cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Rico Flores /UCLA

Rico Flores

WR · UCLA · So · #1

Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.

274 REC YDS · 26 REC · 0 REC TD

2026 RETURNINGReturning to UCLA for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to UCLA for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Wide receiver · UCLA

Returning around him

  • 22% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • Transfer portal: +12 net (41 in / 29 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

UCLA · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #26 · 2026 recruiting class #46

WR · UCLA · BIG TEN

Rico Flores

  • 2
  • #1
  • 6-2 | 205 lb
  • North Highlands, CA

CFB Zeitgeist Score

29

Below cohort in the position cohort. Carried by long catch at the 58th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#1313

<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 WR AWARD

Biletnikoff

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 2 · Starter

R05 · Part-time starter

Part-time starter. Splitting first-team reps.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Development Trajectory · receiving yards

2023–2025
3922023
1872024
2742025

-30%

Sharp dropoff (-30%) — career inflection point.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★
#228 national
CFB
College
2 teams
2023–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.

PositionWR
Class2
Jersey1
Measurements6-2 | 205 lb
HometownNorth Highlands, CA
Primary teamUCLA

Recruiting Pedigree

How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.

Top pedigree 4-star No. 228 recruit
Composite rating 0.9170 HighSchool
Signed with Notre Dame 2023
Origin Folsom Folsom, CA, USA
Class Profile Context
2023 4-star | 0.9170 No. 228 recruit | HighSchool | Notre Dame

Transfer Arc

Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.

Portal moves 1 Programs changed on file
Latest destination UCLA 2024
Transfer stars 4-star CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility Immediate Dec 4, 2023
Season Move Context
2024 Notre Dame -> UCLA 4-star | 0.9100 | 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 16
Current nowcast#1313Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#2051Where the full season sim points
Win probability0.0%Chance to actually win the trophy
Finalist probability0.0%Chance to make the finalist tier
Ballot probability0.0%Chance to appear anywhere on a ballot
Best official finish--Best completed Heisman placement on file

Heisman 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 Notre Dame

Composite

0.9170

#228 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

PENDING

The 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 Rico Flores

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 Rico Flores

No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.

2025 Signature · 2025 season

Yards per reception

10.5

yds

All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions

National rank #393 of 531
Percentile vs All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions 26th

Why it matters

#393 of 531 All FBS WRs at 10.5 yards per reception (26 catches).

Vs cohort

This player 10.5 (26th)

MODERATE · n=26 cohort 531

  • Also strong
  • Receiving yards (total)#418 / 531
  • Receiving TDs#476 / 531

Signature Moment

Week 12 at Ohio State — 59 ypr

Result L 10-48

The week the volume broke through — put up 59 yds at Ohio State.

A 3-act season arc returns once this player has six or more games on the ledger.

Season Pace · Projection

Where the receiving totals stand

projecting to 13-game
Through 8g
274Rec yards
26Receptions
0Rec TDs
Per game
34.2Rec yards
3Receptions
0Rec TDs
Projected (13g)
445.2Rec yards
42Receptions
0Rec TDs

To hit 700-yard receiver (currently 274): needs 85.2/game over remaining 5.

To hit 1,000-yard receiver (currently 274): needs 145.2/game over remaining 5.

To hit 60-catch season (currently 26): needs 6.8/game over remaining 5.

To hit 80-catch season (currently 26): needs 10.8/game over remaining 5.

To hit 8 receiving TDs (currently 0): needs 1.6/game over remaining 5.

To hit 10 receiving TDs (currently 0): needs 2/game over remaining 5.

What made this player interesting

The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.

Rico Flores's story is about how role and output meet each other. For UCLA, the card already shows enough current-season production to explain why he is on the serious-player board, and the next layer is determining whether the profile is just very good or actually distinctive.

Current place #1313 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load 7.5% Overall usage share
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 228 recruit

2025 Season · Final

Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.

Last season

WR season snapshot

2025 season snapshot | final

2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Receptions 26 0 rec TD | #335/1110 (70th pct)
Receiving yards 274 10.5 per catch | #381/1107 (66th pct)
Scrimmage yards 274 Total offensive yardage | #381/1107 (66th pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

Receiving weapon against FBS receiving peers.

Balanced profile

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Receiving

REC
26 70th
YDS
274 66th
YPR
10.5 37th
TD
0 45th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 8 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppRECYDSAVGTDLONGNote
Wk 5L 14-17@ Northwestern44310.8018
Wk 6W 42-37vs Penn State4256.3010
Wk 7W 38-13@ Michigan State22713.5022
Wk 8W 20-17vs Maryland3155.009
Wk 9L 6-56@ Indiana45012.5018
Wk 11L 21-28vs Nebraska6528.7017
Wk 12L 10-48@ Ohio State25929.5051Season-high 59 yds
Wk 13L 14-48vs Washington133.003
Total2627411.2051
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score

Traditional history

Traditional Stats

Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.

Season rows Career row

Season context · Team result + system

2023Notre Dame10-3HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2024UCLA5-7HC: Deshaun Foster · Balanced, slow tempo
2025UCLA3-9HC: Deshaun Foster · Balanced, slow tempo
SeasonTeam
2025UCLA2627410.50--
2024UCLA1218715.61--
2023Notre Dame2739214.51--
Career3 loaded seasons6585313.12--
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Pass share

The player's share of a team's passing-game involvement. It is the fastest way to see whether the receiver is a true focal point or more of a complementary piece.

Role share

A blended workload view that accounts for catches, designed touches, and any return-game involvement that shapes the overall profile.

Peer percentile

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.

Traditional first

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.

