Intro:
And now to the other side. We’ve decided to combine the DE’s and DT’s to make grading a tiny bit easier and to not blow up the media page.
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Defensive End:[/u
User: Mojojojo
Color # in chart above: 3
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Ernest Lover
S25 Match: Albert Ruschmann
Cosine Similarity: 0.933
Other notable matches: Etrigan T. Slayer (0.918), Sam Roes (0.870)
Distinguishing attributes: High SPD, High INT, High END
Why it works:
Art - Hordle I think we have to start by bowing down to Mojojo who is the nicest, bestest person and definitely not just because she might be the one grading this. So how does Mojojojo’s Ernest Lover match up with S25? Only with katarn22’s Albert Ruschmann. Let's break down the build and see what we’ve got. Ernest Lover’s differentiated from their fellow S26 DEs with higher speed (half a standard deviation above the mean) and endurance (over 1.2 standard deviations above the mean) while being no slouch in strength, right up there with the second highest strength. How does that compare to Albert Ruschmann? Endurance over a standard deviation from the mean? Check. Speed half a standard deviation above the mean? Check. Strength over a standard deviation above the mean? Also check. It’s a match on build, not to even mention activity and how Mojojojo is killing it there.
Hordle - Looking through the article to what we have ahead further, it doesn’t surprise me that Mojo and one other (no spoilers) have been paired with Albert. There isn’t much separation between Ernests and Albers stats aside from tackling at the base build. It’s a good match up and Ernest is a good prospect. Not that anyones really surprised.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - This is a great match to start, so I’ll be nitpicking again here. But while Albert Ruschmann is dominating at tackling (highest in the S25 DE class and 1.5 normalized), Ernest Lover still has some work to do in that category, not the best in their class (yet) and under 1 standard deviation from the mean. That’s the only difference really though in these two very comparable players that I’m excited to watch - and you’ve got to expect Mojojojo will be working on tackling (with a bunch of banked TPE, that could happen soon).
Hordle - There is major separation in terms of current TPE updates. But that’s not really fair to judge either of these players based on the data we (Art) ran. Alberts a stud. Max strength and max speed as of his latest update. Ernest has the potential to be one. Gaining at a great rate, one that might make an OL jealous, there shouldn’t be anything holding Ernest back from achieving the same level of success that Albert has.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Hordle - We’ve covered it a bit but I’m gonna go over it again just cause I can. Mojo is active, writing media, even doing prospect bowl intro videos for the fun of it? I’m not sure if that counts as a graphic or not. Regardless of the fact she’s clearly invested in the League. She’s gaining at an insane rate and if you’re looking for a future HOF DE and you don’t pick her up then pass me what you’re smoking. Not only that but she got a job with the league recently. I’m like 86.5% sure that this is Mojo’s first create, but maybe I’m wrong and she’s been here for like 45 years. Either way, pick this player up and you’ll not only have a stud dot but you’ll have a great personality in the locker room.
Art - Hordle’s said it. Mojo is super fun to hang out with and as a fellow Mars Explorer I can attest to how great Mojo is. You’re crazy for passing on this prospect and I’m excited to see what Ernest Lover does over the course of a long ISFL career.
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User: TubbyTim69
Color # in chart above: 4
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Makoto Otawara
S25 Match: Vick Vinegar
Cosine Similarity: 0.866
Other notable matches: Hank Sakner (0.810), Saximus Daddy (0.851)
Distinguishing attributes: High TCK
Why it works:
Art - Our next DE up is the also super active and very friendly TubbyTim69 who I’ve seen around a bunch and who’s a recreate. So far the DE class is shaping up real nice. Anyway, TubbyTim69’s Makoto Otawara is matched to HoneyandVinegar’s Vick Vinegar, of all 50 TPE and last update in July. Sorry Tim, just how the onion peels. Let’s dig into why - Makoto Otawara has the highest strength and tackling of the S26 prospects via the build we have, while Vinegar also has decent strength and tackling - considering they’re IA. It’s not perfect, clearly Otawara has higher normalized values than Vinegar with his 50 TPE. But the reason Otawara has missed out on a match to Ruschmann or Toblerone or Crowder is that their endurance is far too low and under the mean, versus all of the above with high tackling and strength but also endurance. So Otawara gets placed with Vinegar.
Hordle - Power Rusher vs Power Rusher. Stats line up pretty well but the stuff outside the mark that we weren’t testing for like activity clearly doesn’t. But what are you going to do. While Otawara’s stats match up with Vinegars, Otawara is in the lead on base build and updates.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - TubbyTim69’s a veteran ISFL user who’s been around and maybe players. Checking the retirement listing it looks like he’s made a CB and OL before, with a decent career with the Julian McMorris CB. Regardless, Tim is clearly not IA so the Vinegar match is a poor result on the spectrum of activity, or longevity at least.
