cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Dylan Hazen /Wake Forest

Dylan Hazen

LB · Wake Forest · Sr · #24

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

73 TACKLES · 0 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Wake Forest for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Wake Forest for 2026

Updated May 27

2026 Depth chart

Returning starter

Linebacker · Wake Forest

Returning around him

  • 26% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • 2 Wake Forest players drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: +1 net (24 in / 23 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Wake Forest · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #74 · 2026 recruiting class #63

LB · WAKE FOREST · ACC

Dylan Hazen

  • 4
  • #24
  • 6-1 | 239 lb
  • The Woodlands, TX

CFB Zeitgeist Score

70

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 95th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#14018

<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 · Starter

R07 · Impact starter

Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#1031 national
CFB
College
Wake Forest
2021–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionLB
Class4
Jersey24
Measurements6-1 | 239 lb
HometownThe Woodlands, TX
Primary teamWake Forest

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 3-star No. 1031 recruit
Composite rating 0.8556 HighSchool
Signed with -- 2021
Origin College Park The Woodlands, TX, USA
Class Profile Context
2021 3-star | 0.8556 No. 1031 recruit | HighSchool

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#14018Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#14159Where 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 —

Composite

0.8556

#1031 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 Dylan Hazen

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 Dylan Hazen

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

final
Through 13g
73Tackles
9Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
6Tackles
0.7Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Final
73Tackles
9Tackles for loss
0Sacks

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Dylan Hazen is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Wake Forest's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 9.0 tackles for loss, and -- 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 #14018 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Defensive rarity 0.0 sacks | 9.0 TFL

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 73 30 solo | #227/4942 (95th pct)
TFL 9.0 Backfield disruption | #142/4972 (97th pct)
Sacks 0.0 Pass-rush finish | #1762/4972 (65th pct)
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.

High-disruption defenderHigh-volume tackler

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
73 95th
SOLO
30 89th
TFL
9.0 97th
SACK
0.0 65th
QBH
5 90th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
3 76th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 10-9vs Kennesaw State530.00.00
Wk 2W 42-10vs Western Carolina520.50.00
Wk 3L 24-34vs NC State963.50.00Season-high 9 tackles
Wk 5L 29-30vs Georgia Tech630.50.00
Wk 6W 30-23@ Virginia Tech630.00.00
Wk 7W 39-14@ Oregon State320.00.01
Wk 9W 13-12vs SMU710.50.00
Wk 10L 7-42@ Florida State400.00.00
Wk 11W 16-9@ Virginia751.50.00
Wk 12W 28-12vs North Carolina622.00.01
Wk 13W 52-14vs Delaware600.00.00
Wk 14L 32-49@ Duke400.50.01
BowlW 43-29@ Mississippi State530.00.00
Total73309.00.03
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

2021Wake Forest10-3HC: Dave Clawson · Balanced, fast tempo
2022Wake Forest8-5HC: Dave Clawson · Balanced
2023Wake Forest4-8HC: Dave Clawson · Run-leaning
2025Wake Forest9-4HC: Jake Dickert · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Wake Forest73309.00.03----
2023Wake Forest86448.51.0------
2022Wake Forest29142.00.5--1--
2021Wake Forest970.00.0------
Career4 loaded seasons1979519.51.531--
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 -- -- pick-six TD
Pass breakups 3 Coverage disruption | #521/2184 (76th pct)
QB pressures 5 Quarterback hurries | #188/1878 (90th pct)
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 73 #227/4942 95th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 9.0 #142/4972 97th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 0.0 #1762/4972 65th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 3 #521/2184 76th pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 5 #188/1878 90th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 30 #515/4584 89th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense Fumbles recovered 2 #13/736 98th 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

StatusAwaiting 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 · 13 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home7g6.31.00.00.1
Road6g4.80.30.00.3

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins9g5.60.50.00.2
Losses4g5.81.10.00.2

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-77g5.60.60.00.1
Weeks 8+6g5.70.80.00.3

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort

70Solid starter
7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles for loss (94th). Strength: tackles (92nd). Concern: sacks (23rd).

