Nelson Ceaser

Junior defensive lineman for Houston. 2023: 7 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 36 tackles.

DL · Houston · Jr. · #9

6′3″ · 250 lb · Missouri City, TX

CFB Index 65 · #122 of 418 edge rushersLow confidenceAll-Conf 1st teamHouston 2023 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

WDE recruit

No. 463 nationally · Signed with Ridge Point

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

3 defensive lineman for Houston. 2023: 7 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 36 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ridge Point in 2019.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Houston, 15 sacks, a first-team All-Conference season (2023) — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2019

Recruited3-star out of Ridge Point

202310 games

All-Big 12first

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#463 national

CFB

College

Houston

2020–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🥈

ALL-BIG 12 · 1ST TEAM

All-Big 12 1st team (2023)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2023

1 coach

2020–2023

Dana Holgorsen

Houston

Played his entire career under Dana Holgorsen.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Dana Holgorsen — 27-20 over that span.

2020Houston3-5HC: Dana Holgorsen · Balanced, fast tempo

2021Houston12-2HC: Dana Holgorsen · Balanced

2022Houston8-5HC: Dana Holgorsen · Pass-leaning

2023Houston4-8HC: Dana Holgorsen · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

65Quality starter #122 of 418?

Medium confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (98th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (96th percentile). Concern: passes defended (19th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Sacks#58 / 2842 · 98th pct

7.0

Tackles for loss#118 / 2842 · 96th pct

10.0

QB hurries#369 / 2842 · 83rd pct

Solo tackles#873 / 2842 · 68th pct

Tackles#1034 / 2842 · 63rd pct

Passes defended#1751 / 2842 · 19th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	3.6	0.9	0.5	0.0
Road3g	3.7	1.3	1.2	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	3.6	0.8	0.5	0.0
Weeks 8+5g	3.6	1.2	0.9	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Willie Fritz

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

All-Conference 1st team

First team in his league at the position.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

65 · #122 of 418 edge rushers

Three-star recruit. Now #122 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Houston	36	23	10.0	7.0	--	--	--
2022	Houston	34	16	10.0	4.0	2	1	--
2021	Houston	22	13	4.0	3.5	--	--	--
2020	Houston	1	--	0.5	0.5	--	--	--
Career		93	52	24.5	15.0	2	1	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2023

W 41–39

vs West Virginia

4 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 TFL

Edged out West Virginia at home in a shootout.

With D. Smith — 253 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 84.4 · 34 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD · M. Golden — 3 rec · 34 yds

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	Note
Wk 1	W 17-14vs UTSA	4	3	1.0	1.0	—
Wk 3	L 13-36vs TCU	6	3	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 4	W 38-7vs Sam Houston	2	0	1.0	0.5	—
Wk 5	L 28-49@ Texas Tech	2	2	1.0	1.0	—
Wk 7	W 41-39vs West Virginia	4	3	1.0	0.0	—
Wk 8	L 24-31vs Texas	3	1	1.0	1.0	—
Wk 10	W 25-24@ Baylor	8	6	2.5	2.5	—	Season-high 8 tackles
Wk 11	L 14-24vs Cincinnati	4	4	1.0	1.0	—
Wk 12	L 30-43vs Oklahoma State	2	1	1.0	0.0	—
Wk 13	L 13-27@ UCF	1	0	0.5	0.0	—
Total		36	23	10.0	7.0	—

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology