CFB Zeitgeist Score
77
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 90th percentile.
Samuel Dankah
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
58 TACKLES · 1.5 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to East Carolina for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · East Carolina
Returning around him
- 51% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 1 East Carolina player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -3 net (23 in / 26 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
East Carolina · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #78 · 2026 recruiting class #77
DL · EAST CAROLINA · AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Samuel Dankah
- 4
- #7
- 6-6 | 225 lb
- Lorton, VA
Heisman Heat
#12329
<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
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
East Carolina
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3-star | 0.8478 | No. 1 recruit | PrepSchool | East Carolina |
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—
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 East Carolina
Composite
0.8478
#1 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 Samuel Dankah
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 Samuel Dankah
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
58Tackles
7Tackles for loss
1.5Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Final
58Tackles
7Tackles for loss
1.5Sacks
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Samuel Dankah is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on East Carolina's defense, with 1.5 sacks, 7.0 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
58 91st
SOLO
30 89th
TFL
7.0 94th
SACK
1.5 85th
QBH
1 44th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
3 76th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 17-24@ NC State | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 56-3vs Campbell | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0@ Coastal Carolina | 5 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 13-34vs BYU | 5 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 5 | W 28-6vs Army | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 19-26@ Tulane | 7 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 41-27vs Tulsa | 6 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 10 | W 45-14@ Temple | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 48-22vs Charlotte | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 31-27vs Memphis | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 13 | L 24-58@ UTSA | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 42-3@ Florida Atlantic | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 23-17vs Pittsburgh | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 58 | 30 | 7.0 | 1.5 | — | 3 |
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
2022East Carolina8-5HC: Mike Houston · Balanced
2023East Carolina2-10HC: Mike Houston · Balanced
2025East Carolina9-4HC: Blake Harrell · Run-leaning, fast tempo
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | East Carolina | 58 | 30 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | East Carolina | 16 | 10 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | East Carolina | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 78 | 41 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 6 | -- | -- |
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 | 58 | #433/4942 | 91st pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 7.0 | #277/4972 | 94th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 1.5 | #724/4972 | 85th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 3 | #521/2184 | 76th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 1 | #1051/1878 | 44th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 30 | #515/4584 | 89th 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 · 13 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 4.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Road6g | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins9g | 4.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Losses4g | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort
77All-Conference
Elite: tackles for loss (89th). Strength: tackles (85th).
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
Samuel DankahEast CarolinaTJ DotteryOle Miss· 90% simKeaton ThomasBaylor· 90% simJordan StringerTroy· 90% sim
Tackles for loss
Tackles
Solo tackles
Passes defended
Sacks
QB hurries
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack; controls his gap and stacks blocks.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Samuel Dankah’s 2023 season.
Samuel Dankah
82%match
#2
Aquan Robinson
68%
#3
Sterling Miles
68%
#4
Stephen Herron Jr.
67%
#5
Messiah Blair
65%
Matches Samuel on
Height
Weight
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Shamar McCollum's senior season at Georgia State (2023).
Shamar McCollum
79%match
#2
Donovan Spellman
78%
#3
Payton Wilson
BednarikButkusConsensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 3 · Pk 35
76%
#4
Jake Golday
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 19
75%
#5
Lander Barton
74%
Matches Shamar on
Class year
Weight
Sack rate
Differs from Shamar on
Height (higher)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Blake Harrell
Pass share
44.5%
440 pass / 548 run
Plays / game
76.0
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
4.7%
343 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, fast tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
2 coaches2022
Mike Houston
East Carolina
2023
Mike Houston
East Carolina
2025era →
Blake Harrell
East Carolina
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Houston → Blake Harrell. 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.
HometownLorton, VA
Height6'6"
Weight225 lb
Class4
PositionDL
Jersey7
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamEast Carolina
ConferenceAmerican Athletic
Joined2025
Career arc4 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 | East Carolina | DL4 | #12329 | #12295 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | American Athletic |
| 2023 | East Carolina | DL4 | #12153 | #12404 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | American Athletic |
| 2022 | East Carolina | DL4 | #13177 | #13154 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | American Athletic |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | East Carolina | American Athletic | DL | 4 | No. 7 | 6-6 | 225 lb | Lorton, VA |
| 2024 | East Carolina | American Athletic | DL | 4 | No. 7 | 6-6 | 225 lb | Lorton, VA |
| 2023 | East Carolina | American Athletic | DL | 4 | No. 7 | 6-6 | 225 lb | Lorton, VA |
| 2022 | East Carolina | American Athletic | DL | 4 | No. 7 | 6-6 | 225 lb | Lorton, VA |