CFB Zeitgeist Score
71
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by rush yards at the 87th percentile.
Caleb Komolafe
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-06-22
Caleb Komolafe is a cornerstone for Northwestern — measured against the line he joined.
941RUSH YDS11RUSH TD190CARRIES
PRODUCES ABOVE PERCEPTION · PCTL GAP
+54
perception vs production percentile · 2025
Read the story so far
AI narrative · updated 2026-06-22 · compiled from CFB Zeitgeist data
2026 Outlook
Returning to Northwestern for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Northwestern
Returning around him
- 68% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 2 Northwestern players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +9 net (17 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northwestern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #57 · 2026 recruiting class #66
RB · NORTHWESTERN · BIG TEN
Caleb Komolafe
- 2
- #5
- 5-11 | 210 lb
- Katy, TX
Heisman Heat
#1257
<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
2023–2025+10356%
Up 10356% from first season to most-recent.
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northwestern
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3-star | 0.8436 | No. 1604 recruit | HighSchool | Northwestern |
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.
Achievements
- Program Benchmark 5.5% Program Benchmark Season leader for the program at the player's position across the headline volume metric (passing yards / rushing yards / receiving yards). Held by 5.5% of the 2025 pool. Team leader in rushing yards (941).
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 Northwestern
Composite
0.8436
#1604 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 Caleb Komolafe
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 Caleb Komolafe
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
2025 Signature · 2025 season
Rushing WEPA per carry
+0.200
EPA
P4 + Notre Dame RBs, min 80 carries
National rank #14 of 66
Percentile vs P4 + Notre Dame RBs, min 80 carries 80th
Why it matters
#14 of 66 P4 + Notre Dame RBs by rushing weighted- EPA per carry — +0.200 EPA/carry on 182 carries.
Vs cohort
This player +0.200 (80th)
HIGH · n=182 cohort 66
- Also strong
- Rushing yards (total)#19 / 69
- Yards per carry#37 / 69
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
941Rush yards
190Carries
11Rush TDs
Per game
78.4Rush yards
16Carries
1Rush TDs
Projected (13g)
1,019Rush yards
206Carries
12Rush TDs
✓ Hit 750-yard season · finished with 941.
To hit 1,000-yard season (currently 941): needs 59/game over remaining 1.
To hit 1,500-yard season (currently 941): needs 559/game over remaining 1.
✓ Hit 10 rushing TDs · finished with 11.
To hit 15 rushing TDs (currently 11): needs 4/game over remaining 1.
To hit 20 rushing TDs (currently 11): needs 9/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.
Caleb Komolafe's story is about how role and output meet each other. For Northwestern, 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?
Workhorse against FBS RB peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Rushing
CAR
190 96th
YDS
941 94th
YPC
5.0 62nd
TD
11 96th
Receiving
REC
11 65th
YDS
60 54th
YPR
5.5 33rd
TD
1 89th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 3-23@ Tulane | 9 | 34 | 3.8 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 2 | W 42-7vs Western Illinois | 11 | 63 | 5.7 | 0 | 24 | |
| Wk 3 | L 14-34vs Oregon | 16 | 53 | 3.3 | 1 | 8 | |
| Wk 5 | W 17-14vs UCLA | 27 | 119 | 4.4 | 1 | 13 | |
| Wk 6 | W 42-7vs UL Monroe | 13 | 75 | 5.8 | 2 | 39 | |
| Wk 7 | W 22-21@ Penn State | 19 | 72 | 3.8 | 1 | 9 | |
| Wk 8 | W 19-0vs Purdue | 12 | 67 | 5.6 | 0 | 15 | |
| Wk 9 | L 21-28@ Nebraska | 17 | 125 | 7.4 | 2 | 56 | |
| Wk 11 | L 17-38@ USC | 17 | 118 | 6.9 | 1 | 37 | |
| Wk 12 | L 22-24vs Michigan | 12 | 31 | 2.6 | 1 | 6 | |
| Wk 13 | W 38-35vs Minnesota | 22 | 129 | 5.9 | 1 | 46 | Season-high 129 yds |
| Bowl | W 34-7vs Central Michigan | 15 | 55 | 3.7 | 1 | 13 | |
| Total | 190 | 941 | 4.9 | 11 | 56 |
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
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northwestern | 190 | 941 | 5.0 | 11 | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 50 | 139 | 2.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 4 | 9 | 2.2 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 244 | 1,089 | 4.5 | 11 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northwestern | 11 | 60 | 5.5 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 5 | 33 | 6.6 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 18 | 101 | 5.6 | 2 | -- |
