CFB Zeitgeist Score
40
Mid-pack in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 91st percentile.
Brian Blades
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
26 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Florida International for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Florida International
Returning around him
- 42% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Florida International · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #98 · 2026 recruiting class #90
DB · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL · CONFERENCE USA
Brian Blades
- 4
- #2
- 5-11 | 180 lb
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
Heisman Heat
#12532
<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 DB AWARD
Jim Thorpe
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR02 · Deep reserve
Deep reserve. In the program, working up the two-deep.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Florida International
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3-star | 0.8367 | No. 1562 recruit | HighSchool | Florida International |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| 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 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 Florida International
Composite
0.8367
#1562 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 Brian Blades
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 Brian Blades
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 9g
26Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
38Tackles
0Tackles for loss
0Sacks
To hit 80-tackle season (currently 26): needs 13.5/game over remaining 4.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 26): needs 18.5/game over remaining 4.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 1.5/game over remaining 4.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 2.5/game over remaining 4.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Brian Blades is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Florida International's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 0.0 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?
Coverage splash against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
26 67th
SOLO
24 83rd
TFL
0.0 39th
SACK
0.0 65th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
5 90th
INT
1 65th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 9 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-9vs Bethune-Cookman | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 0-34@ Penn State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-28vs Florida Atlantic | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 8 | W 25-6@ Western Kentucky | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 26-45vs Kennesaw State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 21-28@ Missouri State | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 56-30@ Middle Tennessee | 5 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 12 | W 34-27vs Liberty | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 27-21vs Jacksonville State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 26 | 24 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 5 |
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
2021Florida International1-11HC: Butch Davis · Balanced, slow tempo
2022Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Pass-leaning
2023Florida International4-8HC: Mike MacIntyre · Balanced
2025Florida International7-6HC: Willie Simmons · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida International | 26 | 24 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Florida International | 24 | 21 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Florida International | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Florida International | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 62 | 53 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 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 | 26 | #1609/4942 | 67th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 0.0 | #3020/4972 | 39th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.0 | #1762/4972 | 65th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 1 | #308/869 | 65th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 5 | #218/2184 | 90th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 24 | #790/4584 | 83rd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return avg | 19.0 | #218/578 | 62nd pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return yards | 19 | #316/578 | 46th pct | Takeawaysvs 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 Thorpe 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 · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Road4g | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins6g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Losses3g | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort
40Mid-pack
Elite: passes defended (90th). Concern: tackles for loss (7th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DB · 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
Brian BladesFlorida InternationalTyler MartinMassachusetts· 71% simTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 71% simBrevin HamblinUtah State· 67% sim
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Forced fumbles
Tackles
Interceptions
Sacks
QB hurries
Tackles for loss
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Thailand Baldwin’s 2025 season.
Thailand Baldwin
88%match
#2
AJ Edwards
86%
#3
Lance Robinson
86%
#4
Caine Savage
85%
#5
Sylvonta Oliver
86%
Matches Thailand on
Class year
Height
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Caine Savage's graduate season at Nevada (2024).
Caine Savage
90%match
#2
Brandon Crossley
87%
#3
Ceyair Wright
81%
#4
Deuce Harmon
80%
#5
Kempton Shine
79%
Matches Caine on
Class year
Height
Tackle volume
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Simmons
Pass share
47.3%
428 pass / 476 run
Plays / game
69.5
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
6.9%
290 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
3 coaches2021
Butch Davis
Florida International
2022era →
Mike MacIntyre
Florida International
2023
Mike MacIntyre
Florida International
2025era →
Willie Simmons
Florida International
Played under 3 different head coaches: Butch Davis, Mike MacIntyre, and Willie Simmons. Multi-era developmental context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownFort Lauderdale, FL
Height5'11"
Weight180 lb
Class4
PositionDB
Jersey2
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamFlorida International
ConferenceConference USA
Joined2025
Career arc5 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 | Florida International | DB4 | #12532 | #12560 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Conference USA |
| 2023 | Florida International | DB4 | #14781 | #14943 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Conference USA |
| 2022 | Florida International | DB4 | #14805 | #14904 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Conference USA |
| 2021 | Florida International | DB4 | #14346 | #14474 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Conference USA |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida International | Conference USA | DB | 4 | No. 2 | 5-11 | 180 lb | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 2024 | Florida International | Conference USA | DB | 4 | No. 2 | 5-11 | 180 lb | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 2023 | Florida International | Conference USA | DB | 4 | No. 2 | 5-11 | 180 lb | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 2022 | Florida International | Conference USA | DB | 4 | No. 2 | 5-11 | 180 lb | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 2021 | Florida International | Conference USA | DB | 4 | No. 2 | 5-11 | 180 lb | Fort Lauderdale, FL |