2identity shift
Sam Houston: the fanbase's identity shifting.
Phil Longo begins his tenure with a 2-10 losing record, signaling a rebuild for Sam Houston, which remains one of the weaker programs in FBS despite its recent FBS reclassification.
Sam Houston2-10Latest
Cautious optimism is building around Sam Houston.
belief held flatvs prior week
Fanbase belief
Leaning up
61/100 · 76 mentions · top 13% of FBS
~ our readGrounding
running on emotion
4% cite a stat · 7% typical ✓ counted
~ our readVolatility
Chaotic
σ 35 pts
~ our readThe model
#134
CFB Zeitgeist · -9.7
✓ measured2Hope-Doping·Offseason
Sam Houston won a national championship as recently as 2020, jumped to the FBS, won its first bowl in 2024 — and then the coach who did all of it left for Temple and the whole thing came apart at 2-10.
Standard GapA 2020 FCS national title and a 10-3 bowl-winning FBS arrival, against a…
Bearkat fans don't carry a grudge so much as a quiet 'we were just there' — a 2020 ring and a 2024 bowl trophy that no 2-10 season can take back. They know what this program is capable of because they…
offseason · quiet
Roster Reload - Sam Houston
2026 snapshot - 2026-08-06Returning Production90%High continuity
Talent Composite#123 nationally247 composite 477.4
Portal Additions20Primary repair: DL
Portal Losses15Primary pressure: QB
Draft Loss0No NFL Draft departures recorded
Recruiting Reload#126Depth class
LBin 3 - Elijah Grovesout 2 - Jayveon JohnsonUpgrade
current room: 221 lbs avg (2025 roster)
WRin 2 - Christian Zacharyout 3 - Lonnie AdkismDowngrade
current room: 188 lbs avg (2025 roster)
DLin 3 - Jarra Andersonout 1 - Zeiqui LawtonNeed Filled
current room: 252 lbs avg (2025 roster)
IOLin 3 - Josiah Chenaultout 1 - Rhett LarsonNeed Filled
current room: 306 lbs avg (2025 roster)
OTin 1 - Denell Nix Jr.out 2 - Kolt DieterichDowngrade
TEin 2 - Brock Kuhlout 1 - Rayfield LottenUpgrade
current room: 246 lbs avg (2025 roster)
Approaching
30 days
until kickoff · at Troy · Sat Sep 5 · 23:00 UTC
The experience
Sam Houston is the Conference USA newcomer whose 2020 FCS national championship + 2023 FBS reclassification + K.C. Keeler era make them the most-recent FCS-to-FBS-conference ascent in CFB.
Offense: PoorDefense: Poor
Sam Houston faces a challenging 2026 season with high continuity but limited recruiting depth
The team returns 90% of its roster, but its #126 recruiting rank and moderate transfer activity suggest a narrow path to success.
- Roster reloadSam Houston retains 90% of its returning players, indicating strong continuity.
- RecruitingThe team's recruiting rank is #126, signaling limited talent acquisition.
- ScheduleThe team's base scenario projects a 5-7 record with no postseason appearance.
Data as of 2026-08-03
·
Validated against program evidence
Sammy Bearkat is patient.
Sam Houston · the story right now
9 storylines developing
What Sam Houston's coaching hire is really about
the open questioncan a new staff change the trajectory?
coachingthis cycle~readnew
Phil Longo replaces K.C. Keeler after a 2-10 season in his first year at Sam Houston, inheriting 94% returning QB production from the most-recent FCS-to-FBS ascender.
what happenedPhil Longo took over as Sam Houston's head coach, replacing K.C. Keeler. ✓ fact
the contextreplaces 2-year head coach K.C. Keeler (12-12)
narrative tension · our read
program_outlookthis cycle~readnew
Sam Houston collapsed 37 spots in SP+ — the 2-10 record and 1% returning production highlight a stark contrast to the program's FCS-to-FBS ascent, testing Phil Longo's ability to stabilize.
what happenedSam Houston enters 2026 rated No. 135 in 2025 SP+ (-27.8), down 37 spots from 2024. ✓ fact
the contexttop-quintile returning production in FBS — 1% of production comes back
narrative tension · our read
identitythis cycle~readnew
Phil Longo begins his tenure with a 2-10 losing record, signaling a rebuild for Sam Houston, which remains one of the weaker programs in FBS despite its recent FBS reclassification.
what happenedSam Houston: the fanbase's identity shifting. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
garbage timethis cycle✓ factnew
Elijah Green sees a real spike in usage once the game is out of reach, and his efficiency in competitive snaps sits below the position baseline -- the numbers lean on the opponent giving up.
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Phil Longo's first season opens with a 2-10 losing record, highlighting the challenge of maintaining momentum after Sam Houston's recent FBS reclassification and conference move.
what happenedSam Houston: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Grady O'Neill is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
garbage timethis cycle~attributednew
Grady O'Neill: a garbage time merchant signal screened this season.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Qua'Vez Humphreys is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Tim Burns Jr. is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
narrative tension · our read
How past storylines here turned out
AnsweredSam Houston's head-coaching hire held for another season.
ReplacedSam Houston's defensive coordinator spot turned over again the following season. See who's next →
The story
The Offseason Ledger · Sam Houston
2 verified updates · portal · recruiting · staff · news- News
Sam Houston given 10% bowl chance in CUSA's BCI
A 37-spot SP+ drop and a 10% bowl shot tells you exactly where Longo's rebuild sits — Phil needs that 5-star Simie commit to mean something fast, because the QB pressure is real and CUSA isn't waiting.
