cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Keshon Griffin /Rutgers

Keshon Griffin

DL · Rutgers · Sr · #96

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

12 TACKLES · 0 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Rutgers for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Rutgers for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Defensive line · Rutgers

Returning around him

  • 67% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
  • 1 Rutgers player drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: +0 net (15 in / 15 out)

2026 Award watch

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

Rutgers · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #53 · 2026 recruiting class #33

DL · RUTGERS · BIG TEN

Keshon Griffin

  • 4
  • #96
  • 6-4 | 301 lb
  • Sicklerville, NJ

CFB Zeitgeist Score

34

Below cohort in the position cohort. Carried by qb hurries at the 55th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#10158

<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 1 · 2-deep

R04 · Rotational

Rotational. Earning real snaps in the rotation.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#1073 national
CFB
College
Rutgers
2021–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

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

PositionDL
Class4
Jersey96
Measurements6-4 | 301 lb
HometownSicklerville, NJ
Primary teamRutgers

Recruiting Pedigree

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

Top pedigree 3-star No. 1073 recruit
Composite rating 0.8544 HighSchool
Signed with -- 2021
Origin St. Joseph Hammonton, NJ, USA
Class Profile Context
2021 3-star | 0.8544 No. 1073 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#10158Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#10287Where 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

0.8544

#1073 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 Keshon Griffin

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 Keshon Griffin

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 9g
12Tackles
1.5Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
1Tackles
0.2Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Projected (13g)
17Tackles
2.2Tackles for loss
0Sacks

To hit 80-tackle season (currently 12): needs 17/game over remaining 4.

To hit 100-tackle season (currently 12): needs 22/game over remaining 4.

To hit 6-sack season (currently 0): needs 1.5/game over remaining 4.

To hit 10-sack season (currently 0): needs 2.5/game over remaining 4.

Why this is a rare defensive case

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

Keshon Griffin is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Rutgers's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 1.5 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 #10158 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Defensive rarity 0.0 sacks | 1.5 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 12 8 solo | #2651/4942 (46th pct)
TFL 1.5 Backfield disruption | #1771/4972 (64th 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?

Defensive contributor against FBS defenders.

Balanced profile

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
12 46th
SOLO
8 50th
TFL
1.5 64th
SACK
0.0 65th
QBH
1 44th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
1 43rd

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 9 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 34-31vs Ohio100.50.01
Wk 3W 60-10vs Norfolk State100.00.00
Wk 4L 28-38vs Iowa100.00.00
Wk 5L 28-31@ Minnesota111.00.00
Wk 7L 19-38@ Washington110.00.00
Wk 8L 10-56vs Oregon210.00.00
Wk 10L 13-35@ Illinois330.00.00Season-high 3 tackles
Wk 11W 35-20vs Maryland110.00.00
Wk 13L 9-42@ Ohio State110.00.00
Total1281.50.01
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

2021Rutgers5-7HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2023Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2024Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2025Rutgers5-7HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
SeasonTeam
2025Rutgers1281.50.01----
2024Rutgers1361.51.01----
2023Rutgers110.00.0------
2021Rutgers110.00.0------
Career4 loaded seasons27163.01.02----
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 1 Coverage disruption | #1241/2184 (43rd 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 12 #2651/4942 46th pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 1.5 #1771/4972 64th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 0.0 #1762/4972 65th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 1 #1241/2184 43rd pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense QB hurries 1 #1051/1878 44th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 8 #2283/4584 50th pct Volumevs 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 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 · 9 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home5g1.20.10.00.2
Road4g1.50.20.00.0

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins3g1.00.20.00.3
Losses6g1.50.20.00.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-75g1.00.30.00.2
Weeks 8+4g1.80.00.00.0

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

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the DL cohort

34Below cohort
6 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: tackles (9th).

QB hurries#1007 / 2975 · 55th pct
1defe
Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct
1defe
Tackles for loss#1711 / 2975 · 39th pct
1.5defe
Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct
0.0defe
Solo tackles#2282 / 2975 · 21st pct
8defe
Tackles#2651 / 2975 · 9th pct
12defe

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
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 · 6 metrics
Keshon GriffinRutgersTyler MartinMassachusetts· 51% simBlake FletcherAir Force· 50% simBryce LlewellynEastern Michigan· 47% sim
QB hurries
55
Griffin
22
Martin
92
Fletcher
72
Llewellyn
Passes defended
48
Griffin
67
Martin
67
Fletcher
86
Llewellyn
Tackles for loss
39
Griffin
63
Martin
28
Fletcher
80
Llewellyn
Sacks
24
Griffin
24
Martin
24
Fletcher
24
Llewellyn
Solo tackles
21
Griffin
87
Martin
91
Fletcher
95
Llewellyn
Tackles
9
Griffin
98
Martin
99
Fletcher
99
Llewellyn

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

Player DNA

The Two-Gap Base

Stout at the point of attack; controls his gap and stacks blocks.

IDL

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tawfiq Thomas’s 2025 season.

Tawfiq Thomas

95%match

Colorado · 2025

#2

Monkell Goodwine

South Carolina · 2025

94%
#3

Mike Jarvis

Liberty · 2025

90%
#4

Kyonte Hamilton

Rutgers · 2021

NFL Rd 7
90%
#5

Fatorma Mulbah

West Virginia · 2023

88%

Matches Tawfiq on

Class year
Height
Sack rate

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Tawfiq Thomas's senior season at Colorado (2025).

Tawfiq Thomas

95%match

Colorado · 2025

#2

Damon Payne Jr.

Michigan · 2025

90%
#3

Joseph Anderson

Purdue · 2023

89%
#4

Immanuel Hickman Sr.

South Florida · 2023

88%
#5

Amari McNeill

Colorado · 2025

86%

Matches Tawfiq on

Class year
Height
Sack rate

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Greg Schiano

Pass share

45.1%

378 pass / 460 run

Plays / game

69.8

12 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

11.1%

359 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning.

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025

1 coach
2021
Greg Schiano
Rutgers
2023
Greg Schiano
Rutgers
2024
Greg Schiano
Rutgers
2025
Greg Schiano
Rutgers

Played his entire career under Greg Schiano.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

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

HometownSicklerville, NJ
Height6'4"
Weight301 lb
Class4
PositionDL
Jersey96

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 Rutgers DL4 #10158 #10287 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | Big Ten
2023 Rutgers DL4 #12250 #12067 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W19 snapshot | Big Ten
2022 Rutgers DL4 #12516 #12491 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big Ten
2021 Rutgers DL4 #11194 #11095 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W20 snapshot | Big Ten

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 96 | 6-4 | 301 lb | Sicklerville, NJ
2024 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 96 | 6-4 | 301 lb | Sicklerville, NJ
2023 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 96 | 6-4 | 301 lb | Sicklerville, NJ
2022 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 96 | 6-4 | 301 lb | Sicklerville, NJ
2021 Rutgers Big Ten DL 4 No. 96 | 6-4 | 301 lb | Sicklerville, NJ