3identity shift
Marshall's fanbase identity is shifting
Tony Gibson begins his tenure at Marshall with a 5-7 losing record to inherit, as the program's identity hinges on its ability to resurrect its storied past.
Marshall5-7Latest
Marshall fans are split on what comes next.
belief cooled ↓ 17.7vs prior week
Fanbase belief
Mixed
52/100 · 38 mentions
~ our readGrounding
backed by facts
10% cite a stat · 6% typical ✓ counted
~ our readVolatility
Chaotic
σ 32 pts
~ our readThe model
#77
CFB Zeitgeist · +0.0
✓ measured3Hope-Doping·Offseason
Marshall is the program that buried a team in 1970 and built a champion out of the grief — a place where football is a memorial, and where rebuilding from nothing is the oldest thing it knows how to do.
Title DroughtSince 2024 · 1 yrs
Marshall doesn't need a national villain — the fanbase carries its own standard, set in 1970 and proven every time the program rebuilds from nothing and wins anyway.
offseason · quiet
Roster Reload - Marshall
2026 snapshot - 2026-08-06Returning Production100%High continuity
Talent Composite#89 nationally247 composite 590.6
Portal Additions27Primary repair: IOL
Portal Losses22Primary pressure: LB
Draft Loss0No NFL Draft departures recorded
Recruiting Reload#123Depth class
DLin 5 - Terry Nwabuisi-Ezealaout 5 - Sid KabaEven
current room: 295 lbs avg (2025 roster)
CBin 4 - Brayden Hallout 3 - Tayvon NelsonUpgrade
current room: 190 lbs avg (2025 roster)
RBin 3 - Jamarion Wilcoxout 3 - Michael AllenEven
current room: 201 lbs avg (2025 roster)
IOLin 3 - Jaquez Joinerout 1 - Henry HardenNeed Filled
current room: 308 lbs avg (2025 roster)
WRin 3 - Christian Hamiltonout 1 - K.J. JonesNeed Filled
current room: 189 lbs avg (2025 roster)
EDGEin 2 - Keydel Painterout 1 - Paul Hutson IIIUpgrade
Belief EKG
WinLoss · hover for scorePrior seasons
Approaching
30 days
until kickoff · at Penn State · Sat Sep 5 · 19:30 UTC
The experience
Marshall is the program whose 1970 plane-crash tragedy + 'We Are Marshall' film + Bob Pruett dynasty + Randy Moss / Chad Pennington era + 2024 Sun Belt championship define what football-resurrection looks like.
Offense: SolidRun/Pass: Run-heavy, ground-controlTempo: Methodical, ball-control
Marshall's 2026 Season Projected to Reach 10-3 with Strong Transfer Influx
Marshall enters the 2026 season with a high continuity roster and a net portal importer profile, bolstered by 27 transfers adding 78.66 points of value.
- Roster reloadThe team's returning_total_pct is 100, indicating no significant player losses, and the transfer_in_total of 27 players adds depth across multiple positions.
Data as of 2026-08-03
·
Validated against program evidence
Marco the Bison is patient.
Marshall · the story right now
13 storylines developing
What Marshall's transfer portal class is really about
the open questionis the portal class enough to move the needle?
portal2025-07-21~readnew
Khalil Wilkins arrives as Tony Gibson's first QB addition in his debut season — a calculated move for a 5-7 team with 100% production returning.
what happenedMarshall signed a top-36 transfer-portal class — 52 additions headlined by Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (QB) from Syracuse and Zion Turner (QB) from Jacksonville State. ✓ fact
the contexttied for the largest transfer-portal haul in FBS this cycle (52 additions)
narrative tension · our read
coachingthis cycle~readnew
Tony Gibson inherits Charles Huff's 5-7 roster but takes over a program built on football-resurrection with 100% production returning and a Sun Belt title within reach.
what happenedTony Gibson took over as Marshall's head coach, replacing Charles Huff. ✓ fact
the contextreplaces 4-year head coach Charles Huff (31-18)
narrative tension · our read
money downthis cycle✓ factnew
Demarcus Lacey is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Adrian Norton is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
garbage timethis cycle~attributednew
Antwan Roberts: a garbage time merchant signal screened this season.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
De'Andre Tamarez is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Demarcus Lacey is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
closerthis cycle~attributednew
Michael Allen: a closer signal screened this season.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Toby Payne is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Tony Gibson begins his tenure at Marshall with a 5-7 losing record to overcome, as the program seeks to revive its storied football legacy.
what happenedMarshall: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
identitythis cycle~readnew
Tony Gibson begins his tenure at Marshall with a 5-7 losing record to inherit, as the program's identity hinges on its ability to resurrect its storied past.
what happenedMarshall: the fanbase's identity shifting. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Tony Gibson begins his tenure with a 5-7 losing record to overcome, but the program's legacy of resilience offers a foundation for rebuilding.
what happenedMarshall: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
portal2026-04-07~readnew
Gibson's fifth straight top-25 portal class targets CB, DL and LB — a calculated reload for a 5-7 team with Wilkins at QB and no roster holes.
what happenedMarshall signed a top-71 transfer-portal class — 27 additions headlined by Khalil Wilkins (QB) from West Virginia and Brayden Hall (CB) from Central Connecticut. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
How past storylines here turned out
AnsweredMarshall's head-coaching hire held for another season.
ReplacedMarshall's defensive coordinator spot turned over again the following season. See who's next →
Died downMarshall's offensive coordinator change has died down — no clear next chapter yet.
The story
The Offseason Ledger · Marshall
3 verified updates · portal · recruiting · staff · news- Portal
LB Andrew Hamad transfer commits from Albany
Al-Amin is gone, the room lost two and added one — Hamad is the FCS-to-Sun Belt answer to a depth gap Gibson hasn't closed yet, and Albany tape on a 70-velocity spike says the market noticed before the press release.
- Portal
RB Josiah McLaurin transfer commits from Maryland
Big Ten running back to the Sun Belt — McLaurin's carries vanished in College Park, gets a feature look here.
- Recruiting
Will Butler commits to Marshall
Gibson's LB room needed depth with real upside — Butler's Green Hill tape shows a prospect who can push for reps in a Sun Belt class ranked 121st and hungry for any competitive piece.
