cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Dontae Pollard /Temple

Dontae Pollard

S · Temple · Sr · #31

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

36 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Temple for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Temple for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Safety · Temple

Returning around him

  • 100% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
  • Transfer portal: -2 net (23 in / 25 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Temple · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #113 · 2026 recruiting class #123

S · TEMPLE · AMERICAN ATHLETIC

Dontae Pollard

  • 4
  • #31
  • 5-10 | 180 lb
  • Pittsburgh, PA

CFB Zeitgeist Score

40

Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 51st percentile.

Heisman Heat

#14447

<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 2 · Starter

R05 · Part-time starter

Part-time starter. Splitting first-team reps.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
No recruit profile
CFB
College
2 teams
2022–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.

PositionS
Class4
Jersey31
Measurements5-10 | 180 lb
HometownPittsburgh, PA
Primary teamTemple

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree Not on file No matched recruiting profile in the loaded archive
Composite rating -- Composite rating unavailable for this player
Signed with -- Commitment history unavailable
Origin -- Hometown and high school unavailable
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.

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 · 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 20
Current nowcast#14447Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#14533Where 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.

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 Dontae Pollard

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 Dontae Pollard

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 10g
36Tackles
1Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
0.1Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
47Tackles
1.3Tackles for loss
0.7Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 36): needs 14.7/game over remaining 3.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 36): needs 21.3/game over remaining 3.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 1.8/game over remaining 3.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 3.2/game over remaining 3.

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Dontae Pollard is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Temple's defense, with 0.5 sacks, 1.0 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.

Current place #14447 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 36 20 solo | #1060/4942 (79th pct)
TFL 1.0 Backfield disruption | #2051/4972 (59th pct)
Sacks 0.5 Pass-rush finish | #1501/4972 (70th 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
36 79th
SOLO
20 78th
TFL
1.0 59th
SACK
0.5 70th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 42-10@ Massachusetts200.00.00
Wk 2W 55-7vs Howard320.00.00
Wk 3L 3-42vs Oklahoma210.00.00
Wk 4L 24-45@ Georgia Tech620.00.00Season-high 6 tackles
Wk 6W 27-21vs UTSA650.00.00
Wk 7L 31-32vs Navy530.00.00
Wk 8W 49-14@ Charlotte210.50.00
Wk 9W 38-37@ Tulsa530.50.50
Wk 10L 14-45vs East Carolina110.00.00
Wk 14L 25-52@ North Texas420.00.00
Total36201.00.50
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

2022Akron2-10HC: Joe Moorhead · Pass-leaning
2025Temple5-7HC: K.C. Keeler · Balanced, slow tempo
SeasonTeam
2025Temple36201.00.5------
2022Akron320.00.0------
Career2 loaded seasons39221.00.5------
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 -- -- pick-six TD
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 36 #1060/4942 79th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 1.0 #2051/4972 59th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 0.5 #1501/4972 70th 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

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 · 10 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home5g3.40.00.00.0
Road5g3.80.20.10.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins5g3.60.20.10.0
Losses5g3.60.00.00.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-76g4.00.00.00.0
Weeks 8+4g3.00.20.10.0

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the S cohort

40Mid-pack
6 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: passes defended (17th).

Solo tackles#1029 / 2975 · 64th pct
20defe
Tackles#1060 / 2975 · 64th pct
36defe
Sacks#1367 / 2975 · 51st pct
0.5defe
Tackles for loss#1936 / 2975 · 28th pct
1.0defe
QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct
0defe
Passes defended#1916 / 2975 · 18th pct
0defe

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

Advanced Savant · S · 2022

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 · 6 metrics
Dontae PollardTempleTyler MartinMassachusetts· 68% simJonJon VaughnsUCLA· 67% simDevin LafayetteTroy· 62% sim
Solo tackles
64
Pollard
87
Martin
96
Vaughns
98
Lafayette
Tackles
64
Pollard
98
Martin
99
Vaughns
99
Lafayette
Sacks
51
Pollard
24
Martin
63
Vaughns
63
Lafayette
Tackles for loss
28
Pollard
63
Martin
85
Vaughns
56
Lafayette
QB hurries
22
Pollard
22
Martin
22
Vaughns
22
Lafayette
Passes defended
18
Pollard
67
Martin
48
Vaughns
91
Lafayette

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 Jalen Jordan’s 2023 season.

Jalen Jordan

82%match

South Alabama · 2023

#2

AJ Edwards

Texas State · 2023

82%
#3

Joshua Pierre-Louis

Marshall · 2025

81%
#4

Ricky Thomas

Kansas · 2021

80%
#5

Bryce Anderson

Texas A&M · 2022

80%

Matches Jalen on

PD rate
Tackle volume
Weight

Differs from Jalen on

Height (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Raymond Gay II's senior season at Oklahoma State (2025).

Raymond Gay II

90%match

Oklahoma State · 2025

#2

Maddix Blackwell

Central Michigan · 2025

88%
#3

Jalen Jordan

South Alabama · 2023

88%
#4

Joshua Pierre-Louis

Marshall · 2025

87%
#5

Ladarius Tennison

Ole Miss · 2023

87%

Matches Raymond on

Class year
Height
PD rate

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

K.C. Keeler

Pass share

47.0%

348 pass / 392 run

Plays / game

61.7

12 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

7.5%

254 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.

Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025

2 coaches
2022
Stan Drayton
Temple
2025
K.C. Keeler
Temple
era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Stan Drayton → K.C. Keeler. 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.

HometownPittsburgh, PA
Height5'10"
Weight180 lb
Class4
PositionS
Jersey31

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
2022 Akron S4 #14447 #14533 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Mid-American

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Temple American Athletic S 4 No. 31 | 5-10 | 180 lb | Pittsburgh, PA
2022 Akron Mid-American S 4 No. 31 | 5-10 | 180 lb | Pittsburgh, PA