- Recruiting
Albert Simien commits to Notre Dame
Longo's rebuild just lost a piece to the ACC — Simien heading to South Bend is the kind of drain a #122 class can't keep absorbing while the QB room is already under pressure.
Transfer portal snapshot
-1.3 net portal points
(raw ledger: +17.1 — unweighted, no position adjustment)DL+7.0
need not filled
EDGE+6.9
need not filled
LB+6.0
QB-5.5
starter risk
OT-4.3
IOL+4.2
need not filled
TE+3.6
WR-3.6
CB+3.0
K+1.0
low confidence
P-1.0
low confidence
S-0.2
Top 3 commits
2026 class
★★★☆☆
Jaylon Jones
#49 national
Projects: Hybrid Nickel — 13 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Hybrid Nickel archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
★★★☆☆
Uzziah Warmate
#1654 national
Projects: 3-Tech Penetrator — 10 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the 3-Tech Penetrator archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
★★★☆☆
Jack Merryman
#1846 national
Profiles like a typical incoming tight end — 22 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Complete TE archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
Fan vs. market↑
87th
Fan percentile
(FBS mood rank)
(FBS mood rank)
3.5
Vegas O/U wins
(1st among FBS)
(1st among FBS)
Fans 86pp more bullish than market implies
Win total consensus · 3 books
Market outlook
Season expectations
Win total3 booksO/U 3.5
CFP championship#132 in field+100000
C-USA title#10 in market+5000
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Sam Houston · Next-Season Outcome Band
Sam Houston · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 3-9
Base 5-7
Ceiling 8-5
floor3-9No postseason.
base5-7No postseason.
ceiling8-5Bowl 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
Where it stands · Sam Houston · Coaching Confidence
The Phil Longo era at Sam Houston: where it actually stands.
Phil Longo took over as Sam Houston's head coach, replacing K.C. Keeler. It is replaces 2-year head coach K.C. Keeler (12-12). 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.
The saga so far~9 months old
Jun 9Sam Houston Head Coach Phil Longo’s Salary, Career Record, Age & Resume — HERO Sports
May 28Sam Houston Football Preview 2026: Can Phil Longo Make the Offense Work? — College Football News
Nov 5Sam Houston Coach Phil Longo Praises Oregon State's Balance and Physicality — Sports Illustrated
The cast who's driving the story · latest headline on each, attributed
Phil Longo Head coach
“Sam Houston Head Coach Phil Longo’s Salary, Career Record, Age & Resume” — HERO Sports · 2026-06-09
K.C Keeler Out
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Phil Longo replaces K.C. Keeler after a 2-10 season in his first year at Sam Houston, inheriting 94% returning QB production from the most-recent FCS-to-FBS ascender.
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: Phil Longo took over as Sam Houston's head coach, replacing K.C. Keeler — replaces 2-year head coach K.C. Keeler (12-12).
Where things stand — tap to expand
📣Believers1 bullish/hire items -- the case it's working.›
The 'this hire changes everything' takes -- new-era believers making the case early.
“Sam Houston Coach Phil Longo Praises Oregon State's Balance and Physicality”
Sports Illustrated · 2025-11-05 · read ↗
“Sam Houston Head Coach Phil Longo’s Salary, Career Record, Age & Resume”
HERO Sports · 2026-06-09 · read ↗
“Sam Houston Football Preview 2026: Can Phil Longo Make the Offense Work?”
College Football News · 2026-05-28 · 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 boards2 board mentions — too thin to call a stance. Board mood this week: mostly neutral · joy dominant (53%).›
Only 2 of 123 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
"The Sam Houston Bearkats look to rebound in Year 2 under head coach Phil Longo after a tough transition year. A proud program with FCS championship pedigree (2020 title) and strong"
r/SHSU ~ fan take
"Sam Houston, Ariana Grande, Phil Longo, and a DeathRow Records Christmas all in the same article?! You BETTER read this week’s Bearkat Bites Newsletter!! #eatemupkats"
r/SHSU ~ fan take
Board health this week (76 posts): 13% positive · 79% neutral · 8% negative. Team-level weekly mood — not specific to this event. The boards ≠ the fanbase: a self-selected vocal slice.
🔗The dominoes7 downstream moves — the hire's knock-on effects.›
Following now · Sam Houston · Season outlook Confidence
Sam Houston's numbers fell sharply. The model sees a program under real pressure.
Sam Houston enters 2026 rated No. 135 in 2025 SP+ (-27.8), down 37 spots from 2024. It is top-quintile returning production in FBS — 1% of production comes back. SP+ reflects three years of tape; a drop this steep is structural, not noise. The recovery window is open but the room knows it. The preview consensus leans in — but preseason ratings reward the recent past, not the season ahead.
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Sam Houston collapsed 37 spots in SP+ — the 2-10 record and 1% returning production highlight a stark contrast to the program's FCS-to-FBS ascent, testing Phil Longo's ability to stabilize.
Next · what to watch
The non-obvious consequence of a steep fall isn't one bad year — it's the recruiting and portal feedback loop. A 'they're down' narrative accelerates the attrition that drove the decline. Watch whether the model holds through the first month of the schedule. The boards are already there — one thread raises exactly this.
Source of record: Sam Houston enters 2026 rated No. 135 in 2025 SP+ (-27.8), down 37 spots from 2024 — top-quintile returning production in FBS — 1% of production comes back.
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
📣Believers2 bullish items -- the case it's working.›
The 'the projection is underselling us' read -- fans betting the season beats the preview number.
