CFB Zeitgeist Score
50
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 96th percentile.
Jacob Finley
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
57 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Cincinnati
2025Northern Illinois
2026Cincinnati
CB · NORTHERN ILLINOIS · MID-AMERICAN
Jacob Finley
- 3
- #3
- 5-11 | 184 lb
- Birmingham, AL
Heisman Heat
#11259
<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 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northern Illinois
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3-star | 0.8206 | No. 1884 recruit | HighSchool | Northern Illinois |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northern Illinois -> Cincinnati | 3-star | 0.8600 | 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.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to Northern Illinois
Composite
0.8206
#1884 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 Jacob Finley
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 Jacob Finley
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 11g
57Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
5Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
67Tackles
0.6Tackles for loss
0Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 57): needs 11.5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 57): needs 21.5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 3/game over remaining 2.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 5/game over remaining 2.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Jacob Finley is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Northern Illinois's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 0.5 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?
Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
57 91st
SOLO
34 92nd
TFL
0.5 47th
SACK
0.0 65th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
7 96th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 11 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 19-17vs Holy Cross | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 9-20@ Maryland | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 4 | L 10-38@ Mississippi State | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 3-6vs San Diego State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | L 14-25vs Miami (OH) | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 10-16@ Eastern Michigan | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 21-48@ Ohio | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 3-42@ Toledo | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 12 | W 45-3@ Massachusetts | 14 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 14 tackles |
| Wk 13 | L 19-35vs Western Michigan | 5 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 14 | L 31-35vs Kent State | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Total | 57 | 34 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 7 |
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
2022Northern Illinois3-9HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-leaning
2023Northern Illinois7-6HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-leaning
2025Northern Illinois3-9HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-heavy, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Illinois | 57 | 34 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 7 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northern Illinois | 33 | 24 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Northern Illinois | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 94 | 61 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 11 | -- | -- |
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 | 57 | #449/4942 | 91st pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 0.5 | #2658/4972 | 47th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.0 | #1762/4972 | 65th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 7 | #85/2184 | 96th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 34 | #386/4584 | 92nd 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 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 · 11 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Road6g | 6.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins2g | 8.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Losses9g | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 7.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the CB cohort
50Mid-pack
Elite: passes defended (96th). Strength: solo tackles (86th). Concern: tackles for loss (18th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · CB · 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
Jacob FinleyNorthern IllinoisTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 83% simDalton JohnsonArizona· 79% simTyler MartinMassachusetts· 78% sim
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Tackles
Sacks
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Volume Tackler
Targeted often and asked to tackle in space on the perimeter.
CB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Montre Miller’s 2022 season.
Montre Miller
85%match
#2
Simeon Harris
84%
#3
Chandler Rivers
NFL Rd 5
83%
#4
Jon Johnson
83%
#5
David Fisher
83%
Matches Montre on
PD rate
Height
Class year
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Christian Harrison's senior season at Cincinnati (2025).
Christian Harrison
84%match
#2
Simeon Harris
80%
#3
Jaden Mickey
80%
#4
Andru Phillips
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 6
80%
#5
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 29
79%
Matches Christian on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Thomas Hammock
Pass share
33.0%
244 pass / 495 run
Plays / game
61.6
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
7.3%
234 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coach2022
Thomas Hammock
Northern Illinois
2023
Thomas Hammock
Northern Illinois
2025
Thomas Hammock
Northern Illinois
Played his entire career under Thomas Hammock.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownBirmingham, AL
Height5'11"
Weight184 lb
Class3
PositionCB
Jersey3
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNorthern Illinois
ConferenceMid-American
Joined2025
Career arc4 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 | Northern Illinois | CB3 | #11259 | #11241 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Mid-American |
| 2023 | Northern Illinois | CB3 | #11429 | #11437 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Mid-American |
| 2022 | Northern Illinois | CB3 | #14806 | #14893 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Mid-American |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Illinois | Mid-American | CB | 3 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 184 lb | Birmingham, AL |
| 2024 | Northern Illinois | Mid-American | CB | 3 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 184 lb | Birmingham, AL |
| 2023 | Northern Illinois | Mid-American | CB | 3 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 184 lb | Birmingham, AL |
| 2022 | Northern Illinois | Mid-American | CB | 3 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 184 lb | Birmingham, AL |