Hordle - I get that the math doesn’t compare activity and that Otawara’s endurance is lower. I still think Crowder is the better match up. Tubby’s active, Madden’s active. They’re both gaining and like you’ve said this isn’t Tubbys first time. This player will become a beast in the long run. I think if you really want to see what a power rusher can be look at Crowder and watch the direction that Otawara’s heading in.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Hordle - Tubby’s active and while I haven’t talked to him personally I’ve seen his conversations with others. Which sounds creepier than it should. Regardless, this player’s going to be a great fit for any team looking to pressure from pure strength.
Art - Yeah Hordle’s a little bit of a creep, but then again I was going to write the same sentence basically (just less creepily). Anway, I’m excited to see what Tubby does this season and beyond. Man there’s a lot of good DE prospects, so these guys will also need to stand out somehow. Wonder what Tubby’s angle will be.
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User: Bilar
Color # in chart above: 2
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Dimitrius Rogers
S25 Match: Crozier McCoy
Cosine Similarity: 0.940
Other notable matches: Henry Grant (0.900), Albert Ruschmann (0.896)
Distinguishing attributes: High TCK
Why it works:
Art - Next up is Bilar’s defensive end Dimitrius Rodgers who’s been matched to piratecaptaindom’s Crozier McCoy. Taking a dive into the builds and maths, we can isolate a couple variables to highlight for this match: mostly on the back of a high tackling, positive (or near positive for McCory) normalized endurance, and decent (but not too high) strength. So while it's not a perfect match, Rodger’s positive endurance (0.3 std above the mean) pushes him into this category of positive normalized endurance such as Grant or Ruschmann, but the high tackling matches well with McCoy as well.
Hordle - Higher endurance and tackling work out to match these two up. Strength is also up there. The match isn’t bad but I do think it can be better. On Archetype alone I am a little confused as to why power rush is being matched with balance where there are other power rushers. Math and stats right?
Why it doesn’t:
Art - Based on presence alone, Bilar separates himself from piratecaptaindom - the prospect was online as recently as yesterday and has earned up to 69 (nice) TPE unapplied in his update thread. Not exactly a top earner, but he’s pushing more than McCoy who hasn’t been seen since July. If I’m wagering, I’d put money on Bilar being around and making something of Rodgers - but you’d first have to tell me the line, since I’m hoping for positive money.
Hordle - I don’t really care for this match. I know that the stats say that they match up and math and what not is the whole part of this shindig. But there are power rushers to compare him to. Bilar joined at the mid point of last month, so he’s got a decent gain of TPE and suchs and obviously wouldn’t look towards McCoy for the future of this players career if Bilar decides to keep pressing.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - So yeah, while 69 (nice) TPE is good - it’s not crazy high, so you’re hoping that Bilar picks up the pace a little bit (if he wants to be a max earner, if he doesn’t that’s cool). But I’m hopeful that’s what happens over the course of the DSFL season, and I think he has a good shot of being right up there with the other DE prospects with a productive ISFL career.
Hordle - Bilar has been on which is a good sign. Maybe a little forum confusion is preventing the max TPE gain they could be getting but we’ll look past that. They have updated, they’ve been on so maybe with a little guidance they’ll become a star or at least and important piece in someone's team.
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User: TheDude83
Color # in chart above: 5
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Moe Skeeter
S25 Match: Albert Ruschmann
Cosine Similarity: 0.947
Other notable matches: Etrigan T. Slayer (0.930), Henry Grant (0.912)
Distinguishing attributes: High END
Why it works:
Art - Our last defensive end before we move onto defensive tackles. This time we’ve got TheDude83’s Moe Skeeter matched up with katarn22’s Albert Ruschmann - another Ruschmann match interestingly enough, which means we can draw parallels to Mojojojo’s Ernest Lover as well. So let's check why the maths thought this would work: and it's pretty clear, Moe Skeeter has a very similar build to Ernest Lover’s, which both match well to Albert’s. Essentially its high strength, high tackling, and high endurance - and Ruschmann separates with high endurance along with the classic defensive end attributes. So another solid mathematical match.
Hordle - Moe’s a high earner and a great prospect. Much like Ernest it makes sense for them to be paired with Albert. It’s no surprise that Moe and Ernest matched up with one of the top dogs from the S25 class. I would have been more surprised if they didn’t tbh.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - Mojojo worked on multiple angles with Katarn22 - both the initial build, the design choices, the high endurance and the activity - how about TheDude83? I’d argue hell yes, they’re active and around with a good post count and whooping 138 TPE after the next update (tied with myself at time of writing). They’ve posted media, they’re active in discord, and man now I’m thinking a match with katarn22 is a secret indicator of a top prospect. Way to go maths.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - Love the early spend in endurance as it means you can focus on other attributes. What does that look like? It'll be fun to see how TheDude83 allocates points moving forward. One interesting aspect of all 4 DE’s being solid, and a few of them as really top-notch prospects, is how do you stand out? What makes you unique? That’s what I’ll be watching for this season.
