CFB Zeitgeist Score
44
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by rush yards at the 45th percentile.
Will Nixon
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
432 RUSH YDS · 3 RUSH TD · 107 CARRIES
2026 Outlook
Returning to Syracuse for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Running back · Syracuse
Returning around him
- 14% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: -10 net (19 in / 29 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Syracuse · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #34 · 2026 recruiting class #42
RB · SYRACUSE · ACC
Will Nixon
- 4
- #24
- 5-11 | 205 lb
- Waco, TX
Heisman Heat
#741
<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 RB AWARD
Doak Walker
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Development Trajectory · rushing yards
2022–2025+385%
Up 385% from first season to most-recent.
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3-star | 0.8685 | No. 714 recruit | HighSchool |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Nebraska -> Washington | 3-star | 0.8500 | 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 —
Composite
0.8685
#714 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 Will Nixon
Fan sentiment ·
Belief Meter
—
Awaiting per-cohort signal
Top Take
“”
Trajectory
Per-cohort trajectory lands when historical bucket data is aggregated.
Cohort divergence map
- Rivals · n=2
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Will Nixon
Only 2 rival mention(s) — below the 4-mention floor for a defensible read.
2025 Signature · 2025 season
Receiving TDs
0
count
All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions
National rank #476 of 531
Percentile vs All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions 10th
Why it matters
#476 of 531 All FBS WRs in receiving TDs — 0 TDs on 24 receptions.
Vs cohort
This player 0 (10th)
MODERATE · n=24 cohort 531
- Also strong
- Yards per reception#513 / 531
- Receiving yards (total)#514 / 531
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 rushing totals stand
Through 12g
432Rush yards
107Carries
3Rush TDs
Per game
36Rush yards
9Carries
0Rush TDs
Projected (13g)
468Rush yards
116Carries
3Rush TDs
To hit 750-yard season (currently 432): needs 318/game over remaining 1.
To hit 1,000-yard season (currently 432): needs 568/game over remaining 1.
To hit 1,500-yard season (currently 432): needs 1,068/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10 rushing TDs (currently 3): needs 7/game over remaining 1.
To hit 15 rushing TDs (currently 3): needs 12/game over remaining 1.
To hit 20 rushing TDs (currently 3): needs 17/game over remaining 1.
What made this player interesting
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Will Nixon's story is about how role and output meet each other. For Syracuse, the card already shows enough current-season production to explain why he is on the serious-player board, and the next layer is determining whether the profile is just very good or actually distinctive.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
RB 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?
Passing-game back against FBS RB peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Rushing
CAR
107 81st
YDS
432 74th
YPC
4.0 34th
TD
3 73rd
Receiving
REC
24 90th
YDS
173 86th
YPR
7.2 55th
TD
0 70th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 26-45@ Tennessee | 9 | 33 | 3.7 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 2 | W 27-20vs UConn | 9 | 30 | 3.3 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 3 | W 66-24vs Colgate | 12 | 66 | 5.5 | 1 | 28 | |
| Wk 4 | W 34-21@ Clemson | 10 | 46 | 4.6 | 1 | 12 | |
| Wk 5 | L 3-38vs Duke | 7 | 25 | 3.6 | 0 | 6 | |
| Wk 6 | L 18-31@ SMU | 7 | 10 | 1.4 | 0 | 3 | |
| Wk 8 | L 13-30vs Pittsburgh | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 0 | 3 | |
| Wk 9 | L 16-41@ Georgia Tech | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 1 | 8 | |
| Wk 10 | L 10-27vs North Carolina | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 0 | 13 | |
| Wk 11 | L 10-38@ Miami | 7 | 61 | 8.7 | 0 | 23 | |
| Wk 13 | L 7-70@ Notre Dame | 14 | 33 | 2.4 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 14 | L 12-34vs Boston College | 16 | 73 | 4.6 | 0 | 28 | Season-high 73 yds |
| Total | 107 | 432 | 4.0 | 3 | 28 |
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
2021Nebraska3-9HC: Scott Frost · Run-leaning
2022Washington11-2HC: Kalen DeBoer · Pass-leaning
2023Washington14-1HC: Kalen DeBoer · Pass-leaning
2024Syracuse10-3HC: Fran Brown · Pass-leaning, fast tempo
2025Syracuse3-9HC: Fran Brown · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Syracuse | 107 | 432 | 4.0 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Syracuse | 19 | 76 | 4.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Washington | 33 | 201 | 6.1 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Washington | 21 | 89 | 4.2 | 2 | -- |
| 2021 | Nebraska | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 180 | 798 | 4.4 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Syracuse | 24 | 173 | 7.2 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Syracuse | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Washington | 13 | 84 | 6.5 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | Washington | 7 | 66 | 9.4 | 0 | -- |
| 2021 | Nebraska | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 49 | 372 | 7.6 | 0 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
Opponent-adjusted rushing value. It helps separate empty volume from carries that actually move the scoreboard.
