CFB Zeitgeist Score
11
Below cohort in the position cohort. Carried by yards / carry at the 15th percentile.
David Mbadinga
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
196 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 49 CARRIES
2026 Outlook
Returning to Georgia Southern for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Georgia Southern
Returning around him
- 92% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- Transfer portal: -1 net (17 in / 18 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Georgia Southern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #93 · 2026 recruiting class #80
RB · GEORGIA SOUTHERN · SUN BELT
David Mbadinga
- 3
- #6
- 5-7 | 190 lb
- Atlanta, GA
Heisman Heat
#3144
<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 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Development Trajectory · rushing yards
2023–2025+75%
Up 75% from first season to most-recent.
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Georgia Southern
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 |
|---|---|---|
| No recruiting profile is on file for this player. | ||
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.
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 David Mbadinga
Fan sentiment ·
Belief Meter
—
Awaiting per-cohort signal
Top Take
“”
Trajectory
Per-cohort trajectory lands when historical bucket data is aggregated.
Cohort divergence map
- National · n=2
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about David Mbadinga
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 rushing totals stand
Through 7g
196Rush yards
49Carries
1Rush TDs
Per game
28Rush yards
7Carries
0Rush TDs
Projected (13g)
364Rush yards
91Carries
2Rush TDs
To hit 750-yard season (currently 196): needs 92.3/game over remaining 6.
To hit 1,000-yard season (currently 196): needs 134/game over remaining 6.
To hit 1,500-yard season (currently 196): needs 217.3/game over remaining 6.
To hit 10 rushing TDs (currently 1): needs 1.5/game over remaining 6.
To hit 15 rushing TDs (currently 1): needs 2.3/game over remaining 6.
To hit 20 rushing TDs (currently 1): needs 3.2/game over remaining 6.
What made this player interesting
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
David Mbadinga's story is about how role and output meet each other. For Georgia Southern, 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?
Backfield contributor against FBS RB peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Rushing
CAR
49 58th
YDS
196 54th
YPC
4.0 34th
TD
1 56th
Receiving
REC
5 43rd
YDS
18 28th
YPR
3.6 13th
TD
0 70th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 7 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 14-42@ Fresno State | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Wk 2 | L 20-59@ USC | 11 | 39 | 3.5 | 0 | 11 | Season-high 39 yds |
| Wk 3 | W 41-34vs Jacksonville State | 8 | 26 | 3.3 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 4 | W 45-17vs Maine | 7 | 36 | 5.1 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 5 | L 10-35@ James Madison | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 7 | L 35-38vs Southern Miss | 8 | 28 | 3.5 | 1 | 6 | |
| Wk 8 | W 41-24vs Georgia State | 8 | 33 | 4.1 | 0 | 16 | |
| Total | 49 | 196 | 4.2 | 1 | 16 |
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
2023Georgia Southern6-7HC: Clay Helton · Pass-leaning
2025Georgia Southern7-6HC: Clay Helton · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | 49 | 196 | 4.0 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | 22 | 112 | 5.1 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 71 | 308 | 4.3 | 3 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | 5 | 18 | 3.6 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | 6 | 30 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 11 | 48 | 4.4 | 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 | 196 | #342/735 | 54th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rush TD | 1 | #323/739 | 56th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Yards / carry | 4.0 | #489/735 | 34th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receptions | 5 | #315/552 | 43rd pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 18 | #394/548 | 28th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Value | Rushing WEPA | +0.06 | #279/362 | 23rd pct | Opponent-adjusted rushing value | 42 weighted playsvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Role share | 11.7% | #263/738 | 64th pct | Share of team offensevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Carries | 49 | #314/739 | 58th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rushing LONG | 16 | #448/733 | 39th pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 9 | #425/540 | 21st pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 3.6 | #479/548 | 13th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 0 | #169/552 | 70th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return avg | 6.0 | #188/199 | 6th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return yards | 6 | #189/200 | 6th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick returns | 1 | #139/206 | 33rd pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Rush share | 21.7% | #234/738 | 68th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 15.6% | #219/738 | 70th pct | Early-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 13.5% | #253/738 | 66th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 8.8% | #389/738 | 47th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 8.1% | #288/738 | 61st pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 7.5% | #313/738 | 58th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Pass share | 2.5% | #359/738 | 51st pct | Air-game usagevs 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 · 7 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 30.8 | 4.0 | 0.2 |
| Road3g | 24.3 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins3g | 31.7 | 4.2 | 0.0 |
| Losses4g | 25.2 | 4.2 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 27.2 | 4.2 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 33.0 | 4.1 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
11Below cohort
Concern: long run (5th).
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_rushing0.06Below (<p25) (n=178)
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
David MbadingaGeorgia SouthernTae MeadowsTroy· 50% simChavon WrightNorthern Illinois· 50% simJordan BrunsonMiami (OH)· 49% sim
Receptions
Yards / carry
Rush TDs
Rec yards
Carries
Rush yards
Long run
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 Jamari Ferrell’s 2023 season.
Jamari Ferrell
70%match
#2
Jamari Ferrell
71%
#3
Bryan Hill
71%
#4
Joshua Fields
62%
#5
Keyon Mozee
63%
Matches Jamari on
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)
Weight
Differs from Jamari on
Height (lower)
Receiving share (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Josh Johnson’s path through UL Monroe.
Josh Johnson
97%match
#2
Harry Trotter
96%
#3
Damonta Witherspoon
96%
#4
Rakeem Boyd
95%
#5
Ayden Pereira
90%
Matches Josh on
Yards per carry
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Ford's junior season at Tulsa (2023).
Jordan Ford
78%match
#2
Ja'Vin Simpkins
73%
#3
Alexander Diggs
69%
#4
Gavin Garcia
67%
#5
Javaughn Williams
67%
Matches Jordan on
Yards / carry
Weight
Rush TD rate
Differs from Jordan on
Height (lower)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clay Helton
Pass share
48.9%
429 pass / 448 run
Plays / game
67.5
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
8.6%
325 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
Clay Helton
Georgia Southern
2025
Clay Helton
Georgia Southern
Played his entire career under Clay Helton.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownAtlanta, GA
Height5'7"
Weight190 lb
Class3
PositionRB
Jersey6
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamGeorgia Southern
ConferenceSun Belt
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 | Georgia Southern | RB3 | #3144 | #3117 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | RB3 | #2005 | #2539 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Sun Belt |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | RB | 3 | No. 6 | 5-7 | 190 lb | Atlanta, GA |
| 2024 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | RB | 3 | No. 6 | 5-7 | 190 lb | Atlanta, GA |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | RB | 3 | No. 6 | 5-7 | 190 lb | Atlanta, GA |