cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Bud Clark /TCU

Bud Clark

S · TCU · Sr · #21

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

56 TACKLES · 1 SACKS

2026 NFL DRAFTDrafted by Seattle — Rd 2, Pick 32, #64 overall

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Seattle2026 NFL rookie season

#64Rd 2 · Pick 32
Seattle2026 NFL rookie season

S · TCU · BIG 12

Bud Clark

  • 4
  • #21
  • 6-2 | 185 lb
  • Alexandria, LA

CFB Zeitgeist Score

72

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by interceptions at the 95th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#9103

<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 2 · Starter

R07 · Impact starter

Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★
#312 national
CFB
College
TCU
2021–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
R2 &middot; #64
Seattle &middot; 2026

Identity & Role

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

PositionS
Class4
Jersey21
Measurements6-2 | 185 lb
HometownAlexandria, LA
Primary teamTCU

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 4-star No. 312 recruit
Composite rating 0.9000 HighSchool
Signed with TCU 2020
Origin Alexandria Alexandria, LA, USA
Class Profile Context
2020 4-star | 0.9000 No. 312 recruit | HighSchool | TCU

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#9103Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#9643Where 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 TCU

Composite

0.9000

#312 national

NFL Draft

2026 · Rd 2, Pick 32

#64 overall · Seattle

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 Bud Clark

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 Bud Clark

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 defensive totals stand

projecting to 13-game
Through 11g
56Tackles
1.5Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Per game
5Tackles
0.1Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Projected (13g)
66Tackles
1.8Tackles for loss
1.2Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 56): needs 12/game over remaining 2.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 56): needs 22/game over remaining 2.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 1): needs 2.5/game over remaining 2.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 1): needs 4.5/game over remaining 2.

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Bud Clark is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on TCU's defense, with 1.0 sacks, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 4 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.

Current place #9103 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 312 recruit

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
Total tackles 56 31 solo | #468/4942 (91st pct)
TFL 1.5 Backfield disruption | #1771/4972 (64th pct)
Sacks 1.0 Pass-rush finish | #872/4972 (82nd pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.

Coverage splashHigh-volume tackler

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
56 91st
SOLO
31 89th
TFL
1.5 64th
SACK
1.0 82nd
QBH
1 44th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
7 96th
INT
4 97th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 48-14@ North Carolina540.00.010
Wk 3W 42-21vs Abilene Christian430.00.00
Wk 4W 35-24vs SMU410.00.02
Wk 5L 24-27@ Arizona State960.00.01
Wk 6W 35-21vs Colorado530.00.012
Wk 7L 28-41@ Kansas State210.00.00
Wk 8W 42-36vs Baylor211.01.00
Wk 9W 23-17@ West Virginia1350.50.00Season-high 13 tackles
Wk 11L 17-20vs Iowa State630.00.020
Wk 12L 13-44@ BYU420.00.00
BowlW 30-27vs USC220.00.02
Total56311.51.047
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

2021TCU5-7HC: Gary Patterson · Run-heavy
2022TCU13-2HC: Sonny Dykes · Run-leaning
2023TCU5-7HC: Sonny Dykes · Pass-leaning, fast tempo
2024TCU9-4HC: Sonny Dykes · Pass-leaning
2025TCU9-4HC: Sonny Dykes · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025TCU56311.51.074--
2024TCU68440.00.033--
2023TCU30201.00.043--
2022TCU27221.00.055--
2021TCU1060.00.0------
Career5 loaded seasons1911233.51.01915--
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Disruption stats

TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.

Coverage splash

Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.

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.