Transfer portal snapshot
+6.2 net portal points
(raw ledger: +17.9 — unweighted, no position adjustment)IOL+9.3
need not filled
WR+7.0
need not filled
S+4.4
need not filled
CB+4.0
EDGE+3.4
OT-2.5
K-2.4
RB-1.2
LB-1.1
LS-1.0
P-1.0
low confidence
DL-0.9
QB-0.1
Top 3 commits
2026 class
★★★☆☆
J.T. Fagan
#23 national
★★★☆☆
Justyn Lyles
#1174 national
★★★☆☆
Caden Turner
#1566 national
Profiles like a typical incoming edge rusher — 10 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Versatile End archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
→
Fan confidence in a typical range for this program right now
38th percentile among FBS programs
Fan vs. market↓
38th
Fan percentile
(FBS mood rank)
(FBS mood rank)
7.5
Vegas O/U wins
(60th among FBS)
(60th among FBS)
Market 22pp more optimistic than fan mood
Win total consensus · 3 books
Market outlook
Season expectations
Win total3 booksO/U 7.5
CFP championship#105 in field+100000
Sun Belt title#5 in market+750
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Marshall · Next-Season Outcome Band
Marshall · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 5-7
Base 8-5
Ceiling 10-3
floor5-7No postseason.
base8-5Bowl game.
ceiling10-3Bowl game.
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
How the room reacted
Following now · Marshall · Transfer portal Confidence
Marshall went deep in the portal this cycle. Portal volume is the start of the story, not the verdict.
Marshall signed a top-36 transfer-portal class — 52 additions headlined by Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (QB) from Syracuse and Zion Turner (QB) from Jacksonville State. It is tied for the largest transfer-portal haul in FBS this cycle (52 additions). Portal pickups don't redshirt. The coverage sees this as a targeted, ready-to-contribute class built for snap competition, not depth-chart filler. The coverage reads this as a credible, targeted haul.
Developing2 new this week
3 days agoMarshall's Del Rio-Wilson Named to Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List — Sun Belt Conference
3 days agoCarlos Del Rio-Wilson Named To 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List — Marshall University Athletics
last weekLB Andrew Hamad transfer commits from Albany — CFBD /player/portal
last weekMarshall football: Del Rio-Wilson's journey coming full circle — Williamson Daily News
Apr 7RB Josiah McLaurin transfer commits from Maryland — CFBD /player/portal
The cast who's driving the story · latest headline on each, attributed
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson QB · Syracuse
“Carlos Del Rio-Wilson Named To 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List” — Marshall University Athletics · 2026-08-03
Zion Turner QB · Jacksonville State
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Khalil Wilkins arrives as Tony Gibson's first QB addition in his debut season — a calculated move for a 5-7 team with 100% production returning.
Next · what to watch
The non-obvious question after any portal class isn't who signed — it's who just lost their job. Depth-chart displacement is the untold second chapter: one starter-level arrival means a returning contributor is now competing or transferring out. Watch depth-chart competition in fall camp — that's where portal classes win or lose their billing. The boards are already there — one thread raises exactly this.
Source of record: Marshall signed a top-36 transfer-portal class — 52 additions headlined by Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (QB) from Syracuse and Zion Turner (QB) from Jacksonville State — tied for the largest transfer-portal haul in FBS this cycle (52 additions).
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
📣Believers1 bullish/portal items -- the case it's working.›
The 'portal class fills the gaps' believers -- upgrades at real positions of need.
“Marshall adds personnel through portal, opponent for 2026 and upcoming seasons”
WV MetroNews · 2026-01-21 · read ↗
“Marshall's Del Rio-Wilson Named to Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List”
Sun Belt Conference · 2026-08-03 · read ↗
“Carlos Del Rio-Wilson Named To 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List”
Marshall University Athletics · 2026-08-03 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The 'portal is a gamble' counter -- departure losses and the 'plug-and-play doesn't work' read.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
💬The boards3 board mentions — too thin to call a stance.›
Only 3 of 112 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
"Following a reset year in 2025 Marshall seeks a return to Sun Belt contention. With more preseason All-Sun Belt players than anyone else, they certainly have the talent to do so 📌"
r/MarshallUniversity ~ fan take
"Hey, I'm posting today because I want to get other people's thoughts on a situation involving Noah Munique, whom I'm connected to through mutual friends here at Marshall. From what"
r/MarshallUniversity ~ fan take
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Developing · Marshall · Coaching Confidence
The Tony Gibson era at Marshall: where it actually stands.
Tony Gibson took over as Marshall's head coach, replacing Charles Huff. It is replaces 4-year head coach Charles Huff (31-18). The coverage has largely bought in. The field test is what separates the presser from the program. The coverage has largely bought in, though the field test is still ahead.
near-unanimous belief
where the takes land · dot = how loud
DOUBTBELIEF
Believers3 bull takes
The saga so far~4 months old
last weekLB Andrew Hamad transfer commits from Albany — CFBD /player/portal
2 weeks agoMarshall football: Gibson brings defensive inspirations to coaching staff - Charleston Gazette-Mail — news
2 weeks agoSBC Football: Gibson excited for second year with Marshall Thundering Herd — WCHS
Jul 1Marshall Head Coach Tony Gibson’s Salary, Career Record, Age & Resume — HERO Sports
Apr 7RB Josiah McLaurin transfer commits from Maryland — CFBD /player/portal
The cast who's driving the story · latest headline on each, attributed
Tony Gibson Head coach
“Marshall Head Coach Tony Gibson’s Salary, Career Record, Age & Resume” — HERO Sports · 2026-07-01
Charles Huff Out
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Tony Gibson inherits Charles Huff's 5-7 roster but takes over a program built on football-resurrection with 100% production returning and a Sun Belt title within reach.
Next · what to watch
The obvious story is the marquee name; the non-obvious one is roster churn — a coaching change keeps a portal and decommit window open long after the introductory presser. Watch decommitments and portal moves in the next window — that's where this is actually won or lost, not at the podium.
Source of record: Tony Gibson took over as Marshall's head coach, replacing Charles Huff — replaces 4-year head coach Charles Huff (31-18).
