CFB Zeitgeist Score
75
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by rec yards at the 76th percentile.
Malachi Fields
On Trialas of 2026-06-22
Malachi Fields arrives at Notre Dame with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
630REC YDS36REC5REC TD
TEAM RECEIVING YARDS LEADER
808
Team leader in receiving yards (808).
Notre Dame fans keep putting his case on trial, week to week.
medium confidence2 sources
Read the story so far
AI narrative · updated 2026-06-22 · compiled from CFB Zeitgeist data
Where He Ended Up · NFL
New York2026 NFL rookie season
#74Rd 3 · Pick 10
New York2026 NFL rookie season
WR · NOTRE DAME · FBS INDEPENDENTS
Malachi Fields
- 4
- 6-4 | 223 lb
- Charlottesville, VA
Heisman Heat
#295
<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 WR AWARD
Biletnikoff
—
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
5 seasons on the ladder
2021
Virginia · WR
—
2022
Virginia · WR
—
2023
Virginia · WR
—
★
2024
Virginia · WR
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2025
Notre Dame · WR
—
NFL Draft 2026 · Rd 3, Pick 10 · #74 overall · New York
Development Trajectory · receiving yards
2021–2025+266%
Up 266% from first season to most-recent.
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
R3 · #74
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3-star | 0.8296 | No. 1763 recruit | HighSchool | Virginia |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia -> Notre Dame | 4-star | 0.9300 | 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.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to Virginia
Composite
0.8296
#1763 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 3, Pick 10
#74 overall · New York
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 Malachi Fields
Fan sentiment ·
Belief Meter
61
Mixed Sentiment
Top Take
“”
Trajectory
Per-cohort trajectory lands when historical bucket data is aggregated.
Cohort divergence map
- Own fans · n=9
- National · n=2
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Malachi Fields
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
2025 Signature · 2025 season
Yards per reception
17.5
yds
All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions
National rank #28 of 531
Percentile vs All FBS WRs, min 20 receptions 95th
Why it matters
#28 of 531 All FBS WRs at 17.5 yards per reception (36 catches).
Vs cohort
This player 17.5 (95th)
HIGH · n=36 cohort 531
- Also strong
- Receiving yards (total)#127 / 531
- Receiving TDs#98 / 531
Signature Moment
Week 12 at Pittsburgh — 99 ypr
Result W 37-15
The week the volume broke through — put up 99 yds at Pittsburgh.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the receiving totals stand
Through 12g
630Rec yards
36Receptions
5Rec TDs
Per game
52.5Rec yards
3Receptions
0Rec TDs
Projected (13g)
682.5Rec yards
39Receptions
5Rec TDs
To hit 700-yard receiver (currently 630): needs 70/game over remaining 1.
To hit 1,000-yard receiver (currently 630): needs 370/game over remaining 1.
To hit 60-catch season (currently 36): needs 24/game over remaining 1.
To hit 80-catch season (currently 36): needs 44/game over remaining 1.
To hit 8 receiving TDs (currently 5): needs 3/game over remaining 1.
To hit 10 receiving TDs (currently 5): needs 5/game over remaining 1.
Why the honors trail matters
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
The useful clue on this card is not just the Heisman rank, but the broader honors spine. Malachi Fields already has 1 loaded recognition item, which helps distinguish a player who is merely productive from one who is already earning selector-level validation.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
WR 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?
Big-play receiver against FBS receiving peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Receiving
REC
36 80th
YDS
630 88th
YPR
17.5 89th
TD
5 91st
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 12 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-27@ Miami | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 0 | 26 | |
| Wk 3 | L 40-41vs Texas A&M | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 0 | 27 | |
| Wk 4 | W 56-30vs Purdue | 2 | 78 | 39.0 | 1 | 66 | |
| Wk 5 | W 56-13@ Arkansas | 3 | 72 | 24.0 | 0 | 40 | |
| Wk 6 | W 28-7vs Boise State | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 1 | 22 | |
| Wk 7 | W 36-7vs NC State | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Wk 8 | W 34-24vs USC | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 10 | W 25-10@ Boston College | 2 | 52 | 26.0 | 1 | 40 | |
| Wk 11 | W 49-10vs Navy | 4 | 97 | 24.3 | 0 | 52 | |
| Wk 12 | W 37-15@ Pittsburgh | 7 | 99 | 14.1 | 2 | 35 | Season-high 99 yds |
| Wk 13 | W 70-7vs Syracuse | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | |
| Wk 14 | W 49-20@ Stanford | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 10 | |
| Total | 36 | 630 | 18.2 | 5 | 66 |
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
2021Virginia6-6HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Pass-heavy
2022Virginia3-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2023Virginia3-9HC: Tony Elliott · Run-leaning
2024Virginia5-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2025Notre Dame10-2HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 36 | 630 | 17.5 | 5 | -- |
| 2024 | Virginia | 55 | 808 | 14.7 | 5 | -- |
| 2023 | Virginia | 58 | 811 | 14.0 | 5 | -- |
| 2022 | Virginia | 5 | 58 | 11.6 | 1 | -- |
| 2021 | Virginia | 11 | 172 | 15.6 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 165 | 2,479 | 15.0 | 16 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Virginia | 1 | -6 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 5 loaded seasons | 1 | -6 | -- | -- | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
The player's share of a team's passing-game involvement. It is the fastest way to see whether the receiver is a true focal point or more of a complementary piece.
