CFB Zeitgeist Score
86
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 98th percentile.
Zion Young
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
42 TACKLES · 6.5 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
Baltimore2026 NFL rookie season
#45Rd 2 · Pick 13
Baltimore2026 NFL rookie season
DE · MISSOURI · SEC
Zion Young
- 4
- #9
- 6-5 | 262 lb
- Atlanta, GA
Heisman Heat
#4516
<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
R2 · #45
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3-star | 0.8456 | No. 1385 recruit | HighSchool | Michigan 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 Michigan State
Composite
0.8456
#1385 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 2, Pick 13
#45 overall · Baltimore
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 Zion Young
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 Zion Young
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 13g
42Tackles
15.5Tackles for loss
6.5Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
1.2Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Final
42Tackles
15.5Tackles for loss
6.5Sacks
✓ Hit 6-sack season · finished with 6.5.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Zion Young is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Missouri's defense, with 6.5 sacks, 15.5 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 | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
42 83rd
SOLO
20 78th
TFL
15.5 100th
SACK
6.5 99th
QBH
14 100th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
2 64th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 61-6vs Central Arkansas | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 42-31vs Kansas | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 52-10vs Louisiana | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 29-20vs South Carolina | 3 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 42-6vs Massachusetts | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | L 24-27vs Alabama | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 8 | W 23-17@ Auburn | 5 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 9 | L 10-17@ Vanderbilt | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 17-38vs Texas A&M | 3 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 49-27vs Mississippi State | 4 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 6-17@ Oklahoma | 5 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 31-17@ Arkansas | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 7-13vs Virginia | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 20 | 15.5 | 6.5 | — | 2 |
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
2022Michigan State5-7HC: Mel Tucker · Balanced
2023Michigan State4-8HC: Mel Tucker · Balanced
2024Missouri10-3HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2025Missouri8-5HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-heavy
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Missouri | 42 | 20 | 15.5 | 6.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Missouri | 41 | 14 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Michigan State | 26 | 8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Michigan State | 21 | 8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 130 | 50 | 27.5 | 11.5 | 5 | -- | -- |
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 | 42 | #834/4942 | 83rd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 15.5 | #15/4972 | 100th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 6.5 | #55/4972 | 99th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 2 | #792/2184 | 64th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 14 | #5/1878 | 100th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 20 | #1029/4584 | 78th 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 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 · 13 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home9g | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Road4g | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins8g | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Losses5g | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DE cohort
86All-Conference
Elite: qb hurries (99th). Strength: tackles for loss (99th).
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
Zion YoungMissouriJohn MillerUtah State· 83% simRasheem BilesPittsburgh· 82% simMac HarrisSouth Florida· 82% sim
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Sacks
Tackles
Passes defended
Solo tackles
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 Braiden McGregor’s 2022 season.
Braiden McGregor
77%match
#2
J.T. Tuimoloau
74%
#3
Braiden McGregor
74%
#4
Patrick Payton
74%
#5
Arron Mosby
74%
Matches Braiden on
Sack rate
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Braiden on
Height (lower)
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Isaiah Smith's senior season at SMU (2025).
Isaiah Smith
78%match
All-ACC
#2
Eric Phillips
72%
#3
Jasheen Davis
70%
#4
Richard Kinley II
66%
#5
Princely Umanmielen
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 13
63%
Matches Isaiah on
Class year
Sack rate
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Eli Drinkwitz
Pass share
39.6%
360 pass / 550 run
Plays / game
70.0
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
8.4%
308 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
Eli Drinkwitz
Missouri
2023
Eli Drinkwitz
Missouri
2024
Eli Drinkwitz
Missouri
2025
Eli Drinkwitz
Missouri
Played his entire career under Eli Drinkwitz.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownAtlanta, GA
Height6'5"
Weight262 lb
Class4
PositionDE
Jersey9
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamMissouri
ConferenceSEC
Joined2025
Career arc4 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 | Missouri | DE4 | #4516 | #5387 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | SEC |
| 2023 | Michigan State | DE4 | #10462 | #10987 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2022 | Michigan State | DE4 | #11508 | #11739 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Missouri | SEC | DE | 4 | No. 9 | 6-5 | 262 lb | Atlanta, GA |
| 2024 | Missouri | SEC | DE | 4 | No. 9 | 6-5 | 262 lb | Atlanta, GA |
| 2023 | Michigan State | Big Ten | DE | 4 | No. 9 | 6-5 | 262 lb | Atlanta, GA |
| 2022 | Michigan State | Big Ten | DE | 4 | No. 9 | 6-5 | 262 lb | Atlanta, GA |