How each room reacted — tap to expand
📣Believers3 bullish/hire items -- the case it's working.›
The 'this hire changes everything' takes -- new-era believers making the case early.
“Gibson pleased with direction of Herd following spring practice”
WV MetroNews · 2026-04-13 · read ↗
“Marshall football: Herd adds 43 to roster in Gibson's second signing class - Charleston Gazette-Mail”
news · 2026-02-04 · read ↗
“Tony Gibson Earns First Win As Head Coach For Marshall”
Marshall University Athletics · 2025-09-13 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The 'show me the body of work' counter -- resume gaps, scheme fits, and 'not that guy' reads.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
🔗The dominoes13 downstream moves — the hire's knock-on effects.›
The second-order trail: commits, decommits, portal and staff knock-on from the hire.
“Marshall Returns to Football Staff as Defensive Backs Coach”
Ad Astra Radio · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
“Why Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter Chose Michigan Football Over Ohio State in Recruitment”
Sports Illustrated · 2026-07-29 · read ↗
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cold
One of five. The film room is busy this week.
Streak L2Last 5 · 1-4Last 10 · 5-5
The forecast
Opens Sep 5
vs Penn State · away
Season line7.5 winsover +105
SolidRun-heavy, ground-controlMethodical, ball-control
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Rival pulse
West Virginia
Mixed-3
Friends of Coal Bowl
Fan mood index · most recent r/cfb data
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
20
OH · 6GA · 3WV · 3FL · 2AL · 1CA · 1DC · 1KY · 1+2 more
OH leads the 2026 class with 6 commits. National footprint reaching 10 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
75 signees across 20 states, 2023-2026. OH leads the pull.
r/cfb this year
[Postgame Thread] Appalachian State Defeats Marshall 26-24
[Postgame Thread] Marshall Defeats EKU 38-7
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
Fumble luck
The bounces haven't gone their way on their own fumbles: 25% recovered, vs. ~51% expected.
3 of 12 own fumbles recovered themselves; 8 of 12 forced fumbles recovered, 2025 only.
Takeaway conversion
Cashing in more than most: 27% of disrupted passes intercepted, vs. ~19% league-wide.
13 interceptions of 49 disrupted passes (36 deflected, 13 intercepted), 2025 only.
Penalty battle
The flags haven't favored them: 82 penalties committed vs. 64 drawn on opponents, 169 yards behind.
719 penalty yards committed vs. 550 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
The Pulse on Marshall
52
Δ -17.7 vs last wk
38
mentions this week · conversation velocity
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
Kickoff
Season opener in 16 days
kickoff
"We Are Marshall"
— Marshall fanbase · recurring line
Fanbase Signals
Cohort Divergence0 pctSpread between sub-fanbase cohorts in the Pulse window.
The Fever Year
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
Cr/CFB
GGoogle News
UUnderdog Dynasty
CCampus paper
HHerdFans
BBluesky
YYouTube
What little we hear
Only 4 cohort(s) cleared the signal floor this week, so we won’t stage a split we can’t back. Here’s the honest read:
Millennials+0.12
Analytics crowd+0.12
Gen Z+0.12
National take+0.12
How Marshall fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
The crowd’s loudest take by upvotes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.
What this fanbase keeps coming back to our read · topic model
Topics are model-labeled from Reddit — a rough signal of what this fanbase is circling right now.
126 mentions · 7 sources · week 2026-01. Counts, sources and the divergence rank are measured (fact). Cohort labels and sentiment are a source-weighted model read (our read) — never a quote attributed to a person.
Belief checkevidence-driven
~ our readMarshall fans are down on the program, and they're pointing to real stats and results to back it up — more than most fanbases right now.
backed by facts
the mood
✓ counted We read 94 posts from Marshall fans this week.
Season storylines
Week 10
“Marshall always plays their best game and gets a little fuckery to go our way on 75 week. Beating us by 2 scores (even if it was a closer game than that) proves JMU is legit”— r/CFB
Week 8
Week 7
“I was gonna be happy for bowl eligibility, but by god the conference is still on the table!”— r/CFB
Week 5
“Watching cam fancher at Marshall made me want to cry. I have absolutely no idea how that man landed at FAU and then UCF. Completely baffling he keeps getting a shot.”— r/CFB
Week 1
“Maybe so. As someone who HAS hit rock bottom as a fan today, it is surprisingly liberating. Now I don't have to worry about college football this year and I can focus on my career. We are basically starting from nothing this year thanks to the transfer portal rules and our f…”— r/CFB
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
Radio, beat writers & editorial12 posts
Diehard fan boards16 posts
The broader fanbase3 posts
News & campus coverage12 posts
Fanbase Health Index · Marshall · high confidence
Fanbase Health Index · Marshall · high confidenceGrowing (54)
DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 5-7 (42% win rate)46
Volume — 329 effective signal-N80
Cohort Engagement — Divergence 0.00 — quiet35
Fanbase Voice
406 fan mentions
Believers
vs the 81 highest-volume fanbases - 2025 season
Key stats — 2025 — FBS rank
Points/game#33 / 138 · 77th pct30.8
Pts allowed/game#101 / 138 · 28th pct30.2
Total yards/gm#68 / 136 · 51st pct406.1
Rush yards/gm#35 / 136 · 75th pct198.2
Pass yards/gm#93 / 136 · 32nd pct207.9
Yards allowed/gm#88 / 136 · 36th pct410.6
Rush yds allowed/gm#54 / 136 · 61st pct148.9
Sacks#55 / 136 · 60th pct28
Interceptions#34 / 136 · 76th pct13
3rd-down conv#106 / 136 · 23rd pct35.2%
All 98 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team4873406.1/gm5.86/play#68 / 136 · 51st pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Opp4927410.6/gm5.96/play#88 / 136 · 36th pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Rush yards
Team2378198.2/gm2.86/play#35 / 136 · 75th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Opp1787148.9/gm2.16/play#54 / 136 · 61st pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Rush carries
Team49741.4/gm#38 / 136 · 73rd pct#16 / 70 · 79th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Opp45938.2/gm#76 / 136 · 45th pct#47 / 70 · 34th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Rush TDs
Team231.9/gm#53 / 136 · 62nd pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Opp211.8/gm#81 / 136 · 41st pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Net pass yards
Team2495207.9/gm3.00/play#93 / 136 · 32nd pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Opp3140261.7/gm3.80/play#114 / 136 · 17th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#12 / 14 · 21st pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Pass attempts
Team33527.9/gm#112 / 136 · 18th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#10 / 14 · 36th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Opp36830.7/gm#44 / 136 · 68th pct#20 / 70 · 73rd pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Completions