“Kansas State adds Sam Houston to 2029 football slate”
cjonline.com · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
“Kansas State adds Sam Houston to 2029 football schedule”
Yahoo Sports · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
“BSN remains flagship for broadcast audio”
Sam Houston Athletics · 2026-08-06 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The 'the model has seen the tape' counter -- efficiency ratings reward what a program has actually done, not hope.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
💬The boards35% of recent board volume — the fanbase is locked in. Board mood this week: mostly neutral · joy dominant (53%).›
This event was in 43 of 123 board posts (35%) over the last 60 days — a fanbase consumed by it. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
"Im an incoming freshmen to shsu and because of work I've had to change my schedule around to not have classes on certain days. And because of that I have a couple classes that are"
r/SHSU ~ fan take
"The Athletic (paywall) has the Top 25 most most underrated and overrated. Willie Fritz gets a serious shoutout... One of the most underrated: No. 24 Houston: The Cougars have all o"
KatFans ~ fan take
Board health this week (76 posts): 13% positive · 79% neutral · 8% negative. Team-level weekly mood — not specific to this event. The boards ≠ the fanbase: a self-selected vocal slice.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
Streak L2Last 5 · 2-3Last 10 · 2-8
The forecast
Opens Sep 5
vs Troy · away
Season line3.5 winsover +120
PoorPoor
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
19
TX · 12GA · 2CA · 1FL · 1IN · 1LA · 1MS · 1
TX leads the 2026 class with 12 commits. National footprint reaching 7 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
66 signees across 9 states, 2023-2026. TX leads the pull.
r/cfb this year
[Postgame Thread] WKU Defeats Sam Houston 41-24
[Postgame Thread] FIU Defeats Sam Houston 56-16
[Game Thread] Sam Houston @ WKU (7:00 PM ET)
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
National spotlight
7 games with TV coverage: 6 cable, 1 streaming
Kickoff windows: 7 primetime
Fumble luck
40% recovery rate on their own fumbles — below the ~51% league baseline.
4 of 10 own fumbles recovered themselves; 10 of 17 forced fumbles recovered, 2025 only.
Takeaway conversion
21% of tipped/broken-up passes have turned into picks — about the ~19% league average.
8 interceptions of 38 disrupted passes (30 deflected, 8 intercepted), 2025 only.
Penalty battle
77 penalties committed, 67 drawn on opponents — ceding 63 yards of field position.
713 penalty yards committed vs. 650 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
The Pulse on Sam Houston
61
Δ -0.5 vs last wk
76
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
"SHSU"
— Sam Houston 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
KKatFans
BBluesky
YYouTube
What little we hear
Only 5 cohort(s) cleared the signal floor this week, so we won’t stage a split we can’t back. Here’s the honest read:
Die-hards+0.12
Millennials+0.12
Analytics crowd+0.11
Gen Z+0.11
National take+0.11
How Sam Houston fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
Rr/CFBthe room
I'm calling for a wage cap on Public Employees like College Football coaches.
▲ 755 ▼open ↗
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.
180 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 checklight on evidence
~ our readSam Houston fans are cautiously optimistic, but it's more feel than fact right now.
backed by facts
the mood
✓ counted We read 76 posts from Sam Houston fans this week.
Season storylines
Week 9
“Not good but everyone is to drunk to care, honesty were hoping we dony win a single gane do longo gets fired”— r/CFB
Week 1
“wtf was that game. Like I can’t describe how weird that game was to someone who didn’t see it. Both teams played 2 qbs despite no injuries happening, clock broken (including a delay of game with a broken play clock), onside kick, some absolutely abysmal calls for both teams, a…”— r/CFB
Week 8
“Every time Caldwell has come in a game he looks loke a competent QB. All I'll say”— r/CFB
Week 2
Week 3
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
Radio, beat writers & editorial15 posts
Diehard fan boards5 posts
News & campus coverage4 posts
Fanbase Health Index · Sam Houston · high confidence
Fanbase Health Index · Sam Houston · high confidenceStable (48)
DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 2-10 (17% win rate)27
Volume — 463 effective signal-N83
Cohort Engagement — Divergence 0.00 — quiet35
Key stats — 2025 — FBS rank
Points/game#126 / 138 · 9th pct17.8
Pts allowed/game#134 / 138 · 4th pct37.8
Total yards/gm#124 / 136 · 10th pct316.8
Rush yards/gm#103 / 136 · 25th pct132.8
Pass yards/gm#112 / 136 · 18th pct184.0
Yards allowed/gm#133 / 136 · 3rd pct483.4
Rush yds allowed/gm#126 / 136 · 8th pct207.5
Sacks#100 / 136 · 27th pct21
Interceptions#84 / 136 · 39th pct8
3rd-down conv#136 / 136 · 1st pct22.2%
All 98 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team3802316.8/gm5.01/play#124 / 136 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp5801483.4/gm6.97/play#133 / 136 · 3rd pct#69 / 70 · 3rd pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Rush yards
Team1594132.8/gm2.10/play#103 / 136 · 25th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp2490207.5/gm2.99/play#126 / 136 · 8th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Rush carries
Team37030.8/gm#125 / 136 · 9th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp46138.4/gm#80 / 136 · 42nd pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Rush TDs
Team100.8/gm#120 / 136 · 12th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp332.8/gm#134 / 136 · 2nd pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Net pass yards
Team2208184.0/gm2.91/play#112 / 136 · 18th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp3311275.9/gm3.98/play#128 / 136 · 7th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Pass attempts
Team38932.4/gm#77 / 136 · 44th pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp37130.9/gm#48 / 136 · 65th pct#21 / 70 · 71st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Completions
Team21317.8/gm#102 / 136 · 26th pct#58 / 70 · 19th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp26121.8/gm#100 / 136 · 27th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Pass TDs
Team121.0/gm#117 / 136 · 15th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp201.7/gm#88 / 136 · 36th pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Passer rating
Team108.5108.5#133 / 136 · 3rd pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp157.7157.7#132 / 136 · 4th pct#69 / 70 · 3rd pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Interceptions thrown
Team100.8/gm#56 / 136 · 60th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp80.7/gm#44 / 136 · 68th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Sacks (def)
