CFB Zeitgeist Score
59
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by rec tds at the 87th percentile.
Will Pauling
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
381 REC YDS · 26 REC · 6 REC TD
2026 Outlook
Returning to Notre Dame for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Notre Dame
Returning around him
- 37% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 6 Notre Dame players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -8 net (7 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Notre Dame · Last season: 10-2 (AP #9) · Talent rank #9 · 2026 recruiting class #12
WR · NOTRE DAME · FBS INDEPENDENTS
Will Pauling
- 4
- #2
- 5-10 | 190 lb
- Chicago, IL
Heisman Heat
#685
<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 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career arc · Season-by-season Standing
5 seasons on the ladder
2021
Cincinnati · WR
—
2022
Cincinnati · WR
—
★
2023
Wisconsin · WR
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2024
Wisconsin · WR
—
2025
Notre Dame · WR
—
Development Trajectory · receiving yards
2021–2025+6250%
Up 6250% from first season to most-recent.
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3-star | 0.8511 | No. 1157 recruit | HighSchool |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wisconsin -> Notre Dame | 3-star | 0.8600 | Immediate |
| 2023 | Cincinnati -> Wisconsin | 3-star | 0.8600 | 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 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 —
Composite
0.8511
#1157 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 Will Pauling
Fan sentiment ·
Belief Meter
64
Mixed Sentiment
Top Take
“”
Trajectory
Per-cohort trajectory lands when historical bucket data is aggregated.
Cohort divergence map
- Own fans · n=7
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Will Pauling
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
2025 Signature · 2025 season
Yards per reception
14.7
yds
All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions
National rank #114 of 531
Percentile vs All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions 79th
Why it matters
#114 of 531 All FBS WRs at 14.7 yards per reception (26 catches).
Vs cohort
This player 14.7 (79th)
MODERATE · n=26 cohort 531
- Also strong
- Receiving TDs#55 / 531
- Receiving yards (total)#320 / 531
Signature Moment
Week 7 vs NC State — 105 ypr
Result W 36-7
The week the volume broke through — put up 105 yds vs NC State.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the receiving totals stand
Through 11g
381Rec yards
26Receptions
6Rec TDs
Per game
34.6Rec yards
2Receptions
1Rec TDs
Projected (13g)
450.3Rec yards
31Receptions
7Rec TDs
To hit 700-yard receiver (currently 381): needs 159.5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 1,000-yard receiver (currently 381): needs 309.5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 60-catch season (currently 26): needs 17/game over remaining 2.
To hit 80-catch season (currently 26): needs 27/game over remaining 2.
To hit 8 receiving TDs (currently 6): needs 1/game over remaining 2.
To hit 10 receiving TDs (currently 6): needs 2/game over remaining 2.
Why the honors trail matters
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
The useful clue on this card is not just the Heisman rank, but the broader honors spine. Will Pauling already has 1 loaded recognition item, which helps distinguish a player who is merely productive from one who is already earning selector-level validation.
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
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
Receiving weapon against FBS receiving peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Receiving
REC
26 70th
YDS
381 73rd
YPR
14.7 74th
TD
6 95th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 11 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | L 40-41vs Texas A&M | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 8 | |
| Wk 4 | W 56-30vs Purdue | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | 21 | |
| Wk 5 | W 56-13@ Arkansas | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 1 | 23 | |
| Wk 6 | W 28-7vs Boise State | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 1 | 24 | |
| Wk 7 | W 36-7vs NC State | 4 | 105 | 26.3 | 1 | 42 | Season-high 105 yds |
| Wk 8 | W 34-24vs USC | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 1 | 10 | |
| Wk 10 | W 25-10@ Boston College | 4 | 73 | 18.3 | 1 | 44 | |
| Wk 11 | W 49-10vs Navy | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | 27 | |
| Wk 12 | W 37-15@ Pittsburgh | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Wk 13 | W 70-7vs Syracuse | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 1 | 6 | |
| Wk 14 | W 49-20@ Stanford | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Total | 26 | 381 | 13.0 | 6 | 44 |
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
2021Cincinnati13-0HC: Luke Fickell · Run-leaning
2022Cincinnati9-4HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced
2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced
2024Wisconsin5-7HC: Luke Fickell · Run-leaning
2025Notre Dame10-2HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 26 | 381 | 14.7 | 6 | -- |
| 2024 | Wisconsin | 42 | 407 | 9.7 | 3 | -- |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | 74 | 837 | 11.3 | 6 | -- |
| 2022 | Cincinnati | 12 | 122 | 10.2 | 0 | -- |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 155 | 1,753 | 11.3 | 15 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Wisconsin | 1 | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | 1 | 11 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Cincinnati | 1 | -8 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 3 | 7 | -- | -- | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
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.
