cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Kanye Young /Missouri State

Kanye Young

LB · Missouri State · Sr · #44

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

77 TACKLES · 1 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Missouri State for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Missouri State for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Linebacker · Missouri State

Returning around him

  • Transfer portal: +8 net (19 in / 11 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Missouri State · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #129 · 2026 recruiting class #133

LB · MISSOURI STATE · CONFERENCE USA

Kanye Young

  • 4
  • #44
  • 6-1 | 220 lb
  • Menifee, CA

CFB Zeitgeist Score

71

Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 83rd percentile.

Heisman Heat

Awaiting

Not on the live Heisman board this week.

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

TOP LB AWARD

Butkus

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 2 · Starter

R05 · Part-time starter

Part-time starter. Splitting first-team reps.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
No recruit profile
CFB
College
Missouri State
2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionLB
Class4
Jersey44
Measurements6-1 | 220 lb
HometownMenifee, CA
Primary teamMissouri State

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree Not on file No matched recruiting profile in the loaded archive
Composite rating -- Composite rating unavailable for this player
Signed with -- Commitment history unavailable
Origin -- Hometown and high school unavailable
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.

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

Where the model places this player relative to the rest of the Heisman field.

Current nowcast--Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast--Where the full season sim points
Win probability--Chance to actually win the trophy
Finalist probability--Chance to make the finalist tier
Ballot probability--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.

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 Kanye Young

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 Kanye Young

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
77Tackles
5.5Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Per game
6Tackles
0.4Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Final
77Tackles
5.5Tackles for loss
1Sacks

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Kanye Young is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Missouri State's defense, with 1.0 sacks, 5.5 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.

Current place -- -- win | -- finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Defensive rarity 1.0 sacks | 5.5 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 77 41 solo | #179/4942 (96th pct)
TFL 5.5 Backfield disruption | #477/4972 (90th 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?

High-disruption defender | Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.

High-disruption defenderCoverage splashHigh-volume tackler

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
77 96th
SOLO
41 96th
TFL
5.5 90th
SACK
1.0 82nd
QBH
5 90th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
4 84th
INT
1 65th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1L 13-73@ USC320.50.00
Wk 2W 21-20@ Marshall730.50.010
Wk 3L 10-28vs SMU330.00.00
Wk 4W 42-10vs UT Martin641.00.00
Wk 5L 22-27vs Western Kentucky1082.01.01
Wk 7W 22-20@ Middle Tennessee520.00.00
Wk 9W 24-17@ New Mexico State530.00.00
Wk 10W 28-21vs Florida International420.00.02
Wk 11W 21-17@ Liberty550.00.00
Wk 12W 38-24vs UTEP820.00.00
Wk 13L 34-41@ Kennesaw State710.50.00
Wk 14L 30-42vs Louisiana Tech1140.00.00Season-high 11 tackles
BowlL 28-34@ Arkansas State321.00.01
Total77415.51.014
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

2025Missouri State7-6HC: Ryan Beard · Balanced
SeasonTeam
2025Missouri State77415.51.041--
Career1 loaded season77415.51.041--
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 1 0 pick-six TD | #308/869 (65th pct)
Pass breakups 4 Coverage disruption | #340/2184 (84th 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 77 #179/4942 96th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 5.5 #477/4972 90th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 1.0 #872/4972 82nd pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Interceptions 1 #308/869 65th pct Takeawaysvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 4 #340/2184 84th pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 5 #188/1878 90th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 41 #188/4584 96th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense INT return avg 5.0 #432/578 25th pct Takeawaysvs FBS DEF
Defense INT return yards 5 #459/578 21st 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

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
Home6g7.00.50.20.5
Road7g5.00.40.00.1

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins7g5.70.20.00.3
Losses6g6.20.70.20.3

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-77g5.30.70.10.3
Weeks 8+6g6.70.10.00.3

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort

71Solid starter
8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (93rd). Strength: solo tackles (93rd).

Tackles#179 / 2975 · 94th pct
77defe
Solo tackles#188 / 2975 · 93rd pct
41defe
QB hurries#188 / 2975 · 92nd pct
5defe
Passes defended#340 / 2975 · 86th pct
4defe
Tackles for loss#477 / 2975 · 83rd pct
5.5defe
Sacks#847 / 2975 · 63rd pct
1.0defe
Forced fumbles#36 / 687 · 47th pct
0fumb
Interceptions#304 / 817 · 31st pct
1inte

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

Advanced Savant · LB · 2025

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 · 8 metrics
Kanye YoungMissouri StateBryce BoettcherOregon· 96% simTrey FieldsNorth Texas· 93% simAndon ThomasArmy· 91% sim
Tackles
94
Young
100
Boettcher
98
Fields
99
Thomas
Solo tackles
93
Young
99
Boettcher
96
Fields
100
Thomas
QB hurries
92
Young
92
Boettcher
95
Fields
82
Thomas
Passes defended
86
Young
91
Boettcher
67
Fields
91
Thomas
Tackles for loss
83
Young
83
Boettcher
87
Fields
73
Thomas
Sacks
63
Young
63
Boettcher
63
Fields
51
Thomas
Forced fumbles
47
Young
47
Fields
Interceptions
31
Young
31
Boettcher
31
Fields

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

Player DNA

The Coverage 'Backer

Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.

LB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jaylon Scott’s 2023 season.

Jaylon Scott

87%match

NC State · 2023

#2

Jeremiah Gemmel

North Carolina · 2021

84%
#3

Ferrod Gardner

Louisiana · 2021

83%
#4

Deontae Lawson

Alabama · 2024

82%
#5

Luke Reimer

Nebraska · 2021

81%

Matches Jaylon on

Tackle volume
Weight
Sack rate

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Jeremiah Gemmel's sophomore season at North Carolina (2021).

Jeremiah Gemmel

90%match

North Carolina · 2021

#2

Tarique Barnes

Illinois · 2021

90%
#3

Jake Hummel

Iowa State · 2021

89%
#4

Dee Winters

TCU · 2021

All-Big 12NFL Rd 6
89%
#5

Rich Miller

Kansas · 2021

88%

Matches Jeremiah on

Weight
Sack rate
Tackle volume

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Ryan Beard

Pass share

51.9%

433 pass / 401 run

Plays / game

64.2

13 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

13.0%

307 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Balanced.

Coaching Lineage · 2025

1 coach
2025
Ryan Beard
Missouri State

Played his entire career under Ryan Beard.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownMenifee, CA
Height6'1"
Weight220 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey44

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
This player hasn’t appeared on a Heisman ballot tracked by the model.

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Missouri State Conference USA LB 4 No. 44 | 6-1 | 220 lb | Menifee, CA