CFB Zeitgeist Score
66
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 85th percentile.
Jadon Pearson
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
96 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Fresno State for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Linebacker · Fresno State
Returning around him
- 17% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: +3 net (13 in / 10 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Fresno State · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #90 · 2026 recruiting class #103
LB · FRESNO STATE · MOUNTAIN WEST
Jadon Pearson
- 4
- #39
- 6-1 | 220 lb
- Gilbert, AZ
Heisman Heat
#14788
<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 · Season-by-season Standing
3 seasons on the ladder
2022
Utah · LB
—
2023
Utah · LB
—
★
2025
Fresno State · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3-star | 0.8528 | No. 34 recruit | JUCO | Utah |
| 2019 | 2-star | 0.7783 | No. 3427 recruit | HighSchool | Air Force |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Utah -> -- | 3-star | 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—
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to Utah
Composite
0.8528
#34 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 Jadon Pearson
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 Jadon Pearson
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 12g
96Tackles
6Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
8Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
104Tackles
6.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
✓ Hit 80-tackle season · finished with 96.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 96): needs 4/game over remaining 1.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 6/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 10/game over remaining 1.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Jadon Pearson is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Fresno State's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 6.0 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
96 99th
SOLO
55 99th
TFL
6.0 92nd
SACK
0.0 65th
QBH
1 44th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
3 76th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 7-31@ Kansas | 12 | 10 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 1 | W 42-14vs Georgia Southern | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 36-27@ Oregon State | 16 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 16 tackles |
| Wk 4 | W 23-21@ Hawai'i | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 20-17vs Nevada | 11 | 4 | 2.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 2.5 TFL |
| Wk 7 | L 21-49@ Colorado State | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 0-23vs San Diego State | 7 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 30-7@ Boise State | 10 | 8 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 24-3vs Wyoming | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 17-28vs Utah State | 7 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | W 41-14@ San José State | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Bowl | W 18-3vs Miami (OH) | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 96 | 55 | 6.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 |
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
2022Utah10-4HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-leaning
2023Utah8-5HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy
2025Fresno State9-4HC: Matt Entz · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fresno State | 96 | 55 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Utah | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Utah | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 104 | 60 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
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 | 96 | #61/4942 | 99th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 6.0 | #406/4972 | 92nd 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 | 1 | #1051/1878 | 44th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 55 | #41/4584 | 99th 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.
ALL-CONF HM
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
ALL-CONF HM · Rung 9 of 16
Why he’s here
All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started.
What moves him up
A best-at-position run lifts to 1st team.
What moves him down
A back-end conference finish drops out of the honor list.
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 · 12 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 6.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Road6g | 9.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins8g | 8.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Losses4g | 8.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 9.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 6.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort
66Solid starter
Elite: solo tackles (98th). Strength: tackles (97th). Concern: sacks (23rd).
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
Jadon PearsonFresno StateRobert FitzgeraldNorthwestern· 97% simTy BenefieldBoise State· 97% simBryce LlewellynEastern Michigan· 93% sim
Solo tackles
Tackles
Tackles for loss
Passes defended
QB hurries
Forced fumbles
Sacks
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 Quae Drake’s 2023 season.
Quae Drake
85%match
#2
Marvin Pierre
84%
#3
Jahad Woods
81%
#4
Power Echols
81%
#5
Xavier Cullens
All-AAC
81%
Matches Quae on
Tackle volume
Weight
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Shadrach Banks's graduate season at UTSA (2025).
Shadrach Banks
87%match
#2
TJ Quinn
83%
#3
Terrence Williams
82%
#4
Kobe Wilson
All-ACC
81%
#5
Devon Williams
79%
Matches Shadrach on
Tackle volume
PD rate
TFL rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Entz
Pass share
44.2%
373 pass / 471 run
Plays / game
64.9
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
6.4%
282 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
2 coaches2022
Jeff Tedford
Fresno State
2023
Jeff Tedford
Fresno State
2025era →
Matt Entz
Fresno State
Coaching transition mid-career: Jeff Tedford → Matt Entz. 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.
HometownGilbert, AZ
Height6'1"
Weight220 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey39
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamFresno State
ConferenceMountain West
Joined2025
Career arc4 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Mountain West
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
1 all-conference honor
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-Mountain West | all_conference | Fresno State | Mountain West | LB |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Utah State | LB4 | #14788 | #14926 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Mountain West |
| 2023 | Utah | LB4 | #10421 | #10156 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Pac-12 |
| 2022 | Utah | LB4 | #6909 | #6698 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Pac-12 |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fresno State | Mountain West | LB | 4 | No. 39 | 6-1 | 220 lb | Gilbert, AZ |
| 2024 | Utah State | Mountain West | LB | 4 | No. 39 | 6-1 | 220 lb | Gilbert, AZ |
| 2023 | Utah | Pac-12 | LB | 4 | No. 39 | 6-1 | 220 lb | Gilbert, AZ |
| 2022 | Utah | Pac-12 | LB | 4 | No. 39 | 6-1 | 220 lb | Gilbert, AZ |