cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Shammond Cooper /Akron

Shammond Cooper

LB · Akron · Sr · #7

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

66 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Akron for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Akron for 2026

Updated May 27

2026 Depth chart

Returning starter

Linebacker · Akron

Returning around him

  • 37% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
  • Transfer portal: -3 net (15 in / 18 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Akron · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #104 · 2026 recruiting class #128

LB · AKRON · MID-AMERICAN

Shammond Cooper

  • 4
  • #7
  • 6-2 | 220 lb
  • Saint Louis, MO

CFB Zeitgeist Score

64

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 77th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#14478

<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 LB AWARD

Butkus

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 2 · Starter

R06 · Starter

Starter. A locked-in starting role.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★
#300 national
CFB
College
2 teams
2022–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionLB
Class4
Jersey7
Measurements6-2 | 220 lb
HometownSaint Louis, MO
Primary teamAkron

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 4-star No. 300 recruit
Composite rating 0.9028 HighSchool
Signed with Illinois 2019
Origin Trinity Catholic St. Louis, MO, USA
Class Profile Context
2019 4-star | 0.9028 No. 300 recruit | HighSchool | Illinois

Transfer Arc

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

Portal moves 1 Programs changed on file
Latest destination Akron 2023
Transfer stars 4-star CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility Immediate Apr 16, 2023
Season Move Context
2023 Illinois -> Akron 4-star | Immediate

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#14478Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#14699Where 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 Illinois

Composite

0.9028

#300 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 Shammond Cooper

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 Shammond Cooper

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 10g
66Tackles
4.5Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Per game
7Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
86Tackles
5.9Tackles for loss
0.7Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 66): needs 4.7/game over remaining 3.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 66): needs 11.3/game over remaining 3.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 1.8/game over remaining 3.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 3.2/game over remaining 3.

Why this is a rare defensive case

The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.

Shammond Cooper is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Akron's defense, with 0.5 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.

Current place #14478 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 300 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 66 27 solo | #316/4942 (94th pct)
TFL 4.5 Backfield disruption | #648/4972 (87th pct)
Sacks 0.5 Pass-rush finish | #1501/4972 (70th pct)
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.

High-disruption defenderHigh-volume tackler

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
66 94th
SOLO
27 86th
TFL
4.5 87th
SACK
0.5 70th
QBH
1 44th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
1 43rd

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1L 0-10vs Wyoming1020.50.00Season-high 10 tackles
Wk 2L 0-68@ Nebraska972.00.00
Wk 3L 28-31@ UAB630.00.00
Wk 4W 51-7vs Duquesne520.00.00
Wk 5L 3-45@ Toledo310.00.00
Wk 6W 28-22vs Central Michigan640.00.01
Wk 7L 7-20vs Miami (OH)840.50.00
Wk 8L 28-42@ Ball State621.00.00
Wk 11W 44-10vs Massachusetts720.50.50
Wk 13W 19-16@ Bowling Green600.00.00
Total66274.50.51
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

2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Akron2-10HC: Joe Moorhead · Pass-leaning
2024Akron4-8HC: Joe Moorhead · Pass-leaning
2025Akron5-7HC: Joe Moorhead · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Akron66274.50.51----
2024Akron740.50.01----
2023Akron41155.52.0------
2022Illinois110.00.0------
Career4 loaded seasons1154710.52.52----
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 1 Quarterback hurries | #1051/1878 (44th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 66 #316/4942 94th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 4.5 #648/4972 87th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 0.5 #1501/4972 70th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 1 #1241/2184 43rd pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 1 #1051/1878 44th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 27 #649/4584 86th 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 Butkus 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 · 10 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home5g7.20.30.10.2
Road5g6.00.60.00.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins4g6.00.10.10.2
Losses6g7.00.70.00.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-77g6.70.40.00.1
Weeks 8+3g6.30.50.20.0

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort

64Solid starter
6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (89th).

Tackles#316 / 2975 · 89th pct
66defe
Solo tackles#649 / 2975 · 77th pct
27defe
Tackles for loss#648 / 2975 · 77th pct
4.5defe
QB hurries#1007 / 2975 · 55th pct
1defe
Sacks#1367 / 2975 · 51st pct
0.5defe
Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct
1defe

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Advanced Savant · LB · 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
Shammond CooperAkronTJ DotteryOle Miss· 85% simDaniel WingateMaryland· 84% simQuinton UrwilerNorthern Illinois· 83% sim
Tackles
89
Cooper
98
Dottery
98
Wingate
100
Urwiler
Solo tackles
77
Cooper
97
Dottery
99
Wingate
100
Urwiler
Tackles for loss
77
Cooper
83
Dottery
87
Wingate
91
Urwiler
QB hurries
55
Cooper
55
Dottery
72
Wingate
72
Urwiler
Sacks
51
Cooper
74
Dottery
74
Wingate
74
Urwiler
Passes defended
48
Cooper
67
Dottery
48
Wingate
48
Urwiler

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

Player DNA

The Balanced Linebacker

Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.

LB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Sam Howard’s 2024 season.

Sam Howard

87%match

Tulane · 2024

All-AAC
#2

Ty Van Fossen

Cincinnati · 2021

86%
#3

Jordan Stringer

Troy · 2023

86%
#4

Jamal Morris

Houston · 2024

86%
#5

Deshawn Pace

UCF · 2024

85%

Matches Sam on

Height
Tackle volume
Weight

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Deshawn Pace's graduate season at UCF (2024).

Deshawn Pace

92%match

UCF · 2024

#2

Jamal Morris

Houston · 2024

91%
#3

Wayne Matthews III

Michigan State · 2025

All-Sun Belt
88%
#4

Tyler Grubbs

Tulane · 2024

All-AAC
87%
#5

Kerion Martin

Marshall · 2025

86%

Matches Deshawn on

Class year
PD rate
TFL rate

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Joe Moorhead

Pass share

48.7%

402 pass / 423 run

Plays / game

68.8

12 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

9.2%

370 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach
2022
Joe Moorhead
Akron
2023
Joe Moorhead
Akron
2024
Joe Moorhead
Akron
2025
Joe Moorhead
Akron

Played his entire career under Joe Moorhead.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownSaint Louis, MO
Height6'2"
Weight220 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey7

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 Akron LB4 #14478 #14699 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Mid-American
2023 Akron LB4 #11469 #12083 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Mid-American
2022 Illinois LB4 #9044 #8699 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big Ten
2021 Illinois LB4 #11931 #11846 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big Ten

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Akron Mid-American LB 4 No. 7 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Saint Louis, MO
2024 Akron Mid-American LB 4 No. 7 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Saint Louis, MO
2023 Akron Mid-American LB 4 No. 7 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Saint Louis, MO
2022 Illinois Big Ten LB 4 No. 7 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Saint Louis, MO
2021 Illinois Big Ten LB 4 No. 7 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Saint Louis, MO