Team211.8/gm#100 / 136 · 27th pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp352.9/gm#123 / 136 · 10th pct#61 / 70 · 14th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Tackles for loss
Team635.2/gm#89 / 136 · 35th pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp877.2/gm#126 / 136 · 8th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
First downs
Team20016.7/gm#127 / 136 · 7th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp29124.2/gm#123 / 136 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
3rd-down conv
Team363.0/gm#136 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp685.7/gm#68 / 136 · 51st pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
3rd-down att
Team16213.5/gm#105 / 136 · 24th pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp15312.8/gm#13 / 136 · 91st pct#8 / 70 · 90th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
4th-down conv
Team100.8/gm#100 / 136 · 27th pct#54 / 70 · 24th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp110.9/gm#32 / 136 · 77th pct#14 / 70 · 81st pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
4th-down att
Team332.8/gm#24 / 136 · 83rd pct#9 / 70 · 89th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp191.6/gm#18 / 136 · 88th pct#12 / 70 · 84th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Time of possession
Team342:0628:30/gm#121 / 136 · 12th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp377:5431:30/gm#64 / 136 · 54th pct#32 / 70 · 56th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Kicking & Punting
Field goals#124 / 135 · 9th pct11/18 (61.1%)
Extra points22/22
Punting#75 / 136 · 46th pct43.0 avg · 64 punts
Turnovers & special teams
Turnovers
Team161.3/gm#65 / 136 · 53rd pct#26 / 70 · 64th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp181.5/gm#79 / 136 · 43rd pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Fumbles lost
Team60.5/gm#69 / 136 · 50th pct#28 / 70 · 61st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp100.8/gm#115 / 136 · 16th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
INT return TDs
Team10.1/gm#36 / 135 · 74th pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp40.3/gm#136 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
INT return yards
Team15512.9/gm#44 / 136 · 68th pct#25 / 70 · 66th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp30425.3/gm#135 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Punt ret yds
Team12510.4/gm#74 / 136 · 46th pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp17414.5/gm#103 / 136 · 25th pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Punt ret TDs
Team10.1/gm#14 / 135 · 90th pct#11 / 70 · 86th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Kick ret yds
Team62652.2/gm#21 / 136 · 85th pct#9 / 70 · 89th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp51943.2/gm#98 / 136 · 29th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Kick ret TDs
Team10.1/gm#7 / 136 · 96th pct#3 / 70 · 97th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Penalty yards
Team71359.4/gm#58 / 136 · 58th pct#27 / 70 · 63rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp65054.2/gm#63 / 136 · 54th pct#37 / 70 · 49th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Other
Fumbles recovered#11 / 136 · 93rd pct#6 / 70 · 93rd pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct100.8/gm
Kick returns#15 / 136 · 90th pct#3 / 70 · 97th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct312.6/gm
Red zone pass rate#15 / 154 · 91st pct#5 / 70 · 94th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct0.50.0/gm
Penalties (opp)#37 / 136 · 74th pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct675.6/gm
Fumbles rec (def)#46 / 136 · 67th pct#29 / 70 · 60th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct60.5/gm
Passes intercepted opponent#64 / 136 · 54th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct100.8/gm
Penalties#68 / 136 · 51st pct#29 / 70 · 60th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct776.4/gm
Kick ret (opp)#80 / 136 · 42nd pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct231.9/gm
Interceptions (def)#84 / 136 · 39th pct#44 / 70 · 39th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct80.7/gm
Punt returns#86 / 136 · 38th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct131.1/gm
Punt ret (opp)#94 / 136 · 32nd pct#57 / 70 · 20th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct181.5/gm
First down pass rate#100 / 215 · 54th pct#34 / 70 · 53rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#3 / 6 · 67th pct0.40.0/gm
Fourth down go rate#121 / 138 · 13th pct#61 / 70 · 14th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct0.30.0/gm
Recruiting rating#122 / 138 · 12th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct108.59.0/gm
H1 epa per play opponent#125 / 167 · 26th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct0.30.0/gm
H2 epa per play#129 / 142 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct0.10.0/gm
H2 epa per play opponent#131 / 143 · 9th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct0.30.0/gm
H1 epa per play#139 / 162 · 15th pct#69 / 70 · 3rd pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct0.00.0
Situational
3rd-down conversion
Off22.2%#136 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Def44.4%#120 / 136 · 12th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
4th-down conversion
Off30.3%#132 / 136 · 4th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Def57.9%#88 / 136 · 36th pct#45 / 70 · 37th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Turnover margin#54 / 136 · 61st pct#31 / 70 · 57th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct+0.17/gm
Sack rate (def)#96 / 136 · 30th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct5.7%
Red Zone & Drive Efficiency (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Red zone trips
Team352.9/gm#113 / 167 · 33rd pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp594.9/gm#163 / 166 · 2nd pct#69 / 70 · 3rd pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Red zone score %
Team60.0%60.0%#149 / 167 · 11th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp78.0%78.0%#78 / 166 · 54th pct#36 / 70 · 50th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Points / drive
Team1.20.1/gm#134 / 167 · 20th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp2.50.2/gm#133 / 166 · 20th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Yards / drive
Team33.52.8/gm#137 / 167 · 19th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp48.54.0/gm#154 / 166 · 8th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Plays / drive
Team6.00.5/gm#141 / 167 · 16th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp6.40.5/gm#48 / 166 · 72nd pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Three-and-out rate
Team17.6%17.6%#125 / 167 · 26th pct#61 / 70 · 14th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp5.5%5.5%#150 / 166 · 10th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Scheme Identity (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Rush rate over expected#101 / 145 · 31st pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct-3.4%-3.4%
