cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Anderson Castle /Duke

Anderson Castle

RB · Duke · Sr · #4

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

488 RUSH YDS · 12 RUSH TD · 115 CARRIES

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Duke for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Duke for 2026

Updated May 27

2026 Depth chart

Returning starter

Running back · Duke

Returning around him

  • 18% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • 3 Duke players drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: +2 net (19 in / 17 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Duke · Last season: 9-5 · Talent rank #58 · 2026 recruiting class #30

RB · DUKE · ACC

Anderson Castle

  • 4
  • #4
  • 6-0 | 220 lb
  • Boone, NC

CFB Zeitgeist Score

60

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by rush tds at the 94th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#3623

<1% win probability

Fan Belief

Awaiting

Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.

Respect Gap

Awaiting

Coming online with player-level FI.

Reality Gap

Awaiting

Coming online with player-level FI.

ACCOLADE PROBABILITY

Heisman

<1%

TOP RB AWARD

Doak Walker

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 2 · Starter

R07 · Impact starter

Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Development Trajectory · rushing yards

2021–2025
2362021
1672022
2832023
4882025

+107%

Up 107% from first season to most-recent.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#2416 national
CFB
College
2 teams
2021–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionRB
Class4
Jersey4
Measurements6-0 | 220 lb
HometownBoone, NC
Primary teamDuke

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 3-star No. 2416 recruit
Composite rating 0.8117 HighSchool
Signed with App State 2020
Origin Watauga Boone, NC, USA
Class Profile Context
2020 3-star | 0.8117 No. 2416 recruit | HighSchool | App State

Transfer Arc

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

Portal moves 0 No portal entry on file
Latest destination -- --
Transfer stars -- CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility -- Transfer date TBD
Season Move Context
No transfer portal moves on file for this player.

Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final

Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.

HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16
Current nowcast#3623Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#3846Where the full season sim points
Win probability0.0%Chance to actually win the trophy
Finalist probability0.0%Chance to make the finalist tier
Ballot probability0.0%Chance to appear anywhere on a ballot
Best official finish--Best completed Heisman placement on file

Heisman Futures

Not yet listed on major futures markets.

No achievements unlocked yet this season.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP
FWAA
AFCA
WCFF
SN
SI

Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.

NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft

Market value, pedigree & pro outcome

Recruit stars

★★★☆☆

to App State

Composite

0.8117

#2416 national

Today’s Hot-Take

The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.

Anti-Take

PENDING

The contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.

The Room on Anderson Castle

Fan sentiment ·

Belief Meter

50

Mixed Sentiment

Sample 2 mentions
Confidence BELOW-FLOOR

Top Take

Trajectory

Cohort divergence mapbearishbullishheatedcalmOwn fans: 2 mentions · belief +0 · "Anderson Castle &nbsp;&nbsp; ESPN"Own fans
  • Own fans · n=2

Rival Radar

How rival fanbases talk about Anderson Castle

No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.

Signature Story

Awaiting candidate metric

He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.

Signature Moment

No signature moment on the ledger yet.

Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.

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

Season Pace · Projection

Where the rushing totals stand

final
Through 14g
488Rush yards
115Carries
12Rush TDs
Per game
34.9Rush yards
8Carries
1Rush TDs
Final
488Rush yards
115Carries
12Rush TDs

✓ Hit 10 rushing TDs · finished with 12.

What made this player interesting

The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.

Anderson Castle's story is about how role and output meet each other. For Duke, the card already shows enough current-season production to explain why he is on the serious-player board, and the next layer is determining whether the profile is just very good or actually distinctive.

Current place #3623 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load 13.3% Overall usage share
Profile quirk Transfer path 0 portal moves

2025 Season · Final

Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.

Last season

RB season snapshot

2025 season snapshot | final

2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Scrimmage yards 599 488 rush | 111 rec | #166/735 (78th pct)
Rush TD 12 115 carries | #19/739 (98th pct)
Yards/carry 4.2 Per-rush efficiency | #455/735 (38th pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

Passing-game back against FBS RB peers.

