cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Tevarua Tafiti /Stanford

Tevarua Tafiti

LB · Stanford · Sr · #11

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

32 TACKLES · 2 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Stanford for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Stanford for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Linebacker · Stanford

Returning around him

  • 19% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • 2 Stanford players drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -6 net (6 in / 12 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Stanford · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #46 · 2026 recruiting class #56

LB · STANFORD · ACC

Tevarua Tafiti

  • 4
  • #11
  • 6-2 | 240 lb
  • Waipahu, HI

CFB Zeitgeist Score

72

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 80th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#9285

<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 LB AWARD

Butkus

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 1 · 2-deep

R04 · Rotational

Rotational. Earning real snaps in the rotation.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★
#264 national
CFB
College
Stanford
2022–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionLB
Class4
Jersey11
Measurements6-2 | 240 lb
HometownWaipahu, HI
Primary teamStanford

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 4-star No. 264 recruit
Composite rating 0.9079 HighSchool
Signed with Stanford 2022
Origin Punahou Honolulu, HI, USA
Class Profile Context
2022 4-star | 0.9079 No. 264 recruit | HighSchool | Stanford

Transfer Arc

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

Portal moves 0 No portal entry on file
Latest destination -- --
Transfer stars -- CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility -- Transfer date TBD
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 16
Current nowcast#9285Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#10284Where 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 Stanford

Composite

0.9079

#264 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 Tevarua Tafiti

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 Tevarua Tafiti

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.

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

Season Pace · Projection

Where the defensive totals stand

projecting to 13-game
Through 10g
32Tackles
7Tackles for loss
2Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.7Tackles for loss
0.2Sacks
Projected (13g)
42Tackles
9.1Tackles for loss
2.6Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 32): needs 16/game over remaining 3.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 32): needs 22.7/game over remaining 3.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 2): needs 1.3/game over remaining 3.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 2): needs 2.7/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.

Tevarua Tafiti is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Stanford's defense, with 2.0 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.

Current place #9285 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 264 recruit

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
Total tackles 32 15 solo | #1250/4942 (75th pct)
TFL 7.0 Backfield disruption | #277/4972 (94th pct)
Sacks 2.0 Pass-rush finish | #491/4972 (90th pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

High-disruption defender against FBS defenders.

High-disruption defender

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
32 75th
SOLO
15 69th
TFL
7.0 94th
SACK
2.0 90th
QBH
6 94th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
1 43rd

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1L 20-23@ Hawai'i000.00.00
Wk 2L 3-27@ BYU642.01.00Season-high 6 tackles
Wk 4L 20-48@ Virginia100.00.00
Wk 5W 30-29vs San José State422.00.00
Wk 7L 10-34@ SMU500.00.00
Wk 8W 20-13vs Florida State541.00.00
Wk 10L 20-35vs Pittsburgh110.00.01
Wk 11L 15-20@ North Carolina531.50.50
Wk 13W 31-10vs California200.50.50
Wk 14L 20-49vs Notre Dame310.00.00
Total32157.02.01
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

2022Stanford3-9HC: David Shaw · Balanced
2023Stanford3-9HC: Troy Taylor · Balanced
2024Stanford3-9HC: Troy Taylor · Run-leaning
2025Stanford4-8HC: Frank Reich · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Stanford32157.02.01----
2024Stanford41217.03.5--1--
2023Stanford46224.52.51----
2022Stanford110.00.0------
Career4 loaded seasons1205918.58.021--
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Disruption stats

TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.

Coverage splash

Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.

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.

INT -- -- pick-six TD
Pass breakups 1 Coverage disruption | #1241/2184 (43rd pct)
QB pressures 6 Quarterback hurries | #117/1878 (94th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 32 #1250/4942 75th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 7.0 #277/4972 94th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 2.0 #491/4972 90th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 1 #1241/2184 43rd pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 6 #117/1878 94th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 15 #1434/4584 69th 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

StatusAwaiting tracker

The Butkus 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/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home5g3.00.70.10.2
Road5g3.40.70.30.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins3g3.71.20.20.0
Losses7g3.00.50.20.1

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-75g3.20.80.20.0
Weeks 8+5g3.20.60.20.2

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort

72Solid starter
6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: qb hurries (94th). Strength: tackles for loss (89th).

QB hurries#117 / 2975 · 95th pct
6defe
Tackles for loss#277 / 2975 · 90th pct
7.0defe
Sacks#487 / 2975 · 80th pct
2.0defe
Tackles#1250 / 2975 · 57th pct
32defe
Solo tackles#1434 / 2975 · 50th pct
15defe
Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct
1defe

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

Advanced Savant · LB · 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 · 6 metrics
Tevarua TafitiStanfordRay ConeyTulsa· 74% simMaverick BaranowskiMinnesota· 73% simTreylin PayneTexas State· 73% sim
QB hurries
95
Tafiti
88
Coney
82
Baranowski
82
Payne
Tackles for loss
90
Tafiti
90
Coney
95
Baranowski
87
Payne
Sacks
80
Tafiti
80
Coney
89
Baranowski
80
Payne
Tackles
57
Tafiti
100
Coney
98
Baranowski
98
Payne
Solo tackles
50
Tafiti
93
Coney
98
Baranowski
95
Payne
Passes defended
48
Tafiti
67
Coney
48
Baranowski
67
Payne

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

Player DNA

The Thumper

Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.

LB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Charles Wiley’s 2021 season.

Charles Wiley

83%match

UTSA · 2021

#2

Jeremy Lewis

East Carolina · 2023

All-AAC
82%
#3

Alex Nobles

Florida International · 2023

74%
#4

Ty Wise

Miami (OH) · 2022

73%
#5

Cody Simon

Ohio State · 2022

NFL Rd 4
71%

Matches Charles on

Tackle volume
Weight
TFL rate

Differs from Charles on

Class year (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Jeremy Lewis's senior season at East Carolina (2023).

Jeremy Lewis

88%match

East Carolina · 2023

All-AAC
#2

Alex Nobles

Florida International · 2023

86%
#3

NaNa Osafo-Mensah

TCU · 2024

82%
#4

Josh Pearcy

Rice · 2023

81%
#5

Mikail Kamara

Indiana · 2025

All-Big Ten
80%

Matches Jeremy on

Class year
TFL rate
Weight

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Frank Reich

Pass share

50.4%

391 pass / 385 run

Plays / game

64.7

12 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

12.5%

337 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025

3 coaches
2022
David Shaw
Stanford
2023
Troy Taylor
Stanford
era →
2024
Troy Taylor
Stanford
2025
Frank Reich
Stanford
era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: David Shaw, Troy Taylor, and Frank Reich. Multi-era developmental context.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.

HometownWaipahu, HI
Height6'2"
Weight240 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey11

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 Stanford LB4 #9285 #10284 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | ACC
2023 Stanford LB4 #11565 #12455 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Pac-12
2022 Stanford LB4 #14267 #14365 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Pac-12

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Stanford ACC LB 4 No. 11 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Waipahu, HI
2024 Stanford ACC LB 4 No. 11 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Waipahu, HI
2023 Stanford Pac-12 LB 4 No. 11 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Waipahu, HI
2022 Stanford Pac-12 LB 4 No. 11 | 6-2 | 240 lb | Waipahu, HI