Player Career

CJ Heard Career Story

Career story, signature performances, transfer context, and season arc are grouped for biography-style searches.

Player Story

CJ Heard story

CJ Heard built his college career from 2024 through 2025 as a safety from Atlanta, GA wearing No. 8, spending time with Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt. The clearest part of CJ Heard's career was his defensive production: 145 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 interception across 24 career games in the available record. His largest box-score season came in 2025 with Vanderbilt. Those numbers show where he fit, how often the ball or action found him, and how his role developed over time.

Defensive careers can be hard to read from one number, but CJ Heard's production has multiple signals. With 24 career games in the available record, his career has enough shape to show both opportunity and production across Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt.

The arc is straightforward: CJ Heard moved through the depth chart, found a larger role, and turned that opportunity into production that can be understood through standard football numbers.

Career Arc

Track team changes, role shifts, and season-to-season movement.

  1. 1

    Florida Atlantic

    2024

    Opening stop

  2. 2

    Vanderbilt

    2025

    Final stop

Season Value Progression

202420252025
SeasonTeamPrimaryEfficiencyUsageDelta
2024 Regular SeasonFlorida Atlantic1.5295.3
2025 PostseasonVanderbilt14.534.77.613
2025 Regular SeasonVanderbilt14.534.77.60

Transfer Portal History

Matched portal movement

SeasonPathMovementValueDate
2025Florida Atlantic to VanderbiltG5/FCS to P475.9Dec 19, 2024

Signature Performances

Top Games

#1 Featured game

@ No. 105 Virginia Tech

Week 2 · W 44-20

Win with 4 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

4

Havoc Plays

86.9 takeover

4 disruption/tackle impact with 86.9 takeover score.

#2

vs No. 29 Auburn

Week 11 · W 45-38 · Conference game

3

Havoc Plays

76.7 takeover

Win with 3 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

3 disruption/tackle impact with 76.7 takeover score.

#3

vs No. 66 Kentucky

Week 13 · W 45-17 · Conference game

3.5

Havoc Plays

67 takeover

Win with 3.5 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

3.5 disruption/tackle impact with 67 takeover score.

#4

vs No. 21 Missouri

Week 9 · W 17-10 · Conference game · Ranked opponent

2

Havoc Plays

64.7 takeover

Win with 2 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

2 disruption/tackle impact with 64.7 takeover score.

#5

@ No. 49 South Carolina

Week 3 · W 31-7 · Conference game

1

Havoc Plays

61.7 takeover

Win with 1 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

1 disruption/tackle impact with 61.7 takeover score.

Top Seasons

#1 Season by Season Value

2025 Postseason · Vanderbilt

14.5 primary output · 34.7 efficiency · 7.6 usage

53.3

#2

2025 Regular Season · Vanderbilt

53.3

14.5 primary · 34.7 efficiency · 7.6 usage

#3

2024 Regular Season · Florida Atlantic

22.4

1.5 primary · 29 efficiency · 5.3 usage

Milestones

5

Impact games

4

Splash games

4

10+ tackle games