A blended workload view that accounts for catches, designed touches, and any return-game involvement that shapes the overall profile.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Receptions | 36 | #218/1110 | 80th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 630 | #134/1107 | 88th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 5 | #96/1111 | 91st pct | Scoringvs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 17.5 | #123/1106 | 89th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Pass share | 17.7% | #142/1137 | 88th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 66 | #127/1105 | 89th pct | Metricvs FBS WR |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 11.4% | #156/1137 | 86th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 9.7% | #253/1137 | 78th pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Role share | 7.7% | #230/1137 | 80th pct | Share of team offensevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 7.5% | #208/1137 | 82nd pct | Early-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 6.8% | #235/1137 | 79th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 6.0% | #397/1137 | 65th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Rush share | 0.0% | #391/1137 | 66th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS WR |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 1 | #131/302 | 57th pct | Turnoversvs FBS WR |
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
Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 12 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 2.6 | 48.1 | 18.7 | 0.3 |
| Road5g | 3.6 | 58.6 | 17.5 | 0.6 |
Win vs Loss
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins10g | 2.8 | 50.5 | 18.7 | 0.5 |
| Losses2g | 4.0 | 62.5 | 15.7 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 3.0 | 56.5 | 20.9 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 3.0 | 48.5 | 15.5 | 0.5 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
75Solid starter
Elite: yards / catch (93rd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · WR · 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
Malachi FieldsNotre DameHarrison Wallace IIIOle Miss· 83% simAnthony SmithEast Carolina· 83% simChris Dawn Jr.Texas State· 81% sim
Yards / catch
Long catch
Rec TDs
Rec yards
Receptions
Fumbles lost
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Jump-Ball Target
Wins contested catches at the goal line. Size and catch radius are the weapons.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Corey Gammage’s 2022 season.
Corey Gammage
80%match
#2
Isaiah Neyor
80%
#3
Christian Fitzpatrick
78%
#4
Caleb Douglas
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 11
76%
#5
Ja'Cory Thomas
75%
Matches Corey on
TD rate
Weight
Differs from Corey on
Recruiting rating (lower)
Reception volume (lower)
Class year (higher)
Through 5 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Josh Palmer’s path through Tennessee.
Josh Palmer
99%match
#2
Blayne Taylor
99%
#3
Dillon Stoner
99%
#4
Ben Ratzlaff
98%
#5
Joshua Derry
97%
Matches Josh on
Yards per reception
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Lake McRee's graduate season at USC (2025).
Lake McRee
75%match
All-Big Ten
#2
J.Michael Sturdivant
72%
#3
Michael Trigg
All-Big 12
70%
#4
Donaven McCulley
67%
#5
Jerand Bradley
All-Big 12
64%
Matches Lake on
Yards / reception
Reception volume
EPA / play (adj)
Differs from Lake on
Weight (lower)
Recruiting rating (lower)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Marcus Freeman
Pass share
44.0%
321 pass / 409 run
Plays / game
60.8
12 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
4.7%
257 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coaches2021
Brian Kelly
Notre Dame
2022era →
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
2023
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
2024
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
2025
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame
Coaching transition mid-career: Brian Kelly → Marcus Freeman. 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.
HometownCharlottesville, VA
Height6'4"
Weight223 lb
Class4
PositionWR
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNotre Dame
ConferenceFBS Independents
Joined2025
Career arc5 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2024)
All-ACC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | All-ACC | all_conference | Virginia | ACC | WR |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Virginia | WR4 | #295 | #386 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | ACC |
| 2023 | Virginia | WR4 | #751 | #1128 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | ACC |
| 2022 | Virginia | WR4 | #2636 | #3116 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
| 2021 | Virginia | WR4 | #1815 | #2099 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame | FBS Independents | WR | 4 | 6-4 | 223 lb | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2024 | Virginia | ACC | WR | 4 | 6-4 | 223 lb | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2023 | Virginia | ACC | WR | 4 | 6-4 | 223 lb | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2022 | Virginia | ACC | WR | 4 | 6-4 | 223 lb | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2021 | Virginia | ACC | WR | 4 | 6-4 | 223 lb | Charlottesville, VA |