Havoc rate
Team14.2%14.2%#103 / 140 · 27th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct
Opp21.4%21.4%#139 / 140 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct
Standard-downs success
Team45.0%45.0%#111 / 154 · 29th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct
Opp54.1%54.1%#147 / 172 · 15th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
Passing-downs success
Team23.0%23.0%#142 / 153 · 8th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
Opp36.5%36.5%#134 / 149 · 11th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
Line yards / carry
Team2.72.7#114 / 143 · 21st pct#58 / 70 · 19th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Opp2.92.9#79 / 155 · 50th pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct
Stuff rate
Team24.7%24.7%#132 / 143 · 8th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Opp16.2%16.2%#113 / 155 · 28th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct
Power success rate
Team59.1%59.1%#122 / 137 · 12th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Opp64.6%64.6%#40 / 141 · 72nd pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
Efficiency
Completion %
Off54.8%#128 / 136 · 7th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Def70.4%#136 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Yards / attempt
Off5.7#132 / 136 · 4th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Def8.9#133 / 136 · 3rd pct#69 / 70 · 3rd pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Yards / completion
Off10.4#121 / 136 · 12th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Def12.7#116 / 136 · 15th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Yards / carry#75 / 136 · 46th pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct4.3
Yards / play#118 / 136 · 14th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct5.01
Scoring margin#134 / 136 · 2nd pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct-20.1/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% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Passer · +0.05 EPA/play | 10 | 7 | 104 / 182 | 57.1 | 1108 | 6.1 | 5 | 4 | 113.0 | 36.8 | 4.8 | 8.1 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 97 of 183 classified this way. Played in 7 of 21 games this season · senior · 2-star, 2024 class View Hunter Watson's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Pocket Passer · -0.04 EPA/play | 8 | 6 | 71 / 141 | 50.4 | 765 | 5.4 | 4 | 4 | 99.6 | 25.2 | 4.3 | 3.4 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt5.0 bottom 3th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Completion %48.6% bottom 1th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like View Landyn Locke's full player page | |||||||||||||
| -0.06 EPA/play | 3 | 6 | 36 / 61 | 59.0 | 293 | 4.8 | 3 | 2 | 109.0 | 20.6 | 3.6 | 10.3 | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
Running Backs
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satellite Back · +0.21 EPA/play | 34 | 11 | 84 | 487 | 5.8 | 5 | 63 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 19.1 | 14.7 | 11.1% (35/316) | |
Yards by week → Satellite BackDeployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 50 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Receiving share30.6% 100th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / carry6.1 79th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Landan Brown's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Satellite Back · +0.15 EPA/play | 21 | 8 | 58 | 391 | 6.7 | 2 | 80 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 27.5 | 17.6 | 5.4% (17/316) | |
Yards by week → Satellite BackDeployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 50 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Receiving share20.5% 92th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / carry7.1 96th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Elijah Green's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · -0.08 EPA/play | 22 | 8 | 88 | 371 | 4.2 | 1 | 52 | 11.6 | 9.9 | 33.3 | 10.3 | — | |
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 / carry4.0 bottom 14th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Rush TD rate1.1% bottom 12th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Alton McCaskill's full player page | |||||||||||||
Receivers
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.24 EPA/play | 87 | 11 | 30 | 460 | 15.3 | 5 | 54 | 6.1 | 8.6 | 14.6% (46/316) | |
Yards by week → Possession Receiver· Money-downReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. lives on the sticks and moves the chains 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception15.4 72th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate16.7% 91th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Chris Reed's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.10 EPA/play | 6 | 11 | 38 | 392 | 10.3 | 1 | 29 | 20.5 | 16.2 | 19.9% (63/316) | |
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 / reception10.2 bottom 21th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.1 bottom 7th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Grady O'Neill's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.12 EPA/play | 80 | 10 | 12 | 228 | 19 | 1 | 59 | 9 | 6.7 | 7.6% (24/316) | |
Yards by week → Possession Receiver· Return threatReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. a house-call threat every time he fields it All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception15.3 71th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.1 bottom 9th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Tim Burns Jr.'s full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · -0.01 EPA/play | 11 | 9 | 18 | 174 | 9.7 | 1 | 26 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 8.5% (27/316) | |
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 / reception9.5 bottom 18th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)-0.0 bottom 4th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Malik Phillips's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · -0.09 EPA/play | 7 | 6 | 12 | 132 | 11 | 1 | 38 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 9.2% (29/316) | |
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 / reception14.4 62th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)-0.1 bottom 2th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint View Qua'Vez Humphreys's full player page | |||||||||||
| +0.21 EPA/play | — | 6 | 7 | 86 | 12.3 | 0 | 24 | 7.2 | 4.1 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.36 EPA/play | 12 | 6 | 7 | 65 | 9.3 | 0 | 27 | 2.9 | 3.5 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.67 EPA/play | 85 | 4 | 6 | 55 | 9.2 | 0 | 15 | 3.5 | 3.4 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.05 EPA/play | 1 | 3 | 9 | 49 | 5.4 | 0 | 12 | 5.1 | 9.7 | 4.7% (15/316) | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
Defensive Line
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Gap Base | 97 | 10 | 41 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
