Senior defensive end for Clemson. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′6″ · 260 lb · Carmel, IN · Carmel HS // Purdue
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Bull-rushes through contact at the point of attack.
Sacks: 100th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 tackles, vs North Carolina
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive end for Clemson. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Buzz vs Tape
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 22.9 points in belief.
Will Heldt
Bull-rushes through contact at the point of attack. Will Heldt has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-ACC. The receipt: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against LSU — Week 1, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 4 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-ACC
All-ACC mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Dabo Swinney.
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 10-51@ LSU | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 22-7vs Georgia Southern | 3 | 3 | 3.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 3 | W 28-20vs North Carolina | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Total | 10 | 8 | 6.0 | 4.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 28–20
2 sacks · 2 tackles for loss · 3 tackles
With T. Reynolds — 215 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 58.7 · 26 rush yds (11 car) · J. Smith — 39.8 yards per punt · 4 punts · 46 long
Since week 2: +2 sacks, +2 tackles for loss, +3 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (100th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (99th percentile). Concern: tackles (8th percentile).
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.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Sack rate
40%4 sacksTFL rate
60%6 TFLHurry rate
10%1 hurriesPressure-to-sack conversion
80%4 of 5 pressures10 tackles · 6 for loss · 4 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.3 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dabo Swinney
Pass share
46.4%
85 pass / 98 run
Plays / game
61.0
3 games
Team sack rate
8.9%
101 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-ACC
Based on 2025: #4 of 15 ACC DEs
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Play style
Bull-rushes through contact, winning with size and length at the point of attack.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Bull-rushes through contact, winning with size and length at the point of attack.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Nathan Latu’s 2022 season.
Matches Nathan on
Differs from Nathan on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Princewill Umanmielen's senior season at LSU (2026).
Matches Princewill on
Differs from Princewill on
Player DNA
17 more on the roster · Clemson team page