CFB Zeitgeist Score
51
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 63rd percentile.
Ed Smith IV
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
31 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tulane
2025South Alabama
2026Tulane
DL · SOUTH ALABAMA · SUN BELT
Ed Smith IV
- 4
- #45
- 6-3 | 296 lb
- Tuscaloosa, AL
Heisman Heat
#13150
<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 DEFENSE AWARD
Nagurski
—
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
South Alabama
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | South Alabama -> Tulane | 3-star | 0.8300 | Immediate |
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 Ed Smith IV
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 Ed Smith IV
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
31Tackles
3Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.2Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
34Tackles
3.2Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 31): needs 49/game over remaining 1.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 31): needs 69/game over remaining 1.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 5.5/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 9.5/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.
Ed Smith IV is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on South Alabama's defense, with 0.5 sacks, 3.0 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.
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?
Defensive contributor against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
31 74th
SOLO
13 65th
TFL
3.0 80th
SACK
0.5 70th
QBH
2 66th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-21vs Morgan State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 31-33vs Tulane | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 15-31@ Auburn | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 20-38vs Coastal Carolina | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 22-36@ North Texas | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 24-31@ Troy | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 14-15vs Arkansas State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 38-31@ Georgia State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 22-31vs Louisiana | 9 | 4 | 2.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 12 | W 26-14@ UL Monroe | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 42-35vs Southern Miss | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 26-49@ Texas State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 13 | 3.0 | 0.5 | — | 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
2021South Alabama5-7HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2022South Alabama10-3HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2025South Alabama4-8HC: Major Applewhite · Run-heavy
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | South Alabama | 31 | 13 | 3.0 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | South Alabama | 11 | 6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | South Alabama | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 44 | 20 | 4.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
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 | 31 | #1302/4942 | 74th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 3.0 | #1006/4972 | 80th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.5 | #1501/4972 | 70th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 2 | #647/1878 | 66th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 13 | #1622/4584 | 65th 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
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Lombardi 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 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Road6g | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins4g | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Losses8g | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 2.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort
51Mid-pack
Concern: passes defended (17th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DL · 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.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Ed Smith IVSouth AlabamaMicah DaveyUTEP· 68% simMarcAnthony ParkerNavy· 68% simDaniel WingateMaryland· 66% sim
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Tackles
Sacks
Solo tackles
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack; controls his gap and stacks blocks.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to C.J. Clark’s 2024 season.
C.J. Clark
92%match
#2
Junior Tafuna
92%
#3
Fuches Lewis II
89%
#4
Jalil Rivera-Harvey
88%
#5
Sulaiman Kpaka
88%
Matches C.J. on
Weight
TFL rate
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to DeWayne Carter's senior season at Duke (2023).
DeWayne Carter
89%match
All-ACCNFL Rd 3 · Pk 32
#2
Fuches Lewis II
88%
#3
Jalil Rivera-Harvey
88%
#4
Trent Jones II
88%
#5
Jordan Bertagnole
All-Mountain West
88%
Matches DeWayne on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Major Applewhite
Pass share
37.0%
310 pass / 527 run
Plays / game
69.8
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
7.2%
249 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coaches2021
Kane Wommack
South Alabama
2022
Kane Wommack
South Alabama
2025era →
Major Applewhite
South Alabama
Coaching transition mid-career: Kane Wommack → Major Applewhite. 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.
HometownTuscaloosa, AL
Height6'3"
Weight296 lb
Class4
PositionDL
Jersey45
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamSouth Alabama
ConferenceSun Belt
Joined2025
Career arc5 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 | South Alabama | DL4 | #13150 | #13131 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2023 | South Alabama | DL4 | #12286 | #12160 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2022 | South Alabama | DL4 | #7837 | #7799 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2021 | South Alabama | DL4 | #11447 | #11351 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Sun Belt |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | DL | 4 | No. 45 | 6-3 | 296 lb | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 2024 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | DL | 4 | No. 45 | 6-3 | 296 lb | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 2023 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | DL | 4 | No. 45 | 6-3 | 296 lb | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 2022 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | DL | 4 | No. 45 | 6-3 | 296 lb | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 2021 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | DL | 4 | No. 45 | 6-3 | 296 lb | Tuscaloosa, AL |