Passing-game back

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Rushing

CAR
115 83rd
YDS
488 78th
YPC
4.2 38th
TD
12 98th

Receiving

REC
17 80th
YDS
111 73rd
YPR
6.5 45th
TD
0 70th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 14 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppCARYDSAVGTDLONGNote
Wk 1W 45-17vs Elon36923.0063
Wk 2L 19-45vs Illinois4112.804
Wk 3L 27-34@ Tulane3217.0013
Wk 4W 45-33vs NC State12927.7366Season-high 92 yds
Wk 5W 38-3@ Syracuse10424.2113
Wk 6W 45-21@ California10282.828
Wk 8L 18-27vs Georgia Tech11322.9015
Wk 10W 46-45@ Clemson5244.8016
Wk 11L 34-37@ UConn8435.4012
Wk 12L 17-34vs Virginia331.003
Wk 13W 32-25@ North Carolina13493.8393 rushing TDs
Wk 14W 49-32vs Wake Forest12211.828
Wk 15W 27-20@ Virginia16352.207
BowlW 42-39vs Arizona State5183.619
Total1154885.21266
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score

Traditional history

Traditional Stats

Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.

Season rows Career row

Season context · Team result + system

2021App State10-3HC: Shawn Clark · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2022App State6-6HC: Shawn Clark · Run-leaning
2023App State9-5HC: Shawn Clark · Balanced
2025Duke9-5HC: Manny Diaz · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Duke1154884.212--
2023App State532835.32--
2022App State261676.42--
2021App State472365.03--
Career4 loaded seasons2411,1744.919--
SeasonTeam
2025Duke171116.50--
2023App State5357.00--
2022App State11818.01--
2021App State----------
Career4 loaded seasons231647.11--
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Rushing WEPA

Opponent-adjusted rushing value. It helps separate empty volume from carries that actually move the scoreboard.

Role share

How much of the team's offense flows through this back once rushing work and receiving work are combined.

Peer percentile

Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.

Traditional first

The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.

Receiving work 17 111 rec yds | #111/552 (80th pct)
Usage 13.3% 25.1% rush share | #218/738 (71st pct)
Rushing WEPA +0.22 Opponent-adjusted rush value | #43/362 (88th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Rushing Rushing yards 488 #166/735 78th pct Volumevs FBS RB
Rushing Rush TD 12 #19/739 98th pct Scoringvs FBS RB
Rushing Yards / carry 4.2 #455/735 38th pct Efficiencyvs FBS RB
Receiving Receptions 17 #111/552 80th pct Volumevs FBS RB
Receiving Receiving yards 111 #150/548 73rd pct Volumevs FBS RB
Value Rushing WEPA +0.22 #43/362 88th pct Opponent-adjusted rushing value | 112 weighted playsvs FBS RB
Usage Role share 13.3% #218/738 71st pct Share of team offensevs FBS RB
Rushing Carries 115 #127/739 83rd pct Volumevs FBS RB
Rushing Rushing LONG 66 #77/733 90th pct Metricvs FBS RB
Receiving Receiving LONG 17 #264/540 51st pct Metricvs FBS RB
Receiving Yards / catch 6.5 #302/548 45th pct Efficiencyvs FBS RB
Receiving Receiving TD 0 #169/552 70th pct Scoringvs FBS RB
Usage Rush share 25.1% #179/738 76th pct Ground-game usagevs FBS RB
Usage Standard-down usage 16.4% #202/738 73rd pct Base-situation sharevs FBS RB
Usage 2nd-down usage 13.9% #214/738 71st pct Middle-down loadvs FBS RB
Usage 3rd-down usage 13.9% #97/738 87th pct Money-down loadvs FBS RB
Usage 1st-down usage 12.8% #277/738 63rd pct Early-down loadvs FBS RB
Usage Passing-down usage 5.9% #405/738 45th pct Known-passing sharevs FBS RB
Usage Pass share 3.6% #258/738 65th pct Air-game usagevs FBS RB

Player Standing

Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.

AWAITING CLASSIFICATION

On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex

AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16

Why he’s here

Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.

What moves him up

What moves him down

Accolade streams

StatusAwaiting tracker

Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

YDS/gYPCTD/g
Home7g35.16.10.9
Road7g34.64.30.9

Win vs Loss

YDS/gYPCTD/g
Wins9g42.06.01.3
Losses5g22.03.80.0

First half vs Second half

YDS/gYPCTD/g
Weeks 1-77g40.17.31.0
Weeks 8+7g29.63.10.7

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

60Solid starter
7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: rush tds (93rd). Concern: yards / carry (20th).