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. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · junior View Dylan Frazier's full player page | |||||||
| Versatile End | 48 | 7 | 31 | 20 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 0 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 139 of 200 classified this way. Played in 7 of 21 games this season · junior View Chauncey Chidi's full player page | |||||||
| Speed Rusher | 17 | 11 | 26 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
Speed RusherBends the edge and wins with first-step quickness. Lighter frame, relentless motor. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 12 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Sack rate19.2% 87th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Christopher Eaton Jr.'s full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 33 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate23.1% 81th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Zeiqui Lawton's full player page | |||||||
| Versatile End | 44 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. 139 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate22.7% 61th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Brody Henderson's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 90 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 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 7 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Darien Jackson's full player page | |||||||
| 98 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 95 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 23 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Linebackers
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 6 | 11 | 78 | 39 | 39 | 5.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · senior View Antavious Fish's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 8 | 10 | 41 | 18 | 23 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 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 10 of 21 games this season · senior our readAscending: his CFB Index score moved from the 2nd to 24th percentile among FBS LBs | |||||||||
| Sideline-to-Sideline | 30 | 7 | 32 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Sideline-to-SidelineRanges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. 102 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Solo tackle rate0.7 98th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles TFL rate18.8% 91th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Dean Ford's full player page | |||||||||
| Thumper | 42 | 8 | 29 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 |
ThumperDownhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. 97 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate3.4% bottom 20th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate6.9% 94th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Ca'lub Holloway's full player page | |||||||||
| Sideline-to-Sideline | 26 | 8 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Sideline-to-SidelineRanges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. 102 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Solo tackle rate0.7 95th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Tackle volume19 bottom 13th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Tokyo Gordon's full player page | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Defensive Backs
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Nickel | 24 | 10 | 64 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate6.2% bottom 41th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View CJ Brown's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 12 | 11 | 45 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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 11 of 21 games this season · junior · 3-star, 2022 class View Tyler Bailey's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 2 | 10 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 3.5 | 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 10 of 21 games this season · senior our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 59th percentile among FBS Ss, up from the 10th | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | — | 11 | 41 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
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 11 of 21 games this season · senior View AJ Edwards's full player page | |||||||
| Rover | 7 | 11 | 40 | 5 | 3 #56 FBS | 3.5 | 0 |
Rover· Takeaway threatHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. the kind of DB who takes it back the other way Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate12.5% 73th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile our readBounce-Back: his CFB Index score shows a real arc: 21st percentile among FBS Ss, fell to 2nd, now back up to 90th | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 4 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 rate6.2% bottom 41th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Jaidan Scott's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 3 | 8 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 |
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 rate0.0% bottom 14th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Trey Harris's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 20 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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 rate0.0% bottom 14th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Dravon Wilson's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 9 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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 9 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Jace Arnold's full player page | |||||||
| 5 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 40 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 29 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Kicking
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 49 | 8 | 8/12 | 66.7 | 16/16 | 40 | 51 |
| 37 | 4 | 3/6 | 50 | 6/6 | 15 | 40 |
Punting
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 35 | 12 | 64 | 2754 | 43 | 72 | 21 | 2 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
Kick Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.12 EPA/play | 80 | 10 | 12 | 306 | 25.5 | 1 | 98 |
| Possession Receiver · -0.01 EPA/play | 11 | 9 | 15 | 283 | 18.9 | 0 | 32 |
Punt Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rover | 7 | 11 | 10 | 67 | 6.7 | 0 | 14 |
2025 stat leaders
final
2025 stat leaders
1.
Antavious Fish
LB
78.0 tot (def)
2.
CJ Brown
DB
64.0 tot (def)
3.
Tyler Bailey
DB
45.0 tot (def)
4.
Cecil Powell
DB
42.0 tot (def)
5.
Dylan Frazier
DL
41.0 tot (def)
Roster
2025
21
players carry a qualified CFB Index Score this season.
Emon Allen
CB
#50 of 364
Dylan Frazier
IDL
#59 of 330
CJ Brown
S
#129 of 544
Landan Brown
RB
#86 of 326
Christopher Eaton Jr.