Hordle - Moe’s got 138 TPE, 88 of which is banked. 15 points off of max strength, 15 points off of max speed. High endurance. Activity is high on not only discord but the forums. Really there is no reason for this guy to not be on a team's radar unless they’re completely full on DE’s and like what they have.
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Defensive Tackles:
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User: Ephenssta
Color # in chart above: 3
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Redbeard McFredbeard
S25 Match: Bonifacius van den Huevel
Cosine Similarity: 0.882
Other notable matches: J.J.J. Shabadoo (0.869), LeDavious "Dave" Davis (0.857)
Distinguishing attributes: High STR
Why it works:
Art - Our first defensive tackle of only 2 in this draft class (that we’ve imported - again sorry to new creates who missed when I pulled this data) and we’re starting with the amazingly named Redbeard McFredbeard. I don’t know why but I absolutely love this name. And I’ve looked at dozens of names so far. This just hits me differently. Maybe it's the name, maybe it's the monotony of looking at prospects. Anywho - they’ve been matched to Bonifacius van den Huevel which is a just a) another great name and also b) a god-send to word count. So why this match in naming heaven? Well both have positive normalized strength and tackling. That’s it - because Redbeard’s values are much greater over the norm … but I’ll outline this in the next section. For now, let’s just say that I think Honky-Tonk Haywood is a much better match.
Hordle - Art, you can’t just throw words next to each other and expect the graders to accept it.. Wait you mean those are actually names? Well then I stand corrected. But there isn't a whole lot to go with. Redbeards active and updating, being a recreate that’s not much of a surprise. I agree with you that Haywood would have been a better match.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - Why Honky-Tonk Haywood over Bonifacius van den Huevel? Just on the maths alone - Redbeard has over 1 standard deviation above the mean in strength. Bonifacius has only 0.5 std over the mean - while Haywood has over 1 std. So what gives? High tackling for both as well - Haywood has better tackling than Bonifacius, so good match there. The only difference is that Redbeard has much worse endurance than Haywood - it’s more in the ballpark of Bonifacius. I guess that’s why the match was made, but it's not ideal in my humble opinion.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - Ephenssta is a veteran ISFL user so I’ve got high hopes for what they can accomplish with Redbeard McFredbeard, and most importantly I get to keep seeing that name around, which is truly exciting. So not much to be worried about here, it’ll be interesting and fun to see what Ephenssta does with Redbeard over what I’m sure will be a long ISFL career.
Hordle - Vet check! Great name check. 110 TPE with great updating style so you can see what exactly is changing? Check. It’s color coated. I’m being serious here. Regardless Ephenssta joined last year, getting close to their one year mark. So they have experience and understanding of what works. Another thing I’ve found out recently is that DT’s are judged on three stats. Two of which Redbeard has in the 70’s. His strength is only 20 points away from max and it’s very possible that we could see that being maxed out in his DSFL run.
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User: Primo Berto
Color # in chart above: 2
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Primo Berto
S25 Match: Hunter Mantis
Cosine Similarity: 0.857
Other notable matches: Timmy Dimbi (0.840)
Distinguishing attributes: High SPD
Why it works:
Art - Our last member of the defensive line! We’re looking at Primo Berto’s player named … Primo Berto. He’s been matched with Hunter Mantis, although it's a cosine under 0.9 so it's not fantastic. Let’s dive into why Berto’s got matched with the Mantis: it's mostly likely since we’re just dealing with the 50 TPE base build here, so Berto’s strength is not that high - instead with a decent speed to get past the OL. So naturally he’s matched to a S25 player with low strength, which leaves either Mantis or Booker Bookchin, but Bookchin’s got less speed than Mantis - so we’ve got a Mantis match. Timmy Dimbi also works as a match for that nice speed he’s got, and he doesn’t have the higher endurance like Goat Tank, so Dimbi is a better match for Berto’s base build. Interesting stuff.
Hordle - No one’s getting past OL cause we’re the best line. Anyway Primo Berto is a fast guy. I don’t really think the math had a good matchup for Primo. I can’t remember if these are the lowest number matches we’ve seen or not.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - So yeah now that we’ve isolated why this works mathematically, it's clear why this isn’t a great match in any other way - Berto is hella active and all over, whereas Mantis hasn’t been seen since July and never updated past the 50 TPE build. Berto’s got at least 34 TPE to be applied at the next update. And Berto’s present in LRs and Discord. So on the spectrum of activity, it's definitely not a match.
