CFB Zeitgeist Score
71
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 95th percentile.
Sam Brumfield
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
90 TACKLES · 4.5 SACKS
2026 Outlook
Returning to Memphis for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Memphis
Returning around him
- 12% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 1 Memphis player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +4 net (51 in / 47 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Memphis · Last season: 8-5 (AP #22) · Talent rank #59 · 2026 recruiting class #60
LB · MEMPHIS · AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Sam Brumfield
- 4
- #3
- 5-11 | 225 lb
- Pearl, MS
Heisman Heat
#10261
<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
2 seasons on the ladder
★
2023
Middle Tennessee · LB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2025
Memphis · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3-star | 0.8300 | No. 134 recruit | JUCO | Middle Tennessee |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia Tech -> Memphis | 3-star | 0.8600 | Immediate |
| 2024 | Middle Tennessee -> Virginia Tech | 3-star | 0.8600 | 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 Middle Tennessee
Composite
0.8300
#134 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 Sam Brumfield
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 Sam Brumfield
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 11g
90Tackles
11Tackles for loss
4.5Sacks
Per game
8Tackles
1Tackles for loss
0.4Sacks
Projected (13g)
106Tackles
13Tackles for loss
5.3Sacks
✓ Hit 80-tackle season · finished with 90.
To hit 100-tackle season (currently 90): needs 5/game over remaining 2.
To hit 6-sack season (currently 4.5): needs 0.8/game over remaining 2.
To hit 10-sack season (currently 4.5): needs 2.8/game over remaining 2.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Sam Brumfield is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Memphis's defense, with 4.5 sacks, 11.0 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.
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
90 98th
SOLO
40 95th
TFL
11.0 99th
SACK
4.5 97th
QBH
2 66th
Coverage & Takeaways
INT
1 65th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 11 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-10vs Chattanooga | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-16@ Georgia State | 8 | 5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 28-7@ Troy | 4 | 0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 32-31vs Arkansas | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 55-26@ Florida Atlantic | 8 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 45-7vs Tulsa | 5 | 1 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 24-31@ UAB | 6 | 3 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2.5 TFL |
| Wk 9 | W 34-31vs South Florida | 13 | 9 | 2.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 2.5 TFL |
| Wk 12 | L 27-31@ East Carolina | 12 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | L 17-28vs Navy | 17 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 17 tackles |
| Bowl | L 7-31@ NC State | 7 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 90 | 40 | 11.0 | 4.5 | 1 | 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
2023Middle Tennessee4-8HC: Rick Stockstill · Balanced
2025Memphis8-5HC: Ryan Silverfield · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Memphis | 90 | 40 | 11.0 | 4.5 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Middle Tennessee | 82 | 46 | 6.5 | 3.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 172 | 86 | 17.5 | 8.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
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 | 90 | #86/4942 | 98th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 11.0 | #74/4972 | 99th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 4.5 | #136/4972 | 97th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 1 | #308/869 | 65th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 2 | #647/1878 | 66th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 40 | #212/4584 | 95th pct | Volumevs 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 · 11 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 9.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Road6g | 7.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins7g | 6.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Losses4g | 10.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 6.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+4g | 12.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
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
Elite: tackles for loss (97th). Strength: tackles (97th). Concern: passes defended (17th).
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
Sam BrumfieldMemphisMarcAnthony ParkerNavy· 91% simEthan WesloskiNorth Texas· 88% simMaverick BaranowskiMinnesota· 87% sim
Tackles for loss
Tackles
Sacks
Solo tackles
QB hurries
Interceptions
Passes defended
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 Josh Chandler’s 2022 season.
Josh Chandler
82%match
#2
Darren Anders
All-MAC
74%
#3
Sam Brumfield
All-Conference USA
74%
#4
Mason Woods
73%
#5
Jake Chaney
73%
Matches Josh on
Weight
Tackle volume
PD rate
Differs from Josh on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Josh Chandler's junior season at Colorado (2022).
Josh Chandler
86%match
#2
Eli Neal
82%
#3
Keye Thompson
All-MAC
81%
#4
DJ Schramm
All-Mountain West
80%
#5
Mason Cobb
80%
Matches Josh on
Sack rate
TFL rate
PD rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield
Pass share
46.9%
412 pass / 466 run
Plays / game
67.5
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
11.2%
285 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
Ryan Silverfield
Memphis
2025
Ryan Silverfield
Memphis
Played his entire career under Ryan Silverfield.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownPearl, MS
Height5'11"
Weight225 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey3
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamMemphis
ConferenceAmerican Athletic
Joined2025
Career arc3 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-AAC
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
2 all-conference honors
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-AAC | all_conference | Memphis | AAC | LB |
| 2023 | All-Conference USA | all_conference | Middle Tennessee | Conference USA | LB |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | LB4 | #10261 | #10208 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | ACC |
| 2023 | Middle Tennessee | LB4 | #8736 | #9739 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Conference USA |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Memphis | American Athletic | LB | 4 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pearl, MS |
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | ACC | LB | 4 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pearl, MS |
| 2023 | Middle Tennessee | Conference USA | LB | 4 | No. 3 | 5-11 | 225 lb | Pearl, MS |