CFB Zeitgeist Score
68
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 90th percentile.
Austin Romaine
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
66 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Texas Tech
2025Kansas State
2026Texas Tech
LB · KANSAS STATE · BIG 12
Austin Romaine
- 3
- #45
- 6-2 | 245 lb
- Hillsboro, MO
Heisman Heat
#9854
<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 LB AWARD
Butkus
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Kansas State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3-star | 0.8483 | No. 1463 recruit | HighSchool | Kansas State |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kansas State -> Texas Tech | 3-star | 0.8700 | Immediate |
Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final
Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.
HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
No achievements unlocked yet this season.
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to Kansas State
Composite
0.8483
#1463 national
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on Austin Romaine
Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal
The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.
Cohort divergence map
Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Austin Romaine
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.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the defensive totals stand
Through 10g
66Tackles
7Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Per game
7Tackles
0.7Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
86Tackles
9.1Tackles for loss
0.7Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 66): needs 4.7/game over remaining 3.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 66): needs 11.3/game over remaining 3.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 1.8/game over remaining 3.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 0.5): needs 3.2/game over remaining 3.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Austin Romaine is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Kansas State's defense, with 0.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 1 interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
DEF season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
66 94th
SOLO
41 96th
TFL
7.0 94th
SACK
0.5 70th
QBH
7 96th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
2 64th
INT
1 65th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 10 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-24vs Iowa State | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 1 | W 38-35vs North Dakota | 10 | 7 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 21-24vs Army | 10 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 17-23@ Arizona | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 34-20vs UCF | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | L 34-35@ Baylor | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 41-28vs TCU | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 42-17@ Kansas | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 20-43vs Texas Tech | 11 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 12 | W 14-6@ Oklahoma State | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 66 | 41 | 7.0 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Kansas State9-4HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning
2025Kansas State6-6HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kansas State | 66 | 41 | 7.0 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Kansas State | 22 | 14 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 88 | 55 | 10.0 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.
Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Total tackles | 66 | #316/4942 | 94th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 7.0 | #277/4972 | 94th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.5 | #1501/4972 | 70th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 1 | #308/869 | 65th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 2 | #792/2184 | 64th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 7 | #69/1878 | 96th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 41 | #188/4584 | 96th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Fumbles recovered | 1 | #103/736 | 86th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 0 | #1/773 | 100th pct | Turnoversvs FBS DEF |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16
Why he’s here
Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.
What moves him up
What moves him down
Accolade streams
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Butkus award tracker integrates per-week probability once a dedicated scraper for this award lands. Confirmed past winners and finalists for this player will surface here.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 10 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 7.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Road4g | 4.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins5g | 4.8 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Losses5g | 8.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 7.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+3g | 5.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort
68Solid starter
Elite: qb hurries (96th). Strength: solo tackles (93rd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · LB · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Austin RomaineKansas StateTrey FieldsNorth Texas· 94% simBryce BoettcherOregon· 89% simJaxton EckNew Mexico· 88% sim
QB hurries
Solo tackles
Tackles for loss
Tackles
Passes defended
Sacks
Forced fumbles
Interceptions
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tirrell Johnson Jr.’s 2025 season.
Tirrell Johnson Jr.
81%match
#2
Tommy Eichenberg
NFL Rd 5
80%
#3
Stephen Dix Jr.
76%
#4
Jimmy Rolder
All-Big TenNFL Rd 4
75%
#5
D'Eryk Jackson
75%
Matches Tirrell on
TFL rate
Weight
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jonathan Thompson's junior season at Cincinnati (2025).
Jonathan Thompson
84%match
#2
Johnny Hodges
All-Big 12
82%
#3
Bryan Longwell
82%
#4
Kobe King
All-Big TenNFL Rd 6
82%
#5
Raylen Wilson
80%
Matches Jonathan on
Tackle volume
Sack rate
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Chris Klieman
Pass share
46.4%
342 pass / 395 run
Plays / game
61.4
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
4.5%
288 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
Chris Klieman
Kansas State
2025
Chris Klieman
Kansas State
Played his entire career under Chris Klieman.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownHillsboro, MO
Height6'2"
Weight245 lb
Class3
PositionLB
Jersey45
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamKansas State
ConferenceBig 12
Joined2025
Career arc3 season(s)
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
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 | Kansas State | LB3 | #9854 | #9529 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big 12 |
| 2023 | Kansas State | LB3 | #7837 | #8094 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big 12 |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kansas State | Big 12 | LB | 3 | No. 45 | 6-2 | 245 lb | Hillsboro, MO |
| 2024 | Kansas State | Big 12 | LB | 3 | No. 45 | 6-2 | 245 lb | Hillsboro, MO |
| 2023 | Kansas State | Big 12 | LB | 3 | No. 45 | 6-2 | 245 lb | Hillsboro, MO |