INT 4 1 pick-six TD | #23/869 (97th pct)
Pass breakups 7 Coverage disruption | #85/2184 (96th pct)
QB pressures 1 Quarterback hurries | #1051/1878 (44th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 56 #468/4942 91st pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 1.5 #1771/4972 64th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 1.0 #872/4972 82nd pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Interceptions 4 #23/869 97th pct Takeawaysvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 7 #85/2184 96th pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 1 #1051/1878 44th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 31 #483/4584 89th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense INT return yards 25 #260/578 55th pct Takeawaysvs FBS DEF
Defense INT return avg 6.3 #419/578 28th pct Takeawaysvs FBS DEF
Defense Defensive TD 1 #23/200 89th pct Scoringvs FBS DEF
Defense Pick-six TD 1 #13/119 90th pct Scoringvs 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

StatusAwaiting 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 · 11 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home6g3.80.20.21.0
Road5g6.60.10.00.2

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins7g5.00.20.10.9
Losses4g5.20.00.00.2

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-77g4.40.00.01.0
Weeks 8+4g6.20.40.20.0

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the S cohort

72Solid starter
7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (96th). Strength: interceptions (95th).

Passes defended#85 / 2975 · 96th pct
7defe
Interceptions#23 / 817 · 95th pct
4inte
Tackles#468 / 2975 · 84th pct
56defe
Solo tackles#483 / 2975 · 83rd pct
31defe
Sacks#847 / 2975 · 63rd pct
1.0defe
QB hurries#1007 / 2975 · 55th pct
1defe
Tackles for loss#1711 / 2975 · 39th pct
1.5defe

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

Advanced Savant · S · 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.

Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.

Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match

Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile

3 peers · 7 metrics
Bud ClarkTCUDalton JohnsonArizona· 85% simDevin LafayetteTroy· 82% simAndon ThomasArmy· 79% sim
Passes defended
96
Clark
96
Johnson
91
Lafayette
91
Thomas
Interceptions
95
Clark
95
Johnson
75
Lafayette
Tackles
84
Clark
98
Johnson
99
Lafayette
99
Thomas
Solo tackles
83
Clark
97
Johnson
98
Lafayette
100
Thomas
Sacks
63
Clark
63
Johnson
63
Lafayette
51
Thomas
QB hurries
55
Clark
22
Johnson
22
Lafayette
82
Thomas
Tackles for loss
39
Clark
47
Johnson
56
Lafayette
73
Thomas

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

Player DNA

The Hybrid Nickel

Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.

S

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Malcolm Bell’s 2025 season.

Malcolm Bell

85%match

Michigan State · 2025

#2

Jeremiah Earby

Boise State · 2025

All-Mountain West
85%
#3

Latrell McCutchin

Houston · 2025

77%
#4

Treydan Stukes

Arizona · 2025

All-Big 12NFL Rd 2 · Pk 6
80%
#5

Elery Alexander

Arkansas State · 2020

76%

Matches Malcolm on

Class year
Height
PD rate

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Sonny Dykes

Pass share

51.9%

460 pass / 426 run

Plays / game

68.2

13 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

5.6%

340 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

2 coaches
2021
Gary Patterson
TCU
2022
Sonny Dykes
TCU
era →
2023
Sonny Dykes
TCU
2024
Sonny Dykes
TCU
2025
Sonny Dykes
TCU

Coaching transition mid-career: Gary Patterson → Sonny Dykes. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownAlexandria, LA
Height6'2"
Weight185 lb
Class4
PositionS
Jersey21

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 TCU S4 #9103 #9643 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Big 12
2023 TCU S4 #10935 #11244 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Big 12
2022 TCU S4 #3139 #3322 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big 12
2021 TCU S4 #13157 #13124 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big 12

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 TCU Big 12 S 4 No. 21 | 6-2 | 185 lb | Alexandria, LA
2024 TCU Big 12 S 4 No. 21 | 6-2 | 185 lb | Alexandria, LA
2023 TCU Big 12 S 4 No. 21 | 6-2 | 185 lb | Alexandria, LA
2022 TCU Big 12 S 4 No. 21 | 6-2 | 185 lb | Alexandria, LA
2021 TCU Big 12 S 4 No. 21 | 6-2 | 185 lb | Alexandria, LA