Team21818.2/gm#97 / 136 · 29th pct#57 / 70 · 20th pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Opp21517.9/gm#30 / 136 · 79th pct#14 / 70 · 81st pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Pass TDs
Team181.5/gm#73 / 136 · 47th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp242.0/gm#116 / 136 · 15th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#12 / 14 · 21st pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Passer rating
Team137.6137.6#59 / 136 · 57th pct#37 / 70 · 49th pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp148.4148.4#122 / 136 · 11th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Interceptions thrown
Team60.5/gm#115 / 136 · 16th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Opp131.1/gm#96 / 136 · 30th pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Sacks (def)
Team282.3/gm#55 / 136 · 60th pct#33 / 70 · 54th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Opp171.4/gm#18 / 136 · 88th pct#12 / 70 · 84th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct
Tackles for loss
Team736.1/gm#55 / 136 · 60th pct#31 / 70 · 57th pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Opp584.8/gm#27 / 136 · 81st pct#16 / 70 · 79th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
First downs
Team25521.2/gm#71 / 136 · 49th pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp23919.9/gm#43 / 136 · 69th pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
3rd-down conv
Team584.8/gm#113 / 136 · 18th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Opp736.1/gm#94 / 136 · 32nd pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
3rd-down att
Team16513.8/gm#94 / 136 · 32nd pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Opp18315.2/gm#87 / 136 · 37th pct#47 / 70 · 34th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
4th-down conv
Team70.6/gm#124 / 136 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Opp110.9/gm#32 / 136 · 77th pct#14 / 70 · 81st pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
4th-down att
Team161.3/gm#123 / 136 · 10th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#11 / 14 · 29th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp211.8/gm#34 / 136 · 76th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Time of possession
Team361:0230:05/gm#94 / 136 · 32nd pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#12 / 14 · 21st pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp358:5829:55/gm#23 / 136 · 84th pct#9 / 70 · 89th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Kicking & Punting
Field goals#51 / 135 · 63rd pct21/26 (80.8%)
Extra points38/39
Punting#33 / 136 · 76th pct44.9 avg · 55 punts
Turnovers & special teams
Turnovers
Team151.2/gm#75 / 136 · 46th pct#31 / 70 · 57th pct#11 / 14 · 29th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Opp211.8/gm#103 / 136 · 25th pct#54 / 70 · 24th pct#10 / 14 · 36th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Fumbles lost
Team90.8/gm#14 / 136 · 90th pct#5 / 70 · 94th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
Opp80.7/gm#90 / 136 · 35th pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
INT return TDs
Team30.2/gm#4 / 135 · 98th pct#3 / 70 · 97th pct#2 / 14 · 93rd pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 136 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
INT return yards
Team21918.2/gm#21 / 136 · 85th pct#14 / 70 · 81st pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Opp383.2/gm#16 / 136 · 89th pct#10 / 70 · 87th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Punt ret yds
Team21718.1/gm#32 / 136 · 77th pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Opp695.8/gm#36 / 136 · 74th pct#24 / 70 · 67th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Punt ret TDs
Team00.0/gm#43 / 135 · 69th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Kick ret yds
Team56046.7/gm#32 / 136 · 77th pct#13 / 70 · 83rd pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Opp20717.2/gm#17 / 136 · 88th pct#12 / 70 · 84th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Kick ret TDs
Team00.0/gm#40 / 136 · 71st pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Penalty yards
Team71959.9/gm#56 / 136 · 60th pct#26 / 70 · 64th pct#10 / 14 · 36th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp55045.8/gm#24 / 136 · 83rd pct#15 / 70 · 80th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Other
Passes intercepted opponent#9 / 136 · 94th pct#5 / 70 · 94th pct#1 / 14 · 100th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct60.5/gm
Kick ret (opp)#10 / 136 · 93rd pct#7 / 70 · 91st pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct90.8/gm
Penalties (opp)#25 / 136 · 82nd pct#15 / 70 · 80th pct#2 / 14 · 93rd pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct645.3/gm
Punt returns#25 / 136 · 82nd pct#15 / 70 · 80th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct221.8/gm
Fumbles recovered#33 / 136 · 76th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct80.7/gm
Kick returns#34 / 136 · 76th pct#10 / 70 · 87th pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct262.2/gm
Interceptions (def)#34 / 136 · 76th pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct131.1/gm
H2 epa per play#42 / 142 · 71st pct#26 / 70 · 64th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct0.20.0/gm
Penalties#49 / 136 · 65th pct#25 / 70 · 66th pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct826.8/gm
Punt ret (opp)#68 / 136 · 51st pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct141.2/gm
Fumbles rec (def)#86 / 136 · 38th pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#11 / 14 · 29th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct80.7/gm
H2 epa per play opponent#88 / 143 · 39th pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#10 / 14 · 36th pct0.20.0/gm
H1 epa per play#93 / 162 · 43rd pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct0.20.0/gm
H1 epa per play opponent#98 / 167 · 42nd pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct0.20.0/gm
Recruiting rating#120 / 138 · 14th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#14 / 14 · 7th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct118.49.9/gm
Fourth down go rate#135 / 138 · 3rd pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#14 / 14 · 7th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct0.20.0/gm
Red zone pass rate#137 / 154 · 12th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct0.30.0/gm
First down pass rate#186 / 215 · 14th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#14 / 14 · 7th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct0.30.0/gm
Situational
3rd-down conversion
Off35.2%#106 / 136 · 23rd pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#11 / 14 · 29th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Def39.9%#74 / 136 · 46th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
4th-down conversion
Off43.8%#113 / 136 · 18th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#12 / 14 · 21st pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Def52.4%#68 / 136 · 51st pct#34 / 70 · 53rd pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Turnover margin#27 / 136 · 81st pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct+0.50/gm
Sack rate (def)#33 / 136 · 76th pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct7.6%
