CFB Zeitgeist Score
51
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 89th percentile.
Nahki Johnson
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
27 TACKLES · 3 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Tulsa for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Tulsa
Returning around him
- 99% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- Transfer portal: -1 net (21 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Tulsa · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #85 · 2026 recruiting class #109
DL · TULSA · AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Nahki Johnson
- 4
- #88
- 6-3 | 285 lb
- Pittsburgh, PA
Heisman Heat
#9265
<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 1 · 2-deepR03 · Backup
Backup. On the two-deep, pushing for snaps.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Heisman futures · live sportsbook odds
#29 in market ▼ from #23 · 5 books
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pittsburgh -> Tulsa | 3-star | 0.8400 | 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 Nahki Johnson
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 Nahki Johnson
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 10g
27Tackles
6.5Tackles for loss
3Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.7Tackles for loss
0.3Sacks
Projected (13g)
35Tackles
8.5Tackles for loss
3.9Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 27): needs 17.7/game over remaining 3.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 27): needs 24.3/game over remaining 3.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 3): needs 1/game over remaining 3.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 3): needs 2.3/game over remaining 3.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Nahki Johnson is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Tulsa's defense, with 3.0 sacks, 6.5 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 against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
27 69th
SOLO
5 39th
TFL
6.5 93rd
SACK
3.0 94th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 10 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 35-7vs Abilene Christian | 7 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 14-21@ New Mexico State | 4 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 23-42vs Navy | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 7-45@ Memphis | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 27-41@ East Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 37-38vs Temple | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 21-40@ Florida Atlantic | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 31-14vs Oregon State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 26-25@ Army | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 24-31vs UAB | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 5 | 6.5 | 3.0 | — | 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
2021Pittsburgh11-2HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced, fast tempo
2022Pittsburgh9-4HC: Pat Narduzzi · Run-leaning
2023Pittsburgh3-9HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced, slow tempo
2024Pittsburgh7-6HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced, fast tempo
2025Tulsa4-8HC: Tre Lamb · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tulsa | 27 | 5 | 6.5 | 3.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh | 14 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh | 3 | -- | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 50 | 11 | 9.0 | 4.0 | -- | -- | -- |
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 | 27 | #1543/4942 | 69th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 6.5 | #340/4972 | 93rd pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 3.0 | #292/4972 | 94th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 5 | #2793/4584 | 39th 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 · 10 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 3.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Road5g | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins3g | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Losses7g | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 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
Elite: sacks (88th). Strength: tackles for loss (87th). Concern: solo tackles (7th).
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
Nahki JohnsonTulsaMichael MontgomerySouthern Miss· 58% simJonJon VaughnsUCLA· 55% simJackson KuwatchMiami (OH)· 55% sim
Sacks
Tackles for loss
Tackles
QB hurries
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The 3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Divine Obichere’s 2022 season.
Divine Obichere
91%match
#2
Philip Blidi
88%
#3
Tonka Hemingway
NFL Rd 4
88%
#4
Kyler Drake
87%
#5
Martez Poynter
87%
Matches Divine on
Weight
Sack rate
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Latrell Jean's graduate season at Temple (2024).
Latrell Jean
92%match
#2
Martez Poynter
All-MAC
80%
#3
Bradley Weaver
All-MAC
77%
#4
Paris Shand
76%
#5
Dayon Hayes
76%
Matches Latrell on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tre Lamb
Pass share
45.9%
407 pass / 480 run
Plays / game
73.9
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
6.2%
357 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
3 coaches2021
Philip Montgomery
Tulsa
2022
Philip Montgomery
Tulsa
2023era →
Kevin Wilson
Tulsa
2024
Kevin Wilson
Tulsa
2025era →
Tre Lamb
Tulsa
Played under 3 different head coaches: Philip Montgomery, Kevin Wilson, and Tre Lamb. 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
Height6'3"
Weight285 lb
Class4
PositionDL
Jersey88
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamTulsa
ConferenceAmerican Athletic
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 | Pittsburgh | DL4 | #9265 | #9106 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | ACC |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh | DL4 | #11560 | #11680 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | ACC |
| 2022 | Pittsburgh | DL4 | #8400 | #8288 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh | DL4 | #7625 | #7453 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tulsa | American Athletic | DL | 4 | No. 88 | 6-3 | 285 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh | ACC | DL | 4 | No. 88 | 6-3 | 285 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh | ACC | DL | 4 | No. 88 | 6-3 | 285 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2022 | Pittsburgh | ACC | DL | 4 | No. 88 | 6-3 | 285 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh | ACC | DL | 4 | No. 88 | 6-3 | 285 lb | Pittsburgh, PA |