CFB Zeitgeist Score
65
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 96th percentile.
Will Lee III
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
50 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
Carolina2026 NFL rookie season
#129Rd 4 · Pick 29
Carolina2026 NFL rookie season
CB · TEXAS A&M · SEC
Will Lee III
- 4
- #4
- 6-1 | 189 lb
- Kirkwood, MO
Heisman Heat
#9975
<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 DB AWARD
Jim Thorpe
—
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
R4 · #129
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 | 3-star | 0.8689 | No. 37 recruit | JUCO | Kansas State |
| 2021 | 3-star | 0.8228 | No. 1937 recruit | HighSchool |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kansas State -> Texas A&M | 4-star | 0.9000 | 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 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 Kansas State
Composite
0.8689
#37 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 4, Pick 29
#129 overall · Carolina
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 Will Lee III
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 Will Lee III
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
50Tackles
2Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
0.2Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
54Tackles
2.2Tackles for loss
1.1Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 50): needs 30/game over remaining 1.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 50): needs 50/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.
Will Lee III is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Texas A&M's defense, with 1.0 sacks, 2.0 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?
Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
50 88th
SOLO
40 95th
TFL
2.0 71st
SACK
1.0 82nd
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
7 96th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-24vs UTSA | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 44-22vs Utah State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-40@ Notre Dame | 6 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 5 | W 16-10vs Auburn | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 31-9vs Mississippi State | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-17vs Florida | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 45-42@ Arkansas | 7 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 9 | W 49-25@ LSU | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 11 | W 38-17@ Missouri | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 12 | W 31-30vs South Carolina | 5 | 5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 17-27@ Texas | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Bowl | L 3-10vs Miami | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | 40 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 7 |
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
2023Kansas State9-4HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning
2025Texas A&M11-2HC: Mike Elko · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Texas A&M | 50 | 40 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 7 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Kansas State | 42 | 32 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 6 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 92 | 72 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 13 | 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 | 50 | #600/4942 | 88th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 2.0 | #1443/4972 | 71st pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 1.0 | #872/4972 | 82nd pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 7 | #85/2184 | 96th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 40 | #212/4584 | 95th 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
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Thorpe 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 4.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Road5g | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins10g | 4.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Losses2g | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 3.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the CB cohort
65Solid starter
Elite: passes defended (96th). Strength: solo tackles (92nd). Concern: qb hurries (22nd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · CB · 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
Will Lee IIITexas A&MDalton JohnsonArizona· 92% simDevin LafayetteTroy· 91% simBrevin HamblinUtah State· 90% sim
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Tackles
Sacks
Tackles for loss
QB hurries
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Volume Tackler
Targeted often and asked to tackle in space on the perimeter.
CB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Damaje Yancey’s 2024 season.
Damaje Yancey
91%match
#2
Will Lee III
NFL Rd 4
86%
#3
Derrek Pitts Jr.
84%
#4
Ra'Mello Dotson
84%
#5
Derrek Pitts Jr.
83%
Matches Damaje on
PD rate
Tackle volume
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Domani Jackson's junior season at Alabama (2024).
Domani Jackson
96%match
All-SECNFL Rd 6
#2
Derrek Pitts Jr.
92%
#3
Cam Allen
92%
#4
Ajani Carter
91%
#5
Omarion Cooper
All-AAC
91%
Matches Domani on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Elko
Pass share
45.8%
407 pass / 482 run
Plays / game
68.4
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
3.8%
286 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coaches2023
Elijah Robinson
Texas A&M
2025era →
Mike Elko
Texas A&M
Coaching transition mid-career: Elijah Robinson → Mike Elko. 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.
HometownKirkwood, MO
Height6'1"
Weight189 lb
Class4
PositionCB
Jersey4
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamTexas A&M
ConferenceSEC
Joined2025
Career arc3 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 | Texas A&M | CB4 | #9975 | #9767 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | SEC |
| 2023 | Kansas State | CB4 | #7389 | #7770 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big 12 |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Texas A&M | SEC | CB | 4 | No. 4 | 6-1 | 189 lb | Kirkwood, MO |
| 2024 | Texas A&M | SEC | CB | 4 | No. 4 | 6-1 | 189 lb | Kirkwood, MO |
| 2023 | Kansas State | Big 12 | CB | 4 | No. 4 | 6-1 | 189 lb | Kirkwood, MO |