Red Zone & Drive Efficiency (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Red zone trips
Team564.7/gm#16 / 167 · 91st pct#11 / 70 · 86th pct#2 / 14 · 93rd pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Opp463.8/gm#123 / 166 · 27th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Red zone score %
Team78.6%78.6%#76 / 167 · 55th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Opp73.9%73.9%#45 / 166 · 73rd pct#20 / 70 · 73rd pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Points / drive
Team2.10.2/gm#65 / 167 · 62nd pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Opp2.00.2/gm#88 / 166 · 48th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Yards / drive
Team40.23.4/gm#83 / 167 · 51st pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#8 / 14 · 50th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp42.03.5/gm#105 / 166 · 37th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Plays / drive
Team6.30.5/gm#116 / 167 · 31st pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
Opp6.10.5/gm#25 / 166 · 86th pct#7 / 70 · 91st pct#2 / 14 · 93rd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Three-and-out rate
Team12.1%12.1%#60 / 167 · 65th pct#31 / 70 · 57th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Opp16.3%16.3%#38 / 166 · 78th pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#2 / 14 · 93rd pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Scheme Identity (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Rush rate over expected#22 / 145 · 86th pct#3 / 70 · 97th pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct+6.6%+6.6%
Havoc rate
Team16.2%16.2%#63 / 140 · 56th pct#39 / 70 · 46th pct#7 / 14 · 57th pct
Opp13.3%13.3%#39 / 140 · 73rd pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct
Standard-downs success
Team51.0%51.0%#43 / 154 · 73rd pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct
Opp44.4%44.4%#30 / 172 · 83rd pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct
Passing-downs success
Team32.4%32.4%#57 / 153 · 63rd pct#32 / 70 · 56th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct
Opp31.0%31.0%#83 / 149 · 45th pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#9 / 14 · 43rd pct
Line yards / carry
Team3.03.0#56 / 143 · 62nd pct#31 / 70 · 57th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct
Opp2.62.6#21 / 155 · 87th pct#13 / 70 · 83rd pct#2 / 14 · 93rd pct
Stuff rate
Team17.7%17.7%#55 / 143 · 62nd pct#31 / 70 · 57th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct
Opp21.8%21.8%#27 / 155 · 83rd pct#15 / 70 · 80th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct
Power success rate
Team57.7%57.7%#124 / 137 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#13 / 14 · 14th pct
Opp60.0%60.0%#19 / 141 · 87th pct#10 / 70 · 87th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct
Efficiency
Completion %
Off65.1%#37 / 136 · 74th pct#24 / 70 · 67th pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Def58.4%#28 / 136 · 80th pct#13 / 70 · 83rd pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Yards / attempt
Off7.4#57 / 136 · 59th pct#36 / 70 · 50th pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Def8.5#128 / 136 · 7th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#14 / 14 · 7th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Yards / completion
Off11.4#74 / 136 · 46th pct#43 / 70 · 40th pct#6 / 14 · 64th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Def14.6#135 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#14 / 14 · 7th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Yards / carry#34 / 136 · 76th pct#20 / 70 · 73rd pct#3 / 14 · 86th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct4.8
Yards / play#54 / 136 · 61st pct#35 / 70 · 51st pct#4 / 14 · 79th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct5.86
Scoring margin#77 / 136 · 44th pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#5 / 14 · 71st pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct+0.5/gm
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
Player stats — 2025 season
Quarterbacks
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrambler · +0.25 EPA/play | 7 | 11 | 171 / 256 | 66.8 | 2043 | 8.0 | 17 #57 FBS | 5 | 151.8 | 55.9 | 7.9 | 4.1 | |
Yards by week → ScramblerMakes plays with feet when the pocket collapses. Efficiency still on the rise. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 45 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Rush usage38.3% 93th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Rush yards / carry4.1 81th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||||||||
| +0.04 EPA/play | 1 | 5 | 40 / 59 | 67.8 | 409 | 6.9 | 1 | 1 | 128.2 | 51.5 | 6.3 | 1.7 | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| -0.14 EPA/play | 6 | 5 | 6 / 18 | 33.3 | 31 | 1.7 | 0 | 0 | 47.8 | 6.9 | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
Running Backs
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Back · -0.05 EPA/play | 44 | 11 | 90 | 512 | 5.7 | 4 | 54 | 10.5 | 7.0 | 19.8 | 16.8 | — | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry5.8 66th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Receiving share7.2% bottom 25th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Antwan Roberts's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · +0.06 EPA/play | 2 | 8 | 77 | 385 | 5 | 4 | 68 | 9.8 | 8.1 | 19.4 | 11.1 | — | |
Yards by week → Balanced Back· Boom-or-bustPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 186 of 349 classified this way. Played in 8 of 21 games this season · junior View Michael Allen's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · -0.05 EPA/play | 5 | 9 | 56 | 249 | 4.4 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 6.1 | 18.6 | 11.9 | — | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry4.6 bottom 25th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Rush TD rate8.9% 96th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Joshon Barbie's full player page | |||||||||||||
| +0.34 EPA/play | 9 | 9 | 35 | 197 | 5.6 | 2 | 37 | 3 | 2.1 | — | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
Receivers
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot Technician · +0.69 EPA/play | 4 | 12 | 65 | 769 #75 FBS | 11.8 | 5 | 68 | 10.6 | 12.6 | 26.2% (66/252) | |
Yards by week → Slot Technician· Boom-or-bustRuns precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The rare part: the passing game runs through him — and every touch moves the offense, too 97 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Reception volume65 95th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Total EPA (college ability)62.4 99th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions — the part the label misses Trait fingerprint Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 91st percentile among FBS WRs, up from the 0th | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.72 EPA/play | — | 11 | 32 | 395 | 12.3 | 2 | 44 | 5.9 | 9.1 | 17.5% (44/252) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. The most common profile in its group this season — 332 of 558 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · junior View De'Andre Tamarez's full player page | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.54 EPA/play | 81 | 11 | 36 | 387 | 10.8 | 3 | 48 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 14.7% (37/252) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. The most common profile in its group this season — 177 of 223 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · junior · 3-star, 2022 class our readTwo-star recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 82nd percentile among FBS TEs, up from the 56th | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.96 EPA/play | 13 | 8 | 28 | 383 | 13.7 | 5 | 41 | 11.3 | 10.7 | 12.3% (31/252) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception12.8 bottom 43th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)1.0 97th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like our readFading: his CFB Index score now sits at the 52nd percentile among FBS WRs, up from the 84th | |||||||||||