EDGE
#136 of 420
AJ Edwards
S
#224 of 544
+15 more
Sam Houston · 2025 schedule & results2-10Balanced slateAverage opponent win rate 50% · 1 AP top-25 opponent on the schedule.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 23 | #122 | #118 | +9.5 | @Western Kentucky | L 24–41 147 | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| 1 | Aug 30 | #122 | #87 | +9 | UNLV (N) | L 21–38 126 | 0-2 | 0-1 |
| 2 | Sep 7 | #131 | #92 | +7.5 | @Hawai'i | L 20–37 136 | 0-3 | 0-1 |
| 4 | Sep 21 | #129 | #7 | +39.5 | @Texas | L 0–55 120 | 0-4 | 0-1 |
| 6 | Oct 3 | #137 | #253 | -2 | @New Mexico State | L 10–37 122 | 0-5 | 0-2 |
| 7 | Oct 10 | #180 | #80 | +7 | Jacksonville State (N) | L 27–29 132 | 0-6 | 0-3 |
| 8 | Oct 15 | #182 | #163 | +3.5 | UTEP (N) | L 17–35 136 | 0-7 | 0-3 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #196 | #129 | +16.5 | @Louisiana Tech | L 14–55 133 | 0-8 | 0-3 |
| 11 | Nov 9 | #223 | #112 | +21.5 | @Oregon State | W 21–17 130 | 1-8 | 0-3 |
| 12 | Nov 16 | #204 | #144 | +13.5 | Delaware (N) | W 26–23 143 | 2-8 | 1-3 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #209 | #197 | +7 | @Middle Tennessee | L 17–31 131 | 2-9 | 1-4 |
| 14 | Nov 29 | #225 | #102 | +10.5 | Florida International (N) | L 16–56 135 | 2-10 | 1-5 |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29 | Florida International | L 16–56 | 359 | 4 | 29:13 | +0.140 | 43.2% | 123.8% | Blowout loss |
| Nov 22 | @Middle Tennessee | L 17–31 | 360 | 1 | 30:35 | -0.045 | 37.3% | 116.5% | |
| Nov 16 | Delaware | W 26–23 | 352 | 0 | 27:54 | -0.033 | 32.4% | 151.9% | One-score win |
| Nov 9 | @Oregon State | W 21–17 | 157 | 1 | 22:05 | -0.084 | 24.0% | 156.5% | Most explosive |
| Nov 1 | @Louisiana Tech | L 14–55 | 502 | 1 | 31:08 | -0.051 | 39.0% | 147.1% | Blowout loss |
| Oct 15 | UTEP | L 17–35 | 398 | 1 | 35:25 | -0.003 | 32.1% | 97.1% | |
| Oct 10 | Jacksonville State | L 27–29 | 286 | 1 | 24:47 | +0.168 | 45.1% | 121.1% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Oct 3 | @New Mexico State | L 10–37 | 313 | 3 | 30:21 | -0.055 | 43.9% | 109.6% | |
| Sep 21 | @Texas | L 0–55 | 113 | 1 | 26:09 | -0.229 | 21.1% | 111.2% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Sep 7 | @Hawai'i | L 20–37 | 248 | 1 | 27:07 | +0.047 | 36.8% | 93.3% | |
| Aug 30 | UNLV | L 21–38 | 332 | 1 | 30:18 | +0.036 | 42.7% | 131.4% | |
| Aug 23 | @Western Kentucky | L 24–41 | 382 | 1 | 27:04 | +0.042 | 29.0% | 150.2% | |
| Season average (12 games) | 317 | 1.3 | -0.006 | 35.5% | 125.8% | ||||
How They Play · 2025
How They Play · 2025Sam Houston fields a struggling offense behind a porous defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
How Sam Houston actually scores
4th percentile quality, 96th 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
Sam Houston's 4th-quarter offense, before and after garbage time
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 1st percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it climbs to the 5th — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
Does Sam Houston hold up once the down-and-distance turns against them?
26th percentile success on standard downs, 4th on passing downs — a 22-point gap between the two.
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
Sam Houston by half
1st-half offense ranks 15th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 10th — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
How much of Sam Houston's number is the schedule?
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is -0.01; 9th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's -0.01. The widest gap came in week 4: -0.03 raw vs. 0.00 adjusted.
Sam Houston reads strongest in explosive plays (top 50%) and explosive plays allowed (top 57%); the crux lives in passing epa, where Sam Houston sits at the 0th 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 · Sam Houston
Most Similar Programs · Sam HoustonReads Like
CharlotteTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontColorado StateTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontEast CarolinaTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up front
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Sam Houston · 2018-present
Strong
63% home win rate vs 47% on the road. margin runs +12.9 better at home. Elliott T. Bowers Stadium seats 14,000, averaging 66% full (9,257 attendance, 9 games reported).
Home21-12Away18-20
Positional competition · RB room
The carries are split. The job isn’t.
Alton McCaskill and Landan Brown split the carries (78/147 vs 69/147) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Landan Brown owns the receiving work.
Alton McCaskillLandan Brown
Carries
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
Targets
p = 0.000 -- real, not noise
Top-5-carry share
concentration alone -- EPA/carry doesn't corroborate, read with caution
Screened 2 claims, 1 survived, 1 falsified
Positional competition · WR/TE room
The targets are split. The job isn’t.
Grady O'Neill (WR) and Austin Smith (TE) split the targets (63/73 vs 10/73) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Austin Smith produces in bigger chunks.
Grady O'NeillAustin Smith
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
Garbage-time share
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-catch share
concentration and EPA/target agree -- a real boom/bust split
Screened 3 claims, 1 survived, 2 falsified
What changed
Sam Houston’s play-calling, before and after the change
Offense: Brad Cornelsen (2023–2024) → Zack Patterson (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved up 16 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defense: Skyler Cassity (2024) → Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved up 27 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, Sam Houston’s defense allows a completion rate above the FBS mean (69.7% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 149-play sample) — mid-pack, 122 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=149 short-zone plays faced, raw rate 73.2%
Venue texture
73°F average kickoff temp; 14% of games had measurable precipitation; 7 mph average wind.
Based on 22 home games with weather data.
The CFP Era
11 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
Sam Houston's 2014–2025 record is 89-48. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
163-132
since 1919 · 56 seasons · .552 win rate
HOME
92-23
AWAY
56-96
NEUTRAL
15-13
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
The program, in full — read the essay
Sam Houston won an FCS national championship in 2020 and its first FBS bowl game in 2024. Then K.C. Keeler left for Temple, Phil Longo went 2-10, and Huntsville spent a year learning how much of the rocket ride was one man.
The trajectory was remarkable while it lasted. Keeler took a Huntsville, Texas program from FCS champions in 2020 to major-college football by 2023 to a 10-3 bowl-winning team in 2024 — the New Orleans Bowl, 31-26 over Georgia Southern, the program's first FBS trophy. It was the fastest credentialing run in recent memory: four years from a national title at one level to a legitimate win at the next.
