CFB Zeitgeist Score
87
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 100th percentile.
Nadame Tucker
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
55 TACKLES · 14.5 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Western Michigan for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Western Michigan
Returning around him
- 100% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- Transfer portal: +1 net (14 in / 13 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Western Michigan · Last season: 10-4 · Talent rank #105 · 2026 recruiting class #104
DE · WESTERN MICHIGAN · MID-AMERICAN
Nadame Tucker
- 4
- #11
- 6-3 | 250 lb
- New York, NY
Heisman Heat
#11704
<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 · Season-by-season Standing
4 seasons on the ladder
2022
Houston · DE
—
2023
Houston · DE
—
2024
Houston · DE
—
★
2025
Western Michigan · DE
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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—
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 Nadame Tucker
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 Nadame Tucker
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 13g
55Tackles
21.5Tackles for loss
14.5Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
1.7Tackles for loss
1.1Sacks
Final
55Tackles
21.5Tackles for loss
14.5Sacks
✓ Hit 6-sack season · finished with 14.5.
✓ Hit 10-sack season · finished with 14.5.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Nadame Tucker is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Western Michigan's defense, with 14.5 sacks, 21.5 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
55 90th
SOLO
34 92nd
TFL
21.5 100th
SACK
14.5 100th
QBH
16 100th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
1 43rd
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 6-23@ Michigan State | 5 | 5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 2 | L 30-33vs North Texas | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 0-38@ Illinois | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 14-13vs Toledo | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 47-14vs Rhode Island | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 21-3@ Massachusetts | 3 | 3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 7 | W 42-0vs Ball State | 7 | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 3.5 sacks |
| Wk 9 | L 17-26@ Miami (OH) | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 10 | W 24-21vs Central Michigan | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 17-13vs Ohio | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 35-19@ Northern Illinois | 8 | 6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 14 | W 31-21@ Eastern Michigan | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 15 | W 23-13vs Miami (OH) | 6 | 2 | 3.0 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 2.5 sacks |
| Total | 55 | 34 | 21.5 | 14.5 | — | 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
2022Houston8-5HC: Dana Holgorsen · Pass-leaning
2023Houston4-8HC: Dana Holgorsen · Balanced
2024Houston4-8HC: Dana Holgorsen · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2025Western Michigan10-4HC: Lance Taylor · Run-heavy
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Western Michigan | 55 | 34 | 21.5 | 14.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Houston | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Houston | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Houston | 1 | -- | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 65 | 40 | 23.0 | 14.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
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 | 55 | #484/4942 | 90th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 21.5 | #1/4972 | 100th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 14.5 | #1/4972 | 100th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 1 | #1241/2184 | 43rd pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 16 | #1/1878 | 100th pct | Disruptionvs 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.
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 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 · 13 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 4.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| Road6g | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins9g | 4.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| Losses4g | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.0 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DE cohort
87All-Conference
Elite: tackles for loss (99th). Strength: sacks (99th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DE · 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
Nadame TuckerWestern MichiganOumar DiomandeUConn· 90% simAmare CampbellPenn State· 89% simGideon LampronBowling Green· 88% sim
Tackles for loss
Sacks
QB hurries
Solo tackles
Tackles
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Speed Rusher
Bends the edge and wins with first-step quickness. Lighter frame, relentless motor.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Andrew Edson’s 2022 season.
Andrew Edson
83%match
#2
Jereme Robinson
82%
#3
Malachi Lawrence
All-Big 12NFL Rd 1 · Pk 23
82%
#4
David Perales
All-Mountain West
81%
#5
Jahfari Harvey
76%
Matches Andrew on
TFL rate
Weight
Sack rate
Differs from Andrew on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to David Bailey's senior season at Texas Tech (2025).
David Bailey
84%match
Consensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 1 · Pk 2
#2
Malachi Lawrence
All-Big 12NFL Rd 1 · Pk 23
84%
#3
R Mason Thomas
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 8
81%
#4
Aidan Hubbard
78%
#5
Jimmori Robinson
All-AAC
77%
Matches David on
Class year
Height
Weight
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lance Taylor
Pass share
33.3%
304 pass / 609 run
Plays / game
65.2
14 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
9.3%
248 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
2 coaches2022
Tim Lester
Western Michigan
2023era →
Lance Taylor
Western Michigan
2024
Lance Taylor
Western Michigan
2025
Lance Taylor
Western Michigan
Coaching transition mid-career: Tim Lester → Lance Taylor. 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.
HometownNew York, NY
Height6'3"
Weight250 lb
Class4
PositionDE
Jersey11
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamWestern Michigan
ConferenceMid-American
Joined2025
Career arc4 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-MAC
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
1 all-conference honor
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-MAC | all_conference | Western Michigan | MAC | DL |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Houston | DE4 | #11704 | #11936 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big 12 |
| 2023 | Houston | DE4 | #13854 | #14098 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big 12 |
| 2022 | Houston | DE4 | #12713 | #12514 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | American Athletic |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Western Michigan | Mid-American | DE | 4 | No. 11 | 6-3 | 250 lb | New York, NY |
| 2024 | Houston | Big 12 | DE | 4 | No. 11 | 6-3 | 250 lb | New York, NY |
| 2023 | Houston | Big 12 | DE | 4 | No. 11 | 6-3 | 250 lb | New York, NY |
| 2022 | Houston | American Athletic | DE | 4 | No. 11 | 6-3 | 250 lb | New York, NY |