| -0.49 EPA/play | 18 | 12 | 8 | 109 | 13.6 | 0 | 44 | 1.3 | 3.8 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.06 EPA/play | 10 | 10 | 9 | 56 | 6.2 | 0 | 17 | 3.1 | 3.9 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
Defensive Line
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Gap Base | 55 | 11 | 37 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate16.2% 56th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Paul Hutson III's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 99 | 9 | 29 | 8 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 9 of 21 games this season · junior View Jamaal Whyce's full player page | |||||||
| Nose Anchor | 70 | 10 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Nose AnchorThe heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 152 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight320 lb 90th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Naquan Crowder's full player page | |||||||
| Nose Anchor | 21 | 9 | 19 | 5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0 |
Nose AnchorThe heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile. 152 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight330 lb 95th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Tyas Martin's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 58 | 7 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 4.5 | 4 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate33.3% 98th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Braydin Ward's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 56 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 6 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Sid Kaba's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 6 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 6 of 21 games this season · senior View Jalil Rivera-Harvey's full player page | |||||||
| Nose Anchor | 5 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 2 |
Nose AnchorThe heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile. 152 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight335 lb 97th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Katron Evans's full player page | |||||||
| 52 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Linebackers
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 22 | 11 | 67 | 23 | 44 | 5.5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume67 72th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate1.5% bottom 35th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Kerion Martin's full player page | |||||||||
| Thumper | 9 | 11 | 56 | 18 | 38 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 0 |
ThumperDownhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 97 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate17.0% 86th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate3.6% 63th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Javae Gilmore's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 8 | 10 | 51 | 22 | 29 | 5.5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · junior our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 70th percentile among FBS LBs, up from the 7th | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 7 | 7 | 42 | 18 | 24 | 3.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 7 of 21 games this season · senior View Jayland Parker's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 27 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 16 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume25 bottom 18th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles TFL rate2.0% bottom 15th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Cannon Lewis's full player page | |||||||||
| 10 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Defensive Backs
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rover | 1 | 12 | 73 | 5 | 5 #6 FBS | 2.5 | 0.5 |
Rover· Takeaway threatHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. the kind of DB who takes it back the other way All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate6.8% bottom 44th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Boogie Trotter's full player page | |||||||
| Rover | — | 11 | 66 | 8 #45 FBS | 0 | 5 | 2 |
RoverHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate12.1% 71th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Cameron Smith's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 17 | 12 | 50 | 4 | 3 #56 FBS | 1.5 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · senior · 3-star, 2019 class our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 77th percentile among FBS Ss, up from the 0th | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 2 | 12 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Darrell Sweeting's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 11 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · senior View Joshua Pierre-Louis's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 3 | 9 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 9 of 21 games this season · senior View Marvae Myers-Glover's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 26 | 9 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate11.5% 68th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Caleb Clark-Glover's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 4 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · senior View Jadarius Green-McKnight's full player page | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 20 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. The most common profile in its group this season — 141 of 270 classified this way. Played in 6 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Tashawn Jeter's full player page | |||||||
Kicking
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Leg | 90 | 12 | 21/26 | 80.8 | 38/39 | 101 | 55 |
Kick Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -0.49 EPA/play | 18 | 12 | 23 | 510 | 22.2 | 0 | 36 |
Punt Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot Technician · +0.69 EPA/play | 4 | 12 | 18 | 218 | 12.1 | 0 | 43 |
2025 stat leaders
final
2025 stat leaders
1.
Boogie Trotter
DB
73.0 tot (def)
2.
Kerion Martin
LB
67.0 tot (def)
3.
Cameron Smith
DB
66.0 tot (def)
4.
Demarcus Lacey
WR
769 yds (rec)
5.
Javae Gilmore
LB
56.0 tot (def)
Roster
2025
23
players carry a qualified CFB Index Score this season.