Tackles for loss#142 / 2975 · 95th pct
9.0defe
Tackles#227 / 2975 · 92nd pct
73defe
QB hurries#188 / 2975 · 92nd pct
5defe
Solo tackles#515 / 2975 · 82nd pct
30defe
Passes defended#517 / 2975 · 78th pct
3defe
Forced fumbles#36 / 687 · 47th pct
0fumb
Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct
0.0defe

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
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
Dylan HazenWake ForestBryce LlewellynEastern Michigan· 89% simTy BenefieldBoise State· 84% simRobert FitzgeraldNorthwestern· 84% sim
Tackles for loss
95
Hazen
80
Llewellyn
94
Benefield
85
Fitzgerald
Tackles
92
Hazen
99
Llewellyn
99
Benefield
99
Fitzgerald
QB hurries
92
Hazen
72
Llewellyn
55
Benefield
55
Fitzgerald
Solo tackles
82
Hazen
95
Llewellyn
100
Benefield
100
Fitzgerald
Passes defended
78
Hazen
86
Llewellyn
78
Benefield
86
Fitzgerald
Forced fumbles
47
Hazen
47
Llewellyn
47
Benefield
47
Fitzgerald
Sacks
24
Hazen
24
Llewellyn
24
Benefield
24
Fitzgerald

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

Player DNA

The Every-Down Linebacker

Leads the team in tackles and rarely leaves the field.

LB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Nikhai Hill-Green’s 2023 season.

Nikhai Hill-Green

76%match

Charlotte · 2023

All-AAC
#2

Nikhai Hill-Green

Colorado · 2024

76%
#3

Tommy Eichenberg

Ohio State · 2021

NFL Rd 5
74%
#4

Stephen Dix Jr.

Marshall · 2023

74%
#5

Dylan Rosiek

Illinois · 2023

74%

Matches Nikhai on

PD rate
Weight
Sack rate

Differs from Nikhai on

Height (lower)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Ruben Hyppolite II's graduate season at Maryland (2024).

Ruben Hyppolite II

82%match

Maryland · 2024

All-Big TenNFL Rd 4
#2

Jackson Barrow

Toledo · 2024

81%
#3

Gavin Potter

Tulsa · 2024

All-AAC
80%
#4

West Weeks

LSU · 2025

80%
#5

Evan Eller

Wyoming · 2025

76%

Matches Ruben on

Weight
PD rate
Tackle volume

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Jake Dickert

Pass share

48.0%

405 pass / 439 run

Plays / game

64.9

13 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

5.1%

293 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

2 coaches
2021
Dave Clawson
Wake Forest
2022
Dave Clawson
Wake Forest
2023
Dave Clawson
Wake Forest
2025
Jake Dickert
Wake Forest
era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Dave Clawson → Jake Dickert. 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.

HometownThe Woodlands, TX
Height6'1"
Weight239 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey24

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 Wake Forest LB4 #14018 #14159 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | ACC
2023 Wake Forest LB4 #10458 #11003 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | ACC
2022 Wake Forest LB4 #10293 #10401 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | ACC
2021 Wake Forest LB4 #9466 #9056 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | ACC

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Wake Forest ACC LB 4 No. 24 | 6-1 | 239 lb | The Woodlands, TX
2024 Wake Forest ACC LB 4 No. 24 | 6-1 | 239 lb | The Woodlands, TX
2023 Wake Forest ACC LB 4 No. 24 | 6-1 | 239 lb | The Woodlands, TX
2022 Wake Forest ACC LB 4 No. 24 | 6-1 | 239 lb | The Woodlands, TX
2021 Wake Forest ACC LB 4 No. 24 | 6-1 | 239 lb | The Woodlands, TX