CFB Zeitgeist Score
70
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 96th percentile.
Gabe Kirschke
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
37 TACKLES · 5 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Wake Forest for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · 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
DL · WAKE FOREST · ACC
Gabe Kirschke
- 3
- #10
- 6-5 | 249 lb
- Lone Tree, CO
Heisman Heat
#13456
<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 DEFENSE AWARD
Nagurski
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
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 |
|---|---|---|
| No recruiting profile is on file for this player. | ||
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wisconsin -> Colorado State | 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.
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 Gabe Kirschke
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 Gabe Kirschke
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 13g
37Tackles
9Tackles for loss
5Sacks
Per game
3Tackles
0.7Tackles for loss
0.4Sacks
Final
37Tackles
9Tackles for loss
5Sacks
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Gabe Kirschke 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 5.0 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.
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
37 80th
SOLO
21 79th
TFL
9.0 97th
SACK
5.0 98th
QBH
4 85th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 10-9vs Kennesaw State | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 42-10vs Western Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 24-34vs NC State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 29-30vs Georgia Tech | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 6 | W 30-23@ Virginia Tech | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 39-14@ Oregon State | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 13-12vs SMU | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 7-42@ Florida State | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 16-9@ Virginia | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 28-12vs North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 52-14vs Delaware | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 32-49@ Duke | 5 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 43-29@ Mississippi State | 5 | 4 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 21 | 9.0 | 5.0 | — | 0 |
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
2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced
2025Wake Forest9-4HC: Jake Dickert · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wake Forest | 37 | 21 | 9.0 | 5.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 38 | 22 | 10.0 | 5.0 | -- | -- | -- |
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 | 37 | #1007/4942 | 80th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 9.0 | #142/4972 | 97th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 5.0 | #102/4972 | 98th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 4 | #291/1878 | 85th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 21 | #959/4584 | 79th 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 Lombardi 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 vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Road6g | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins9g | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Losses4g | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 2.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort
70Solid starter
Elite: sacks (96th). Strength: tackles for loss (94th). Concern: passes defended (17th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DL · 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
Gabe KirschkeWake ForestMarcAnthony ParkerNavy· 82% simEthan WesloskiNorth Texas· 80% simAmare CampbellPenn State· 79% sim
Sacks
Tackles for loss
QB hurries
Solo tackles
Tackles
Forced fumbles
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The 3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tre Smith’s 2021 season.
Tre Smith
91%match
#2
Aiden Gobaira
89%
#3
Tyler Baron
NFL Rd 5
88%
#4
Keyshawn Burgos
84%
#5
Scott Patchan
All-Mountain West
84%
Matches Tre on
Height
TFL rate
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Mi'Quise Grace's junior season at Kentucky (2025).
Mi'Quise Grace
84%match
#2
Emar'Rion Winston
83%
#3
Anas Luqman
83%
#4
Adam Trick
All-MAC
82%
#5
Malachi Davis
All-MAC
81%
Matches Mi'Quise on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
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 · 2023–2025
2 coaches2023
Dave Clawson
Wake Forest
2025era →
Jake Dickert
Wake Forest
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.
HometownLone Tree, CO
Height6'5"
Weight249 lb
Class3
PositionDL
Jersey10
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamWake Forest
ConferenceACC
Joined2025
Career arc4 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 | Colorado State | DL3 | #13456 | #13479 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Mountain West |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | DL3 | #10815 | #10679 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2022 | Wisconsin | DL3 | #10448 | #10331 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wake Forest | ACC | DL | 3 | No. 10 | 6-5 | 249 lb | Lone Tree, CO |
| 2024 | Colorado State | Mountain West | DL | 3 | No. 10 | 6-5 | 249 lb | Lone Tree, CO |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | DL | 3 | No. 10 | 6-5 | 249 lb | Lone Tree, CO |
| 2022 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | DL | 3 | No. 10 | 6-5 | 249 lb | Lone Tree, CO |