A blended workload view that accounts for catches, designed touches, and any return-game involvement that shapes the overall profile.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Receptions | 26 | #335/1110 | 70th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 381 | #301/1107 | 73rd pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 6 | #56/1111 | 95th pct | Scoringvs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 14.7 | #285/1106 | 74th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Pass share | 14.3% | #269/1137 | 76th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 44 | #368/1105 | 67th pct | Metricvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt returns | 1 | #182/237 | 24th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 10.6% | #202/1137 | 82nd pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 8.9% | #307/1137 | 73rd pct | Money-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 6.5% | #356/1137 | 69th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Role share | 6.1% | #351/1137 | 69th pct | Share of team offensevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 4.1% | #509/1137 | 55th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 3.5% | #630/1137 | 45th 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
Status—Awaiting tracker
Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 11 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 2.1 | 34.4 | 13.9 | 0.6 |
| Road4g | 2.8 | 35.0 | 11.5 | 0.5 |
Win vs Loss
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins10g | 2.4 | 36.8 | 13.7 | 0.6 |
| Losses1g | 2.0 | 13.0 | 6.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 2.6 | 48.6 | 17.3 | 0.6 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 2.2 | 23.0 | 9.5 | 0.5 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
59Solid starter
Elite: rec tds (86th).
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
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
Will PaulingNotre DameKevin ConcepcionTexas A&M· 68% simGermie BernardAlabama· 68% simElijah SarrattIndiana· 66% sim
Rec TDs
Yards / catch
Rec yards
Long catch
Receptions
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Deep Threat
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ahmari Huggins-Bruce’s 2023 season.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce
72%match
#2
Roderick Daniels
72%
#3
Isaiah Johnson
71%
#4
Jha'Quan Jackson
NFL Rd 6
69%
#5
Robert Lewis
68%
Matches Ahmari on
Height
TD rate
Differs from Ahmari on
EPA / play (adj) (lower)
Weight (higher)
Recruiting rating (lower)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Anthony Lowe’s path through Gardner-Webb.
Anthony Lowe
98%match
#2
Ma'jon Wright
98%
#3
Ryan Flournoy
NFL Rd 6
98%
#4
Keegan Jones
97%
#5
Braden Smith
96%
Matches Anthony on
Yards per reception
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Micah Davis's graduate season at Southern Miss (2025).
Micah Davis
65%match
#2
Brady Boyd
54%
#3
Nick DeGennaro
46%
#4
Bryce Bohanon
45%
#5
Luke Wysong
All-Mountain West
44%
Matches Micah on
Total EPA (college ability)
Weight
Yards / reception
Differs from Micah on
TD rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Marcus Freeman
Pass share
44.0%
321 pass / 409 run
Plays / game
60.8
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
4.7%
257 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coaches2021
Brian Kelly
Notre Dame
2022era →
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
2023
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
2024
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
2025
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
Coaching transition mid-career: Brian Kelly → Marcus Freeman. 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.
HometownChicago, IL
Height5'10"
Weight190 lb
Class4
PositionWR
Jersey2
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNotre Dame
ConferenceFBS Independents
Joined2025
Career arc5 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2023)
All-Big Ten
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
1 all-conference honor
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Wisconsin | Big Ten | WR |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wisconsin | WR4 | #685 | #991 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | WR4 | #468 | #594 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2022 | Cincinnati | WR4 | #2359 | #2324 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | American Athletic |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | WR4 | #1773 | #1293 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | American Athletic |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame | FBS Independents | WR | 4 | No. 2 | 5-10 | 190 lb | Chicago, IL |
| 2024 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 2 | 5-10 | 190 lb | Chicago, IL |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | WR | 4 | No. 2 | 5-10 | 190 lb | Chicago, IL |
| 2022 | Cincinnati | American Athletic | WR | 4 | No. 2 | 5-10 | 190 lb | Chicago, IL |
| 2021 | Cincinnati | American Athletic | WR | 4 | No. 2 | 5-10 | 190 lb | Chicago, IL |