Boogie Trotter
S
#8 of 544
Demarcus Lacey
WR
#49 of 485
Cameron Smith
CB
#69 of 364
Jeremy Smith
S
#127 of 544
Toby Payne
TE
#40 of 156
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
QB
#42 of 146
+17 more
Marshall · 2025 schedule & results5-7Hard slateAverage opponent win rate 51% · 2 AP top-25 opponents on the schedule.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 30 | #71 | #6 | +38.5 | @Georgia | L 7–45 128 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #37 | #119 | -7.5 | Missouri State | L 20–21 127 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #77 | #155 | -15 | Eastern Kentucky | W 38–7 123 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #86 | #148 | -2.5 | @Middle Tennessee | W 42–28 117 | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 28 | #90 | #74 | -1.5 | @Louisiana | L 51–54 153 | 2-3 | 0-1 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #84 | #32 | +14.5 | Old Dominion | W 48–24 140 | 3-3 | 1-1 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #71 | #72 | +2.5 | Texas State | W 40–37 164 | 4-3 | 1-1 |
| 10 | Oct 30 | #82 | #135 | -7 | @Coastal Carolina | L 27–44 147 | 4-4 | 1-2 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #84 | #24 | +13.5 | James Madison | L 23–35 145 | 4-5 | 1-3 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #88 | #190 | -9.5 | @Georgia State | W 30–18 137 | 5-5 | 2-3 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #73 | #158 | -3.5 | @App State | L 24–26 140 | 5-6 | 2-4 |
| 14 | Nov 29 | #78 | #145 | -10.5 | Georgia Southern | L 19–24 138 | 5-7 | 2-5 |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29 | Georgia Southern | L 19–24 | 372 | 1 | 18:22 | +0.156 | 48.1% | 119.0% | One-score loss |
| Nov 22 | @App State | L 24–26 | 438 | 3 | 30:09 | +0.203 | 50.7% | 87.8% | One-score loss |
| Nov 15 | @Georgia State | W 30–18 | 489 | 0 | 27:27 | +0.423 | 50.0% | 126.6% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Nov 8 | James Madison | L 23–35 | 414 | 0 | 31:57 | +0.040 | 44.3% | 105.6% | |
| Oct 30 | @Coastal Carolina | L 27–44 | 432 | 5 | 31:33 | +0.183 | 40.2% | 144.8% | Most explosive |
| Oct 18 | Texas State | W 40–37 | 466 | 1 | 32:43 | +0.029 | 45.5% | 97.7% | One-score win |
| Oct 11 | Old Dominion | W 48–24 | 449 | 0 | 36:35 | +0.074 | 34.6% | 136.9% | |
| Sep 28 | @Louisiana | L 51–54 | 503 | 1 | 30:28 | +0.416 | 52.9% | 124.4% | One-score loss |
| Sep 20 | @Middle Tennessee | W 42–28 | 452 | 1 | 36:47 | +0.303 | 54.3% | 107.1% | Best success rate |
| Sep 13 | Eastern Kentucky | W 38–7 | 377 | 2 | 34:04 | +0.091 | 44.3% | 90.8% | Best defensive stand |
| Sep 6 | Missouri State | L 20–21 | 274 | 1 | 25:26 | +0.116 | 30.9% | 130.4% | One-score loss |
| Aug 30 | @Georgia | L 7–45 | 207 | 0 | 25:31 | +0.001 | 25.5% | 117.3% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Season average (12 games) | 406 | 1.2 | +0.170 | 43.4% | 115.7% | ||||
How They Play · 2025
How They Play · 2025Marshall fields a capable run-heavy, methodical, ball-control offense behind a solid, gives up the big play defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
How Marshall actually scores
55th percentile quality, 39th percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
Marshall's 4th-quarter offense, before and after garbage time
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 53rd percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it climbs to the 74th — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
Does Marshall hold up once the down-and-distance turns against them?
71st percentile success on standard downs, 62nd on passing downs — little dropoff between the two — a schedule-independent identity.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
Marshall by half
1st-half offense ranks 43rd percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 71st — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
How much of Marshall's number is the schedule?
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.17; 68th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.05. The widest gap came in week 6: 0.19 raw vs. 0.06 adjusted.
Marshall reads strongest in passing epa (top 21%) and rushing epa allowed (top 26%); the crux lives in explosive plays allowed, where Marshall sits at the 4th percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
ELITE · 90+STRONG · 70+AVERAGE · 40-70CONCERN · 10-40BOTTOM · <10
Most Similar Programs · Marshall
Most Similar Programs · MarshallReads Like
AkronTier 3 · Prestige T3 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontApp StateTier 3 · Prestige T3 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontArizonaTier 3 · Prestige T3 · Similarly-sized rosters up front
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Marshall · 2018-present
Strong
72% home win rate vs 53% on the road. margin runs +7.5 better at home. Joan C. Edwards Stadium seats 38,016, averaging 61% full (23,339 attendance, 24 games reported).
Home36-14Away24-21
Positional competition · RB room
The carries are split. The job isn’t.
Antwan Roberts and Michael Allen split the carries (103/176 vs 73/176) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Michael Allen produces in bigger chunks.
Antwan RobertsMichael Allen
Carries
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
Q4, leading (competitive)
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-carry share
concentration and EPA/carry agree -- a real boom/bust split
Screened 3 claims, 1 survived, 2 falsified
Positional competition · WR/TE room
The targets are split. The job isn’t.
Demarcus Lacey (WR) and Toby Payne (TE) split the targets (66/101 vs 35/101) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
Demarcus LaceyToby Payne
Targets
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
3rd-down targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-catch share
concentration alone -- EPA/target doesn't corroborate, read with caution
Screened 2 claims, 0 survived, 2 falsified
What changed
Marshall’s play-calling, before and after the change
Offense: Seth Doege (2024) → Rod Smith (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved down 10 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defense: Jason Semore (2023–2024) → Shannon Morrison (2025)
The biggest shift: 1st-down pass rate moved down 9 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defensive identity · pass zones
What this defense gives up, by zone.
On short passes, Marshall’s defense allows a completion rate above the FBS mean (66.4% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 115-play sample) — mid-pack, 77 of 133 qualifying defenses.
We won’t show a deep-ball leaderboard here: at the defense level, most teams face well under 30 rich-feed deep targets all season — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess.
Screened 133 claims, 133 survived · 2025 only, in the 399 games with the detailed play-text feed; n=115 short-zone plays faced, raw rate 67.0%
Venue texture
63°F average kickoff temp; 13% of games had measurable precipitation; 6 mph average wind.
Based on 76 home games with weather data.
The CFP Era
12 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
TRAJECTORY · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program Quality
AP Rank (inverted)
CFP Appearance
Marshall's 2014–2025 record is 95-55. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
286-333-3
since 1913 · 82 seasons · .459 win rate
HOME
176-118-2
AWAY
94-208-1
NEUTRAL
16-7
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
The program, in full — read the essay
Charles Huff won the 2024 Sun Belt title, then left for Southern Miss and took roughly 50 players with him. Tony Gibson inherited a stripped roster and went 5-7. Rebuilding from almost nothing is the oldest thing Huntington knows how to do.
On November 14, 1970, a plane crash killed 75 people — the entire Marshall football team, its coaches, and boosters returning from a road game. The program rebuilt from scratch over five years, climbed back to Division I-A, and eventually became, under Bob Pruett from 1996 to 2004, one of the most consistent mid-major programs in the country: six MAC championships, Randy Moss and Chad Pennington in the same backfield, a period when Huntington produced winners the way it wasn't supposed to be able to. 'We Are Marshall' took that story into the wider culture. What the story didn't take with it is that the program has had to rebuild multiple times since — and has, every time.
