Weight (higher)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Brian Kelly
Pass share
55.0%
443 pass / 363 run
Plays / game
62.0
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
6.8%
365 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
Brian Kelly
LSU
2023
Brian Kelly
LSU
2025
Brian Kelly
LSU
Played his entire career under Brian Kelly.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownMiami, FL
Height6'6"
Weight255 lb
Class4
PositionDE
Jersey6
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamLSU
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 | Florida State | DE4 | #13440 | #13632 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | ACC |
| 2023 | Florida State | DE4 | #1019 | #1027 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | ACC |
| 2022 | Florida State | DE4 | #5106 | #5529 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
| 2021 | Florida State | DE4 | #11843 | #11923 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | LSU | SEC | DE | 4 | No. 6 | 6-6 | 255 lb | Miami, FL |
| 2024 | Florida State | ACC | DE | 4 | No. 6 | 6-6 | 255 lb | Miami, FL |
| 2023 | Florida State | ACC | DE | 4 | No. 6 | 6-6 | 255 lb | Miami, FL |
| 2022 | Florida State | ACC | DE | 4 | No. 6 | 6-6 | 255 lb | Miami, FL |
| 2021 | Florida State | ACC | DE | 4 | No. 6 | 6-6 | 255 lb | Miami, FL |