Usage 7.5% 15.9% pass-game share | #204/1137 (82nd pct)
Return yards 0 0 return TD
Touchdowns 0 Across offense and returns | #615/1111 (45th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Receiving Receptions 26 #335/1110 70th pct Volumevs FBS WR
Receiving Receiving yards 274 #381/1107 66th pct Volumevs FBS WR
Receiving Receiving TD 0 #615/1111 45th pct Scoringvs FBS WR
Receiving Yards / catch 10.5 #700/1106 37th pct Efficiencyvs FBS WR
Usage Pass share 15.9% #204/1137 82nd pct Air-game usagevs FBS WR
Receiving Receiving LONG 51 #260/1105 77th pct Metricvs FBS WR
Usage 2nd-down usage 9.0% #164/1137 86th pct Middle-down loadvs FBS WR
Usage 3rd-down usage 8.3% #345/1137 70th pct Money-down loadvs FBS WR
Usage Standard-down usage 7.8% #164/1137 86th pct Base-situation sharevs FBS WR
Usage Role share 7.5% #239/1137 79th pct Share of team offensevs FBS WR
Usage Passing-down usage 6.9% #473/1137 58th pct Known-passing sharevs FBS WR
Usage 1st-down usage 6.6% #269/1137 76th pct Early-down loadvs FBS WR
Usage Rush share 0.0% #391/1137 66th pct Ground-game usagevs FBS WR

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

StatusAwaiting tracker

Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 8 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

REC/gYDS/gYPRTD/g
Home4g3.523.85.80.0
Road4g3.044.816.60.0

Win vs Loss

REC/gYDS/gYPRTD/g
Wins3g3.022.38.30.0
Losses5g3.441.412.90.0

First half vs Second half

REC/gYDS/gYPRTD/g
Weeks 1-73g3.331.710.20.0
Weeks 8+5g3.235.811.70.0

Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort

29Below cohort
5 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: rec tds (6th).

Long catch#230 / 558 · 58th pct
51rece
Receptions#335 / 558 · 39th pct
26rece
Rec yards#381 / 558 · 32nd pct
274rece
Yards / catch#441 / 558 · 21st pct
10.5rece
Rec TDs#482 / 558 · 7th pct
0rece

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Advanced Savant · WR · 2024

Percentile Card

Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.

P4G5All FBS
EPA / dropback
awaiting
CPOE
awaiting
Success rate
awaiting
Explosive rate (20+)
awaiting
aDOT
awaiting
Deep-ball accuracy
awaiting
Pressure-to-sack
awaiting
3rd-down EPA
awaiting
Red-zone TD rate
awaiting
Play-action EPA
awaiting
Scramble EPA
awaiting
Turnover-worthy play rate
awaiting

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

3 peers · 5 metrics
Rico FloresUCLAJacquon GibsonMassachusetts· 70% simKevin Coleman Jr.Missouri· 65% simMichael Jackson IIIPurdue· 64% sim
Long catch
58
Flores
56
Gibson
56
Jr.
16
III
Receptions
39
Flores
92
Gibson
94
Jr.
92
III
Rec yards
32
Flores
74
Gibson
84
Jr.
70
III
Yards / catch
21
Flores
15
Gibson
28
Jr.
9
III
Rec TDs
7
Flores
7
Gibson
24
Jr.
24
III

Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.

Player DNA

The Possession Receiver

Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.

WR

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ben Ratzlaff’s 2021 season.

Ben Ratzlaff

83%match

Western Kentucky · 2021

#2

Miles Burris

Charlotte · 2025

81%
#3

Tyree Kelly

Massachusetts · 2025

80%
#4

Nicholas Cenacle

Hawai'i · 2023

76%
#5

Blaine Green

Oklahoma State · 2023

76%

Matches Ben on

Yards / reception
TD rate
Total EPA (college ability)

Differs from Ben on

Reception volume (higher)

Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Ian Duarte’s path through Idaho State.

Ian Duarte

98%match

Idaho State · 2025

#2

Boobie Curry

Buffalo · 2023

96%
#3

Neno Lemay

Nicholls · 2023

96%
#4

Mark Hamper

California · 2025

96%
#5

Antwan Davis

Ball State · 2020

95%

Matches Ian on

Yards per reception

As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Tyree Kelly's junior season at Massachusetts (2025).

Tyree Kelly

77%match

Massachusetts · 2025

#2

Leo Pulalasi

Washington State · 2025

70%
#3

Kenji Christian

Toledo · 2025

68%
#4

Amir Abdur-Rahman

Ball State · 2022

68%
#5

Javon Swinton

Indiana · 2022

66%

Matches Tyree on

Yards / reception
EPA / play (adj)
Height

Differs from Tyree on

Class year (lower)
Reception volume (higher)

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Deshaun Foster

Pass share

48.9%

358 pass / 374 run

Plays / game

61.0

12 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

9.3%

280 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.

Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025

2 coaches
2023
Chip Kelly
UCLA
2024
Deshaun Foster
UCLA
era →
2025
Deshaun Foster
UCLA

Coaching transition mid-career: Chip Kelly → Deshaun Foster. 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.

HometownNorth Highlands, CA
Height6'2"
Weight205 lb
Class2
PositionWR
Jersey1

Trophy Case · Detail

Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.

Honors

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 UCLA WR2 #1313 #2051 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Big Ten
2023 Notre Dame WR2 #931 #812 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | FBS Independents

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 UCLA Big Ten WR 2 No. 1 | 6-2 | 205 lb | North Highlands, CA
2024 UCLA Big Ten WR 2 No. 1 | 6-2 | 205 lb | North Highlands, CA
2023 Notre Dame FBS Independents WR 2 No. 1 | 6-2 | 205 lb | North Highlands, CA