CFB Zeitgeist Score
58
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 63rd percentile.
Devin Hightower
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
81 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tulsa
2025UAB
2026Tulsa
LB · UAB · AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Devin Hightower
- 4
- 6-1 | 230 lb
- Twinsburg, OH
Heisman Heat
#10637
<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 LB AWARD
Butkus
—
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
—
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 | 0.8715 | No. 659 recruit | HighSchool |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UAB -> Tulsa | 3-star | 0.8400 | Immediate |
| 2025 | Rhode Island -> UAB | 3-star | Immediate |
| 2023 | Cincinnati -> -- | 3-star | Immediate |
| 2021 | Michigan State -> Cincinnati | 3-star | Immediate |
Heisman Lens · 2022 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 20Heisman 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
0.8715
#659 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 Devin Hightower
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 Devin Hightower
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 12g
81Tackles
3Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Per game
7Tackles
0.2Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
88Tackles
3.2Tackles for loss
1.1Sacks
✓ Hit 80-tackle season · finished with 81.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 81): needs 19/game over remaining 1.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 1): needs 5/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 1): needs 9/game over remaining 1.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Devin Hightower is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on UAB's defense, with 1.0 sacks, 3.0 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.
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-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
81 97th
SOLO
42 96th
TFL
3.0 80th
SACK
1.0 82nd
QBH
2 66th
Coverage & Takeaways
INT
1 65th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-42vs Alabama State | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 24-38@ Navy | 10 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 10 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 31-28vs Akron | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 24-56@ Tennessee | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 13-31vs Army | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 33-53@ Florida Atlantic | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 31-24vs Memphis | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 19-38@ UConn | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 17-24@ Rice | 9 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | L 24-53vs North Texas | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 18-48vs South Florida | 9 | 6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 31-24@ Tulsa | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 81 | 42 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
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
2021Cincinnati13-0HC: Luke Fickell · Run-leaning
2025UAB4-8HC: Trent Dilfer · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UAB | 81 | 42 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 86 | 44 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
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 | 81 | #135/4942 | 97th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 3.0 | #1006/4972 | 80th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 1.0 | #872/4972 | 82nd pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 1 | #308/869 | 65th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 2 | #647/1878 | 66th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 42 | #165/4584 | 96th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return avg | 7.0 | #406/578 | 30th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return yards | 7 | #437/578 | 25th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Fumbles recovered | 1 | #103/736 | 86th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 0 | #1/773 | 100th pct | Turnoversvs 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 Butkus 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 · 12 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 6.7 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Road6g | 6.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins4g | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Losses8g | 7.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 7.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 6.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort
58Solid starter
Elite: tackles (95th). Strength: solo tackles (94th). Concern: passes defended (17th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · LB · 2022
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
Devin HightowerUABMicah DaveyUTEP· 88% simMarcAnthony ParkerNavy· 88% simEthan WesloskiNorth Texas· 85% sim
Tackles
Solo tackles
QB hurries
Sacks
Tackles for loss
Forced fumbles
Interceptions
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Every-Down Linebacker
Leads the team in tackles and rarely leaves the field.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to TJ Quinn’s 2024 season.
TJ Quinn
91%match
#2
Rich Miller
89%
#3
Mac Uihlein
All-Big Ten
88%
#4
Mac Uihlein
87%
#5
Greg Penn III
85%
Matches TJ on
TFL rate
Sack rate
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Rich Miller's junior season at Kansas (2022).
Rich Miller
97%match
#2
Gaethan Bernadel
95%
#3
Mac Uihlein
All-Big Ten
93%
#4
London Harris
92%
#5
Jerry Roberts
91%
Matches Rich on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Trent Dilfer
Pass share
53.0%
438 pass / 389 run
Plays / game
68.9
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
8.5%
352 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coaches2021
Bill Clark
UAB
2025era →
Trent Dilfer
UAB
Coaching transition mid-career: Bill Clark → Trent Dilfer. 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.
HometownTwinsburg, OH
Height6'1"
Weight230 lb
Class4
PositionLB
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamUAB
ConferenceAmerican Athletic
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cincinnati | LB4 | #10637 | #10340 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | American Athletic |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | LB4 | #3935 | #3527 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | American Athletic |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UAB | American Athletic | LB | 4 | 6-1 | 230 lb | Twinsburg, OH |
| 2022 | Cincinnati | American Athletic | LB | 4 | 6-1 | 230 lb | Twinsburg, OH |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | American Athletic | LB | 4 | 6-1 | 230 lb | Twinsburg, OH |