cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Blake Thompson /Houston

Blake Thompson

DB · Houston · Sr

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

18 TACKLES · 0 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Houston for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Houston for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Defensive back · Houston

Returning around him

  • 105% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
  • 1 Houston player drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: +2 net (18 in / 16 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Houston · Last season: 10-3 (AP #25) · Talent rank #66 · 2026 recruiting class #52

DB · HOUSTON · BIG 12

Blake Thompson

  • 4
  • 6-1 | 195 lb
  • Missouri City, TX

CFB Zeitgeist Score

24

Below cohort in the position cohort. Carried by solo tackles at the 53rd percentile.

Heisman Heat

#12539

<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 1 · 2-deep

R03 · Backup

Backup. On the two-deep, pushing for snaps.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#1106 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.

PositionDB
Class4
Jersey--
Measurements6-1 | 195 lb
HometownMissouri City, TX
Primary teamHouston

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 3-star No. 1106 recruit
Composite rating 0.8650 HighSchool
Signed with Oregon State 2025
Origin Randle Richmond, TX, USA
Class Profile Context
2025 3-star | 0.8650 No. 1106 recruit | HighSchool | Oregon State

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#12539Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#12572Where 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 Oregon State

Composite

0.8650

#1106 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 Blake Thompson

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 Blake Thompson

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 8g
18Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
2Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
29Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 18): needs 12.4/game over remaining 5.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 18): needs 16.4/game over remaining 5.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 1.2/game over remaining 5.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 2/game over remaining 5.

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Blake Thompson is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Houston's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 0.0 tackles for loss, and 1 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 #12539 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 18 16 solo | #2161/4942 (56th pct)
TFL 0.0 Backfield disruption | #3020/4972 (39th pct)
Sacks 0.0 Pass-rush finish | #1762/4972 (65th pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

Defensive contributor against FBS defenders.

Balanced profile

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
18 56th
SOLO
16 71st
TFL
0.0 39th
SACK
0.0 65th

Coverage & Takeaways

INT
1 65th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 8 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 27-0vs Stephen F. Austin330.00.00
Wk 2W 35-9@ Rice110.00.00
Wk 3W 36-20vs Colorado110.00.010
Wk 5W 27-24@ Oregon State430.00.00Season-high 4 tackles
Wk 6L 11-35vs Texas Tech220.00.00
Wk 8W 31-28vs Arizona110.00.00
Wk 11W 30-27@ UCF320.00.00
Wk 14W 31-24@ Baylor330.00.00
Total18160.00.010
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

2022Iowa State4-8HC: Matt Campbell · Pass-leaning
2023Iowa State7-6HC: Matt Campbell · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Houston10-3HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
SeasonTeam
2025Houston18160.00.0--1--
2023Iowa State1160.00.02----
2022Iowa State1--0.00.01----
Career3 loaded seasons30220.00.031--
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 1 0 pick-six TD | #308/869 (65th pct)
Pass breakups 0 Coverage disruption
QB pressures 0 Quarterback hurries
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 18 #2161/4942 56th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 0.0 #3020/4972 39th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 0.0 #1762/4972 65th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Interceptions 1 #308/869 65th pct Takeawaysvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 16 #1348/4584 71st 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 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 · 8 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home4g1.80.00.00.0
Road4g2.80.00.00.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins7g2.30.00.00.0
Losses1g2.00.00.00.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-75g2.20.00.00.0
Weeks 8+3g2.30.00.00.0

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort

24Below cohort
7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: tackles for loss (7th).

Solo tackles#1348 / 2975 · 53rd pct
16defe
Interceptions#304 / 817 · 31st pct
1inte
Tackles#2161 / 2975 · 26th pct
18defe
Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct
0.0defe
QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct
0defe
Passes defended#1916 / 2975 · 18th pct
0defe
Tackles for loss#2548 / 2975 · 7th pct
0.0defe

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

Advanced Savant · DB · 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 · 7 metrics
Blake ThompsonHoustonTyler MartinMassachusetts· 59% simBlake FletcherAir Force· 51% simTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 50% sim
Solo tackles
53
Thompson
87
Martin
91
Fletcher
100
Ra-El
Interceptions
31
Thompson
31
Martin
Tackles
26
Thompson
98
Martin
99
Fletcher
99
Ra-El
Sacks
24
Thompson
24
Martin
24
Fletcher
24
Ra-El
QB hurries
22
Thompson
22
Martin
92
Fletcher
22
Ra-El
Passes defended
18
Thompson
67
Martin
67
Fletcher
91
Ra-El
Tackles for loss
7
Thompson
63
Martin
28
Fletcher
56
Ra-El

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

Player DNA

The Hybrid Nickel

Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.

S

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Arnold Azunna’s 2021 season.

Arnold Azunna

89%match

Hawai'i · 2021

#2

Alexander Teubner

Boise State · 2021

88%
#3

Ramon Henderson

Notre Dame · 2022

88%
#4

Ronnie Hamrick II

Texas State · 2023

87%
#5

Mordecai McDaniel

Florida · 2021

87%

Matches Arnold on

Tackle volume
PD rate
Height

Differs from Arnold on

Class year (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Reggie Ellis's senior season at Tulsa (2023).

Reggie Ellis

88%match

Tulsa · 2023

#2

Kosi Agina

Fresno State · 2023

88%
#3

Josh Minkins

Louisville · 2023

88%
#4

Jahari Rogers

SMU · 2023

89%
#5

Semaj Cross

Kent State · 2025

87%

Matches Reggie on

Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Willie Fritz

Pass share

41.4%

377 pass / 534 run

Plays / game

70.1

13 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

6.5%

262 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning.

Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025

2 coaches
2022
Dana Holgorsen
Houston
2023
Dana Holgorsen
Houston
2025
Willie Fritz
Houston
era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. 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.

HometownMissouri City, TX
Height6'1"
Weight195 lb
Class4
PositionDB

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 Louisiana Tech DB4 #12539 #12572 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Conference USA
2023 Iowa State DB4 #9877 #9764 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Big 12
2022 Iowa State DB4 #11113 #11023 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big 12

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Houston Big 12 DB 4 6-1 | 195 lb | Missouri City, TX
2024 Louisiana Tech Conference USA DB 4 6-1 | 195 lb | Missouri City, TX
2023 Iowa State Big 12 DB 4 6-1 | 195 lb | Missouri City, TX
2022 Iowa State Big 12 DB 4 6-1 | 195 lb | Missouri City, TX