CFB Zeitgeist Score
83
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 100th percentile.
Gabe Jacas
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
44 TACKLES · 11 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
New England2026 NFL rookie season
#55Rd 2 · Pick 23
New England2026 NFL rookie season
LB · ILLINOIS · BIG TEN
Gabe Jacas
- 4
- #17
- 6-3 | 275 lb
- Port Saint Lucie, FL
Heisman Heat
#6327
<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 · Season-by-season Standing
4 seasons on the ladder
2022
Illinois · LB
—
2023
Illinois · LB
—
★
2024
Illinois · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2025
Illinois · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
NFL Draft 2026 · Rd 2, Pick 23 · #55 overall · New England
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
R2 · #55
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3-star | 0.8500 | No. 1254 recruit | HighSchool | Illinois |
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—
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to Illinois
Composite
0.8500
#1254 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 2, Pick 23
#55 overall · New England
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 Gabe Jacas
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 Gabe Jacas
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
44Tackles
13.5Tackles for loss
11Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
1.1Tackles for loss
0.9Sacks
Projected (13g)
48Tackles
14.6Tackles for loss
11.9Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 44): needs 36/game over remaining 1.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 44): needs 56/game over remaining 1.
✓ Hit 6-sack season · finished with 11.
✓ Hit 10-sack season · finished with 11.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Gabe Jacas is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Illinois's defense, with 11.0 sacks, 13.5 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?
High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
44 85th
SOLO
23 82nd
TFL
13.5 99th
SACK
11.0 100th
QBH
6 94th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
1 43rd
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-3vs Western Illinois | 5 | 4 | 2.5 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 2 | W 45-19@ Duke | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0vs Western Michigan | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 10-63@ Indiana | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 34-32vs USC | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 43-27@ Purdue | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 16-34vs Ohio State | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 25-42@ Washington | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 35-13vs Rutgers | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 12 | W 24-6vs Maryland | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 10-27@ Wisconsin | 6 | 4 | 2.5 | 2.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 14 | W 20-13vs Northwestern | 4 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Total | 44 | 23 | 13.5 | 11.0 | — | 1 |
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
2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
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 | 44 | #756/4942 | 85th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 13.5 | #36/4972 | 99th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 11.0 | #9/4972 | 100th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 1 | #1241/2184 | 43rd pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 6 | #117/1878 | 94th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 23 | #839/4584 | 82nd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
ALL-CONF HM
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
ALL-CONF HM · Rung 9 of 16
Why he’s here
All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started.
What moves him up
A best-at-position run lifts to 1st team.
What moves him down
A back-end conference finish drops out of the honor list.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 3.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Road5g | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins8g | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Losses4g | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 3.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 4.0 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 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
83All-Conference
Elite: sacks (99th). Strength: tackles for loss (98th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · LB · 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
Gabe JacasIllinoisOumar DiomandeUConn· 84% simAmare CampbellPenn State· 83% simMaverick BaranowskiMinnesota· 83% sim
Sacks
Tackles for loss
QB hurries
Tackles
Solo tackles
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Matayo Uiagalelei’s 2024 season.
Matayo Uiagalelei
63%match
All-Big Ten
#2
Tomon Fox
54%
#3
Taylor Upshaw
50%
#4
PJ Ramsey
All-Mountain West
49%
#5
Xavier Carlton
All-ACC
44%
Matches Matayo on
Sack rate
Tackle volume
Weight
Differs from Matayo on
Class year (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Elijah Roberts's senior season at SMU (2023).
Elijah Roberts
78%match
All-AACNFL Rd 5
#2
Judge Culpepper
All-MAC
76%
#3
Bradley Weaver
All-MAC
73%
#4
Darius Robinson
NFL Rd 1 · Pk 27
68%
#5
Marcus Harris
67%
Matches Elijah on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Sack rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Pass share
45.6%
372 pass / 444 run
Plays / game
62.8
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
11.0%
292 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
Bret Bielema
Illinois
2023
Bret Bielema
Illinois
2024
Bret Bielema
Illinois
2025
Bret Bielema
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownPort Saint Lucie, FL
Height6'3"
Weight275 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey17
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamIllinois
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc4 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
2 all-conference honors
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Illinois | Big Ten | DE |
| 2024 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Illinois | Big Ten | DL |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Illinois | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 17 | 6-3 | 275 lb | Port Saint Lucie, FL |
| 2024 | Illinois | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 17 | 6-3 | 275 lb | Port Saint Lucie, FL |
| 2023 | Illinois | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 17 | 6-3 | 275 lb | Port Saint Lucie, FL |
| 2022 | Illinois | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 17 | 6-3 | 275 lb | Port Saint Lucie, FL |