The most recent version arrived fast. Huff won the 2024 Sun Belt title and left for Southern Miss within days of the championship. Roughly half the roster followed him into the portal or transferred elsewhere; Marshall withdrew from its bowl. Tony Gibson, hired from NC State, spent 2025 with a skeleton crew and finished 5-7. It was the kind of season that, at most programs, produces urgency about the program's direction. At Marshall, it produces a specific familiarity: the Herd has rebuilt from circumstances worse than this.
The 2026 season will tell Gibson which pieces of that 2025 roster survived and whether the portal class he built in the offseason can accelerate a turnaround or just stop the bleeding. Marshall doesn't need a national villain to find motivation — the standard was set in 1970 and proven every time the program rebuilds from nothing and wins anyway. The question for 2026 is how quickly the rebuilding part ends.
How they play
Tough, opportunistic Sun Belt football — Marshall's identity runs less through a single scheme than through the program's capacity to build and rebuild competitive rosters in Huntington. Gibson brings a defensive background and a developmental philosophy. The Herd has historically relied on physical line play and the kind of disciplined execution that outperforms recruiting rankings. The 2026 roster's depth chart is the live variable entering fall camp.
Steady
Marshall 2016–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (-0.01 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 3.
CFP Era · Marshall
12 seasons on file
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 5-7
Season Standing · 2025 · 5-7FBS sub-.500
Marshall: Below .500 in FBS play. The rebuild bar.
R0R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9
Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
Sun Belt Standing · 2025
11th in the Sun Belt
Marshall is 11th of 14 in the Sun Belt at 2-5. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on bowl access and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Madison | 8-0 |
| 2 | Old Dominion | 6-2 |
| 3 | Southern Miss | 5-3 |
| 4 | Troy | 5-3 |
| 5 | Coastal Carolina | 5-4 |
| 6 | Georgia Southern | 5-4 |
| 7 | Arkansas State | 4-3 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 4-3 |
| 9 | South Alabama | 3-4 |
| 10 | Louisiana Tech | 2-0 |
| 11 | Marshall | 2-5 |
| 12 | App State | 2-7 |
| 13 | UL Monroe | 1-6 |
| 14 | Georgia State | 0-8 |
Coaching Era · Marshall
Coaching Era · MarshallTony Gibson
Tony Gibson in year 2 of the rebuild. The methodology is taking shape.
Era Tony Gibson · 2025–presentPrev: Charles Huff (2021–2024)OC: Rod SmithPrev OC: Seth Doege (2024)DC: Brad LambertPrev DC: Shannon Morrison (2025)
2
years · era
Rituals
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
1970 Plane Crash
since 1970
Marshall's team plane crashed on November 14, 1970, killing all 75 aboard — 37 players, 8 coaches, 25 boosters, and 5 crew. The single-largest sports-team disaster in U.S. history. The rebuild over the next 5 years + the 'We Are Marshall' (2006) film + the annual memorial service make the tragedy permanent program identity. Every game starts with the moment of silence.
Bob Pruett Dynasty (1996-2004)
since 1996
Bob Pruett's tenure produced six MAC championships, multiple top-25 finishes, and developed Randy Moss + Chad Pennington as NFL stars. The 1999-2000 back-to-back seasons (with Pennington at QB) produced #11 and #8 final AP ranks. The dynasty era is the program's modern peak.
Randy Moss + Chad Pennington Era (1996-1999)
since 1996
Randy Moss (1996-1997, 1997 Heisman finalist) + Chad Pennington (1995-1999, first-round NFL draft 2000) — two of CFB's most-iconic late-1990s players both at Marshall. The Moss-Pennington connection produced multiple NCAA records + a national-buzz spotlight that no MAC program had achieved before.
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
1970
Southern Airways Flight 932
The crash that killed 75, including the entire team — the founding wound the program is built around
Wound
The 2024 Sun Belt championship
Marshall wins the league under Charles Huff before the coach's abrupt departure
Moment of the Year · Marshall · 2025
Moment of the Year · Marshall · 2025Lost 7-45 at Georgia
Week 1 of 2025. A reckoning loss — the data point the next season must answer.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Bowl / Postseason LedgerRecent postseason (2014-2023): 5-4
Most recent: 2023 — loss 17-35 (home). Last 5 postseason: 1-4.
20232022202120202019
NFL Draft Pipeline
2022–2025
NFL Draft PipelineDeveloping
4 picks last 5 cycles. Pipeline emerging.
4
picks · 0 R1
#59
Mike Green
Defensive Edge · 2025 · Baltimore
#165
Rasheen Ali
Running Back · 2024 · Baltimore · #39/310 final season
#201
Micah Abraham
Cornerback · 2024 · Indianapolis · #8/339 final season
#88 all-time · 3 first-round picksthe talent factory →
Unit lineage
Marshall’s offense and defense, by coordinator
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Offense2014–2025
2014–2017 · Bill Legg2018–2021 · Tim Cramsey2022–2023 · Clint Trickett2024 · Seth Doege2025 (ongoing) · Rod Smith
Defense2014–2025
2014–2017 · Chuck Heater2018 · Adam Fuller2019–2020 · co-Brad Lambert / co-J. C. Price2021–2022 · Lance Guidry2023–2024 · Jason Semore2025 · Shannon Morrison
Hired for 2026: Brad Lambert — not yet reflected in on-field data.
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Chronicle Visuals
A heavy-turnover 2025: 1% returning (below average), with the offense the biggest question.
The portal upgraded the DL room but opened a hole at RB.
The 2025 draft hit DEFENSIVE EDGE hardest — and the portal hasn't replaced it yet.
Marshall converts recruit talent into draft picks better than its class rank suggests.
r/cfb moments
1.5k
[Postgame Thread] Buffalo Defeats Marshall 17-10
1.4k
[Postgame Thread] Appalachian State Defeats Marshall 31-30
1k
[Postgame Thread] Rice Defeats Marshall 20-0
643
[Postgame Thread] Marshall Defeats Appalachian State 17-7
625
[Postgame Thread] Marshall Defeats Eastern Kentucky 59-0
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