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 | 941 | #47/735 | 94th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rush TD | 11 | #27/739 | 96th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Yards / carry | 5.0 | #280/735 | 62nd pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receptions | 11 | #195/552 | 65th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 60 | #251/548 | 54th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Value | Rushing WEPA | +0.20 | #58/362 | 84th pct | Opponent-adjusted rushing value | 182 weighted playsvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Role share | 24.8% | #50/738 | 93rd pct | Share of team offensevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Carries | 190 | #32/739 | 96th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rushing LONG | 56 | #127/733 | 83rd pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 18 | #258/540 | 52nd pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 5.5 | #370/548 | 33rd pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 1 | #60/552 | 89th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Rush share | 43.6% | #43/738 | 94th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 27.5% | #56/738 | 93rd pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 27.2% | #31/738 | 96th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 24.8% | #84/738 | 89th pct | Early-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 20.3% | #25/738 | 97th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 18.0% | #32/738 | 96th pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Pass share | 3.7% | #253/738 | 66th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 0 | #1/256 | 100th 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home8g | 74.0 | 4.6 | 0.9 |
| Road4g | 87.2 | 5.5 | 1.0 |
Win vs Loss
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins7g | 82.9 | 5.0 | 0.9 |
| Losses5g | 72.2 | 4.8 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 67.3 | 4.4 | 0.9 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 94.0 | 5.7 | 1.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
71Solid starter
Elite: rush tds (91st). Strength: carries (90th).
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_rushing0.2High (p75–p90) (n=178)
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Caleb KomolafeNorthwesternKentrel BullockSouth Alabama· 93% simBill DavisLouisiana· 86% simTJ HardenSMU· 86% sim
Rush TDs
Carries
Rush yards
Fumbles lost
Long run
Yards / carry
Receptions
Rec yards
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Khalan Laborn’s 2022 season.
Khalan Laborn
85%match
All-Sun Belt
#2
Sire Gaines
79%
#3
Makhi Hughes
All-AAC
79%
#4
Billy Lucas
77%
#5
Spencer Brown
74%
Matches Khalan on
Receiving share
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Rush TD rate
Differs from Khalan on
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to DeCarlos Brooks’s path through Arizona State.
DeCarlos Brooks
97%match
#2
Gerrid Doaks
All-AACNFL Rd 7
96%
#3
Coleman Bennett
All-Conference USA
92%
#4
Antonio Harris
92%
#5
Caden Williams
92%
Matches DeCarlos on
Height
Weight
Yards per carry
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Bryson Washington's junior season at Baylor (2025).
Bryson Washington
73%match
All-Big 12
#2
Billy Lucas
68%
#3
Broc Lowry
All-MAC
65%
#4
Kamari Moulton
67%
#5
Abu Sama III
67%
Matches Bryson on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Height
Differs from Bryson on
Rush TD rate (higher)
Receiving share (lower)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Pass share
46.0%
378 pass / 444 run
Plays / game
63.2
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
5.1%
255 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
David Braun
Northwestern
2024
David Braun
Northwestern
2025
David Braun
Northwestern
Played his entire career under David Braun.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownKaty, TX
Height5'11"
Weight210 lb
Class2
PositionRB
Jersey5
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNorthwestern
ConferenceBig Ten
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 | Northwestern | RB2 | #1257 | #1600 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Northwestern | RB2 | #2227 | #2235 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northwestern | Big Ten | RB | 2 | No. 5 | 5-11 | 210 lb | Katy, TX |
| 2024 | Northwestern | Big Ten | RB | 2 | No. 5 | 5-11 | 210 lb | Katy, TX |
| 2023 | Northwestern | Big Ten | RB | 2 | No. 5 | 5-11 | 210 lb | Katy, TX |