CFB Zeitgeist Score
49
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 74th percentile.
Marques Watson-Trent
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
39 TACKLES · 1.5 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Nebraska for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Nebraska
Returning around him
- 59% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 1 Nebraska player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -3 net (16 in / 19 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Nebraska · Last season: 7-6 (AP #25) · Talent rank #20 · 2026 recruiting class #22
LB · NEBRASKA · BIG TEN
Marques Watson-Trent
- 4
- #26
- 5-11 | 225 lb
- Pittsburgh, PA
Heisman Heat
#14158
<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 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Splitting first-team reps.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career arc · Season-by-season Standing
4 seasons on the ladder
2021
Georgia Southern · LB
—
★
2022
Georgia Southern · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2023
Georgia Southern · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2025
Nebraska · LB
—
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 | 0.8000 | No. 2819 recruit | HighSchool | Georgia Southern |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Southern -> Nebraska | 3-star | 0.8500 | 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 Georgia Southern
Composite
0.8000
#2819 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 Marques Watson-Trent
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 Marques Watson-Trent
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
39Tackles
2.5Tackles for loss
1.5Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
0.2Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
46Tackles
3.0Tackles for loss
1.8Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 39): needs 20.5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 39): needs 30.5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 1.5): needs 2.2/game over remaining 2.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 1.5): needs 4.2/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.
Marques Watson-Trent is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Nebraska's defense, with 1.5 sacks, 2.5 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
39 81st
SOLO
15 69th
TFL
2.5 75th
SACK
1.5 85th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 11 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 20-17@ Cincinnati | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 68-0vs Akron | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 59-7vs Houston Christian | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 27-30vs Michigan | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-31@ Maryland | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 6-24@ Minnesota | 11 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 9 | W 28-21vs Northwestern | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 28-21@ UCLA | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 10-37@ Penn State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 16-40vs Iowa | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 22-44@ Utah | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 15 | 2.5 | 1.5 | — | 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
2021Georgia Southern3-9HC: Kevin Whitley · Run-heavy
2022Georgia Southern6-7HC: Clay Helton · Pass-heavy, fast tempo
2023Georgia Southern6-7HC: Clay Helton · Pass-leaning
2025Nebraska7-6HC: Matt Rhule · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nebraska | 39 | 15 | 2.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | 116 | 58 | 12.5 | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2022 | Georgia Southern | 105 | 44 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Georgia Southern | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 263 | 118 | 20.0 | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
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 | 39 | #937/4942 | 81st pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 2.5 | #1236/4972 | 75th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 1.5 | #724/4972 | 85th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 15 | #1434/4584 | 69th 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 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 · 11 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 2.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Road6g | 4.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins6g | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Losses5g | 4.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 3.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 4.0 | 0.3 | 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 LB cohort
49Mid-pack
Concern: passes defended (17th).
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
Marques Watson-TrentNebraskaJonJon VaughnsUCLA· 71% simMichael MontgomerySouthern Miss· 70% simJohnny Chaney Jr.Florida International· 66% sim
Sacks
Tackles
Tackles for loss
Solo tackles
QB hurries
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kolbe Fields’s 2025 season.
Kolbe Fields
82%match
#2
Keontra Smith
81%
#3
Jake Chaney
81%
#4
Brian Cavicante
79%
#5
Lawai'a Brown
79%
Matches Kolbe on
Class year
PD rate
Sack rate
Differs from Kolbe on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Rhule
Pass share
46.4%
378 pass / 437 run
Plays / game
62.7
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
9.5%
315 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
3 coaches2021
Scott Frost
Nebraska
2022era →
Mickey Joseph
Nebraska
2023era →
Matt Rhule
Nebraska
2025
Matt Rhule
Nebraska
Played under 3 different head coaches: Scott Frost, Mickey Joseph, and Matt Rhule. Multi-era developmental context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownPittsburgh, PA
Height5'11"
Weight225 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey26
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNebraska
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc5 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2024)
All-Sun Belt
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | All-Sun Belt | all_conference | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB |
| 2023 | All-Sun Belt | all_conference | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB |
| 2022 | All-Sun Belt | all_conference | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Georgia Southern | LB4 | #14158 | #14092 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | LB4 | #9537 | #10521 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2022 | Georgia Southern | LB4 | #11968 | #12357 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Sun Belt |
| 2021 | Georgia Southern | LB4 | #13578 | #13708 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Sun Belt |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nebraska | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 26 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2024 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB | 4 | No. 26 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB | 4 | No. 26 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2022 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB | 4 | No. 26 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2021 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | LB | 4 | No. 26 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |