cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Wesley Bailey /Louisville

Wesley Bailey

DL · Louisville · Sr · #23

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

39 TACKLES · 6 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Louisville for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Louisville for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Defensive line · Louisville

Returning around him

  • 46% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
  • 1 Louisville player drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -6 net (33 in / 39 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Louisville · Last season: 9-4 (AP #19) · Talent rank #50 · 2026 recruiting class #68

DL · LOUISVILLE · ACC

Wesley Bailey

  • 4
  • #23
  • 6-5 | 265 lb
  • Ottawa, ON

CFB Zeitgeist Score

73

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 97th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#9837

<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 · Starter

R07 · Impact starter

Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#1063 national
CFB
College
2 teams
2021–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionDL
Class4
Jersey23
Measurements6-5 | 265 lb
HometownOttawa, ON
Primary teamLouisville

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 3-star No. 1063 recruit
Composite rating 0.8552 HighSchool
Signed with -- 2020
Origin Clearwater Academy International Orleans, ON, CAN
Class Profile Context
2020 3-star | 0.8552 No. 1063 recruit | HighSchool

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#9837Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#10042Where 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 —

Composite

0.8552

#1063 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 Wesley Bailey

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 Wesley Bailey

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
39Tackles
7Tackles for loss
6Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.6Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Projected (13g)
42Tackles
7.6Tackles for loss
6.5Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 39): needs 41/game over remaining 1.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 39): needs 61/game over remaining 1.

✓ Hit 6-sack season · finished with 6.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 6): needs 4/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.

Wesley Bailey is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Louisville's defense, with 6.0 sacks, 7.0 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.

Current place #9837 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Transfer path 0 portal moves

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 39 17 solo | #937/4942 (81st pct)
TFL 7.0 Backfield disruption | #277/4972 (94th pct)
Sacks 6.0 Pass-rush finish | #74/4972 (99th 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
39 81st
SOLO
17 73rd
TFL
7.0 94th
SACK
6.0 99th
QBH
5 90th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 51-17vs Eastern Kentucky210.00.00
Wk 2W 28-14vs James Madison821.01.00Season-high 8 tackles
Wk 4W 40-17vs Bowling Green420.00.00
Wk 5W 34-27@ Pittsburgh200.50.00
Wk 6L 27-30vs Virginia311.01.00
Wk 8W 24-21@ Miami200.00.00
Wk 9W 38-24vs Boston College642.02.002 sacks
Wk 10W 28-16@ Virginia Tech420.50.00
Wk 11L 26-29vs California331.01.00
Wk 12L 19-20vs Clemson200.00.00
Wk 13L 6-38@ SMU110.00.00
Wk 14W 41-0vs Kentucky211.01.00
Total39177.06.00
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

2021Rutgers5-7HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2022Rutgers4-8HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2023Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2024Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2025Louisville9-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Louisville39177.06.0------
2024Rutgers1141.01.01----
2023Rutgers2594.54.03----
2022Rutgers28167.02.52----
2021Rutgers721.51.01----
Career5 loaded seasons1104821.014.57----
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 0 Coverage disruption
QB pressures 5 Quarterback hurries | #188/1878 (90th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 39 #937/4942 81st pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 7.0 #277/4972 94th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 6.0 #74/4972 99th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 5 #188/1878 90th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 17 #1252/4584 73rd 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
Home8g3.80.80.80.0
Road4g2.20.20.00.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins8g3.80.60.50.0
Losses4g2.20.50.50.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-75g3.80.50.40.0
Weeks 8+7g2.90.60.60.0

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort

73Solid starter
6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (97th). Strength: qb hurries (92nd). Concern: passes defended (17th).

Sacks#74 / 2975 · 97th pct
6.0defe
QB hurries#188 / 2975 · 92nd pct
5defe
Tackles for loss#277 / 2975 · 90th pct
7.0defe
Tackles#937 / 2975 · 68th pct
39defe
Solo tackles#1252 / 2975 · 56th pct
17defe
Passes defended#1916 / 2975 · 18th pct
0defe

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
Wesley BaileyLouisvilleMarcAnthony ParkerNavy· 78% simEthan WesloskiNorth Texas· 76% simMaverick BaranowskiMinnesota· 75% sim
Sacks
97
Bailey
80
Parker
74
Wesloski
89
Baranowski
QB hurries
92
Bailey
88
Parker
95
Wesloski
82
Baranowski
Tackles for loss
90
Bailey
87
Parker
95
Wesloski
95
Baranowski
Tackles
68
Bailey
98
Parker
99
Wesloski
98
Baranowski
Solo tackles
56
Bailey
96
Parker
99
Wesloski
98
Baranowski
Passes defended
18
Bailey
18
Parker
18
Wesloski
48
Baranowski

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 Wesley Bailey’s 2023 season.

Wesley Bailey

90%match

Rutgers · 2023

#2

Jack Sullivan

Purdue · 2022

87%
#3

Jordan Porter

Bowling Green · 2023

86%
#4

Jah Joyner

Minnesota · 2024

86%
#5

Uriah Leiataua

BYU · 2020

86%

Matches Wesley on

Height
Sack rate
TFL rate

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Van Fillinger's graduate season at Utah (2024).

Van Fillinger

81%match

Utah · 2024

#2

JJ Weaver

Kentucky · 2024

81%
#3

Aaron Lewis

Rutgers · 2024

78%
#4

Jared Harrison-Hunte

SMU · 2024

77%
#5

Paris Shand

LSU · 2024

76%

Matches Van on

Class year
Weight
TFL rate

Differs from Van on

Sack rate (higher)

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Jeff Brohm

Pass share

50.2%

414 pass / 410 run

Plays / game

63.4

13 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

7.0%

314 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

2 coaches
2021
Scott Satterfield
Louisville
2022
Scott Satterfield
Louisville
2023
Jeff Brohm
Louisville
era →
2024
Jeff Brohm
Louisville
2025
Jeff Brohm
Louisville

Coaching transition mid-career: Scott Satterfield → Jeff Brohm. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownOttawa, ON
Height6'5"
Weight265 lb
Class4
PositionDL
Jersey23

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 Rutgers DL4 #9837 #10042 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Big Ten
2023 Rutgers DL4 #8008 #8767 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Big Ten
2022 Rutgers DL4 #8595 #9548 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big Ten
2021 Rutgers DL4 #10176 #10248 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big Ten

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Louisville ACC DL 4 No. 23 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Ottawa, ON
2024 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 23 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Ottawa, ON
2023 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 23 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Ottawa, ON
2022 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 23 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Ottawa, ON
2021 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 23 | 6-5 | 265 lb | Ottawa, ON