How much of the team's offense flows through this back once rushing work and receiving work are combined.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Rushing yards | 432 | #193/735 | 74th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rush TD | 3 | #204/739 | 73rd pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Yards / carry | 4.0 | #489/735 | 34th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receptions | 24 | #55/552 | 90th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 173 | #80/548 | 86th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Value | Rushing WEPA | +0.08 | #247/362 | 32nd pct | Opponent-adjusted rushing value | 96 weighted playsvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Role share | 15.3% | #171/738 | 77th pct | Share of team offensevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Carries | 107 | #143/739 | 81st pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rushing LONG | 28 | #311/733 | 58th pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 21 | #218/540 | 60th pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 7.2 | #250/548 | 55th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 0 | #169/552 | 70th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return yards | 37 | #114/200 | 44th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return avg | 12.3 | #162/199 | 19th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick returns | 3 | #85/206 | 59th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Rush share | 24.8% | #185/738 | 75th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 18.8% | #162/738 | 78th pct | Early-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 18.3% | #160/738 | 78th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 13.9% | #97/738 | 87th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 13.6% | #221/738 | 70th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 8.9% | #247/738 | 67th pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Pass share | 6.7% | #94/738 | 87th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 1 | #78/256 | 70th pct | Turnoversvs FBS RB |
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
Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 12 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 38.7 | 4.1 | 0.2 |
| Road6g | 33.3 | 3.9 | 0.3 |
Win vs Loss
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins3g | 47.3 | 4.5 | 0.7 |
| Losses9g | 32.2 | 3.9 | 0.1 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 35.0 | 3.7 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 37.0 | 4.3 | 0.2 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
44Mid-pack
Elite: receptions (83rd). Concern: yards / carry (15th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · RB · 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.
wepa_rushing0.08Low (p25–p50) (n=178)
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Will NixonSyracuseAl-Jay HendersonBuffalo· 76% simRashod DubinionApp State· 74% simSeth McGowanKentucky· 74% sim
Receptions
Rec yards
Carries
Fumbles lost
Rush yards
Rush TDs
Long run
Yards / carry
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Satellite Back
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Frank Peasant’s 2023 season.
Frank Peasant
81%match
#2
Ethan Payne
79%
#3
Edward Saydee
78%
#4
Larry McCammon III
75%
#5
Edward Saydee
74%
Matches Frank on
Weight
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Frank on
Rush TD rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Jaquez Moore's graduate season at Duke (2025).
Jaquez Moore
73%match
#2
Tavierre Dunlap
70%
#3
Rahmir Johnson
70%
#4
Kevorian Barnes
67%
#5
Oscar Adaway III
66%
Matches Jaquez on
Height
Yards / carry
Recruiting rating
Differs from Jaquez on
Receiving share (higher)
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Fran Brown
Pass share
48.6%
408 pass / 432 run
Plays / game
70.0
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
9.2%
379 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
3 coaches2021
Dino Babers
Syracuse
2022
Dino Babers
Syracuse
2023era →
Nunzio Campanile
Syracuse
2024era →
Fran Brown
Syracuse
2025
Fran Brown
Syracuse
Played under 3 different head coaches: Dino Babers, Nunzio Campanile, and Fran Brown. Multi-era developmental context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownWaco, TX
Height5'11"
Weight205 lb
Class4
PositionRB
Jersey24
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamSyracuse
ConferenceACC
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 | Syracuse | RB4 | #741 | #777 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | ACC |
| 2023 | Washington | RB4 | #345 | #241 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Pac-12 |
| 2022 | Washington | RB4 | #608 | #477 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Pac-12 |
| 2021 | Nebraska | RB4 | #2643 | #2651 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Syracuse | ACC | RB | 4 | No. 24 | 5-11 | 205 lb | Waco, TX |
| 2024 | Syracuse | ACC | RB | 4 | No. 24 | 5-11 | 205 lb | Waco, TX |
| 2023 | Washington | Pac-12 | RB | 4 | No. 24 | 5-11 | 205 lb | Waco, TX |
| 2022 | Washington | Pac-12 | RB | 4 | No. 24 | 5-11 | 205 lb | Waco, TX |
| 2021 | Nebraska | Big Ten | RB | 4 | No. 24 | 5-11 | 205 lb | Waco, TX |