Rush TDs#19 / 349 · 94th pct
12rush
Long run#71 / 349 · 79th pct
66rush
Receptions#103 / 338 · 67th pct
17rece
Carries#127 / 349 · 64th pct
115rush
Rec yards#139 / 338 · 59th pct
111rece
Rush yards#166 / 349 · 53rd pct
488rush
Yards / carry#272 / 349 · 20th pct
4.2rush

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

Advanced Savant · RB · 2024

Percentile Card

Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.

P4G5All FBS
EPA / dropback
awaiting
CPOE
awaiting
Success rate
awaiting
Explosive rate (20+)
awaiting
aDOT
awaiting
Deep-ball accuracy
awaiting
Pressure-to-sack
awaiting
3rd-down EPA
awaiting
Red-zone TD rate
awaiting
Play-action EPA
awaiting
Scramble EPA
awaiting
Turnover-worthy play rate
awaiting

Advanced Savant

Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.

wepa_rushing0.22High (p75–p90) (n=178)

Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match

Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile

3 peers · 7 metrics
Anderson CastleDukeTJ HardenSMU· 83% simTae MeadowsTroy· 79% simAnthony HankersonOregon State· 79% sim
Rush TDs
94
Castle
87
Harden
72
Meadows
87
Hankerson
Long run
79
Castle
62
Harden
53
Meadows
78
Hankerson
Receptions
67
Castle
75
Harden
45
Meadows
81
Hankerson
Carries
64
Castle
87
Harden
84
Meadows
98
Hankerson
Rec yards
59
Castle
54
Harden
38
Meadows
65
Hankerson
Rush yards
53
Castle
80
Harden
74
Meadows
93
Hankerson
Yards / carry
20
Castle
37
Harden
29
Meadows
29
Hankerson

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

Player DNA

The Power Back

Short-yardage and goal-line specialist. Carries the load, owns the red zone.

RB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Samson Evans’s 2023 season.

Samson Evans

71%match

Eastern Michigan · 2023

#2

Thad Franklin

Miami · 2022

68%
#3

CJ Donaldson

Ohio State · 2025

66%
#4

Dylan McDuffie

Kansas · 2023

62%
#5

Ronald Awatt

UTEP · 2020

55%

Matches Samson on

Weight
Yards / carry

Differs from Samson on

Recruiting rating (lower)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Receiving share (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Manny Diaz

Pass share

53.3%

506 pass / 444 run

Plays / game

67.9

14 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

6.7%

358 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

4 coaches
2021
David Cutcliffe
Duke
2022
Mike Elko
Duke
era →
2023
Trooper Taylor
Duke
era →
2025
Manny Diaz
Duke
era →

Played under 4 different head coaches: David Cutcliffe, Mike Elko, Trooper Taylor, and Manny Diaz. Multi-era developmental context.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownBoone, NC
Height6'0"
Weight220 lb
Class4
PositionRB
Jersey4

Trophy Case · Detail

Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.

Honors

No formal honors on the ledger yet

All-America, all-conference, player-of-the-week, watch-list, and postseason awards land here when they're earned. The absence is the signal: most players never collect formal honors, and that's its own kind of context.

Honors Timeline

Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.

Season Honor Scope Team / Selector Context
No formal honors on the ledger yet. All-America, all-conference, weekly awards, watch lists, and postseason trophies land here when they’re earned.

Heisman By Year

Modeled rank and official finish by season.

Season Team Role Latest Model Forecast Win Finalist Official Finish Points Context
2024 App State RB4 #3623 #3846 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Sun Belt
2023 App State RB4 #982 #975 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Sun Belt
2022 App State RB4 #1460 #1673 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Sun Belt
2021 App State RB4 #523 #472 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Sun Belt

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Duke ACC RB 4 No. 4 | 6-0 | 220 lb | Boone, NC
2024 App State Sun Belt RB 4 No. 4 | 6-0 | 220 lb | Boone, NC
2023 App State Sun Belt RB 4 No. 4 | 6-0 | 220 lb | Boone, NC
2022 App State Sun Belt RB 4 No. 4 | 6-0 | 220 lb | Boone, NC
2021 App State Sun Belt RB 4 No. 4 | 6-0 | 220 lb | Boone, NC