Then Keeler left for Temple. Phil Longo's first year in Huntsville produced a 2-10 record and a publicly reported culture crisis that made the offseason uncomfortable reading. The wins came over outmatched opponents; Conference USA opponents went 1-7 against the Bearkats. The fanbase fracture is clean: one faction believes the 2020 ring and the 2024 bowl prove the foundation is real and one bad year is noise; the other fears the program peaked the day its architect walked out.
The 2026 question is the only one that matters in Huntsville right now: does the championship DNA transfer, or was it portable — packed in Keeler's luggage on the way to Philadelphia? Programs that climb as fast as Sam Houston either find the next coach who fits, or they find out how thin the margin was. Longo's second year will begin to answer it.
How they play
Up-tempo and opportunistic — the Keeler-era identity was a relentless offense that pushed pace and a defense built to force turnovers, the combination that made the FCS-to-FBS jump work. Longo's air-raid background is a different system vocabulary, which helps explain the 2025 disruption: installing a new offensive identity at a program in transition is exactly as difficult as it sounds. The scheme is still being written in Huntsville, which is part of what 2026 is about.
Declining
Sam Houston 2015–2025. Slipping -1.0 rungs across the last 10 seasons. Slope -0.19 rungs / year — moving down the prestige scale.
CFP Era · Sam Houston
11 seasons on file
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 2-10
Season Standing · 2025 · 2-10FBS sub-.500
Sam Houston: Below .500 in FBS play. The rebuild bar.
R0R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9
Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
Conference USA Standing · 2025
10th in the Conference USA
Sam Houston is 10th of 10 in the Conference USA at 1-5. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on bowl access and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennesaw State | 6-1 |
| 2 | Jacksonville State | 6-2 |
| 3 | Western Kentucky | 5-2 |
| 4 | Florida International | 5-3 |
| 5 | Missouri State | 4-2 |
| 6 | Delaware | 2-4 |
| 7 | Liberty | 2-4 |
| 8 | Middle Tennessee | 2-6 |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 1-5 |
| 10 | Sam Houston | 1-5 |
Coaching Era · Sam Houston
Coaching Era · Sam HoustonPhil Longo
Phil Longo in year 2 of the rebuild. The methodology is taking shape.
Era Phil Longo · 2025–presentPrev: K.C. Keeler (2023–2024)OC: Zack PattersonPrev OC: Brad Cornelsen (2023–2024)DC: Freddie Aughtry-LindsayPrev DC: Skyler Cassity (2024)
2
years · era
Rituals
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
2020 FCS National Championship
since 2020
K.C. Keeler's 2020 FCS national championship — won in the COVID-shifted spring 2021 playoffs — is the program's all-time peak. Sam Houston went 10-0 + beat South Dakota State 23-21 in the title game. The championship cemented Keeler's reputation + opened the FBS reclassification path that completed in 2023.
2023 FBS Reclassification + Conference USA Entry
since 2023
Sam Houston's 2023 FBS reclassification (from FCS) + Conference USA entry was the most-recent FCS-to-FBS-conference ascent in CFB. The transition opened the door to bowl eligibility + national TV exposure + recruiting upside. The 2024 8-4 second-season result confirmed the program's competitive viability at the higher tier.
K.C. Keeler Era (2014-present)
since 2014
K.C. Keeler's 2014-present tenure — coming from Delaware where he won the 2003 FCS championship — has been the program's defining modern era. Three FCS national title appearances + the 2020 championship + the 2023 FBS transition + continued sustained competitive cycles. Keeler's longevity + the FCS-to-FBS-conference ascent make him a unique-in-CFB head-coach résumé.
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
2020
FCS national championship
Sam Houston caps an undefeated season with a 23-21 win over South Dakota State in the spring-2021 title game — the program's first national title
2024
First FBS bowl win
A 31-26 New Orleans Bowl win over Georgia Southern in just the second FBS season — the trophy that said the jump worked
2025
Keeler leaves for Temple
The coach who built the championship and the FBS leap departs; the Longo era opens 2-10 amid a culture crisis
Wound
Moment of the Year · Sam Houston · 2025
Moment of the Year · Sam Houston · 2025Lost 0-55 at Texas
Week 4 of 2025. A reckoning loss — the data point the next season must answer.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Bowl / Postseason LedgerRecent postseason (2014-2024): 3-3
Most recent: 2024 — win 31-26 (home). Last 5 postseason: 3-2.
20242020202020172015
NFL Draft Pipeline
2022–2022
NFL Draft PipelineThin
1 picks last 5 cycles. Roster development still maturing.
1
picks · 0 R1
#157
Zyon McCollum
Cornerback · 2022 · Tampa Bay
#199 all-time in draft picksthe talent factory →
Unit lineage
Sam Houston’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.
Offense2023–2025
2023–2024 · Brad Cornelsen2025 (ongoing) · Zack Patterson
Defense2023–2025
2023 · co-Joe Morris / co-Clayton Carlin2024 · Skyler Cassity2025 (ongoing) · Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Chronicle Visuals
Among the most continuous rosters into 2025 — 90% back, anchored by the qb room, only offense to settle.
The portal upgraded the TE room but opened a hole at WR.
Sam Houston sits where recruit talent and draft yield largely match.
r/cfb moments
1.4k
[Postgame Thread] Sam Houston Defeats South Dakota State 23-21
285
[Game Thread] South Dakota State vs. Sam Houston (2:00PM ET)
248
[Postgame Thread] Montana State Defeats Sam Houston 42-19
219
[Postgame Thread] FIU Defeats Sam Houston 33-27 (2OT)
186
[Postgame Thread] BYU Defeats Sam Houston 14-0
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