Hordle - Pretty much. It’s like matching a bot with an active player. Berto’s active, I’ve seen him around. He’s gaining TPE, maybe not at a crazy rate but he is there. I think he’s got what it takes and I’m excited to see him crash into the great wall of Oline.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - Well Berto’s going to have fun always being in a draft class with only (2) other prospects … unfortunately Siegel you weren’t signed up or created when I pulled the prospect pool, but there is another DT not on this list. Anyway, the 3 of them will be compared so it will be exciting to see what they do with their careers and how that competition looks down the line. Berto’s a bit behind Redbeard on TPE applied … 110 (to be) applied for Ephenssta and 84 will be applied for Berto after the next update as of current update pages. I’ll be interested to see how Berto does, but I have a lot of faith that these will both turn into crazy good DT ISFL prospects by the end of the season (as with Siegel!).
Hordle - With only 2 prospects it’s not one of those well who’s the best. Redbeard is currently in the lead with TPE but that doesn’t make Berto the worse choice. Both are going to hit cap one way or another. By the end of it, it’s going to come down to sim luck and builds.
And now to the other side. We’ve decided to combine the DE’s and DT’s to make grading a tiny bit easier and to not blow up the media page.
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Defensive End:[/u
User: Mojojojo
Color # in chart above: 3
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Ernest Lover
S25 Match: Albert Ruschmann
Cosine Similarity: 0.933
Other notable matches: Etrigan T. Slayer (0.918), Sam Roes (0.870)
Distinguishing attributes: High SPD, High INT, High END
Why it works:
Art - Hordle I think we have to start by bowing down to Mojojo who is the nicest, bestest person and definitely not just because she might be the one grading this. So how does Mojojojo’s Ernest Lover match up with S25? Only with katarn22’s Albert Ruschmann. Let's break down the build and see what we’ve got. Ernest Lover’s differentiated from their fellow S26 DEs with higher speed (half a standard deviation above the mean) and endurance (over 1.2 standard deviations above the mean) while being no slouch in strength, right up there with the second highest strength. How does that compare to Albert Ruschmann? Endurance over a standard deviation from the mean? Check. Speed half a standard deviation above the mean? Check. Strength over a standard deviation above the mean? Also check. It’s a match on build, not to even mention activity and how Mojojojo is killing it there.
Hordle - Looking through the article to what we have ahead further, it doesn’t surprise me that Mojo and one other (no spoilers) have been paired with Albert. There isn’t much separation between Ernests and Albers stats aside from tackling at the base build. It’s a good match up and Ernest is a good prospect. Not that anyones really surprised.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - This is a great match to start, so I’ll be nitpicking again here. But while Albert Ruschmann is dominating at tackling (highest in the S25 DE class and 1.5 normalized), Ernest Lover still has some work to do in that category, not the best in their class (yet) and under 1 standard deviation from the mean. That’s the only difference really though in these two very comparable players that I’m excited to watch - and you’ve got to expect Mojojojo will be working on tackling (with a bunch of banked TPE, that could happen soon).
Hordle - There is major separation in terms of current TPE updates. But that’s not really fair to judge either of these players based on the data we (Art) ran. Alberts a stud. Max strength and max speed as of his latest update. Ernest has the potential to be one. Gaining at a great rate, one that might make an OL jealous, there shouldn’t be anything holding Ernest back from achieving the same level of success that Albert has.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Hordle - We’ve covered it a bit but I’m gonna go over it again just cause I can. Mojo is active, writing media, even doing prospect bowl intro videos for the fun of it? I’m not sure if that counts as a graphic or not. Regardless of the fact she’s clearly invested in the League. She’s gaining at an insane rate and if you’re looking for a future HOF DE and you don’t pick her up then pass me what you’re smoking. Not only that but she got a job with the league recently. I’m like 86.5% sure that this is Mojo’s first create, but maybe I’m wrong and she’s been here for like 45 years. Either way, pick this player up and you’ll not only have a stud dot but you’ll have a great personality in the locker room.
Art - Hordle’s said it. Mojo is super fun to hang out with and as a fellow Mars Explorer I can attest to how great Mojo is. You’re crazy for passing on this prospect and I’m excited to see what Ernest Lover does over the course of a long ISFL career.
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User: TubbyTim69
Color # in chart above: 4
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Makoto Otawara
S25 Match: Vick Vinegar
Cosine Similarity: 0.866
Other notable matches: Hank Sakner (0.810), Saximus Daddy (0.851)
Distinguishing attributes: High TCK
Why it works:
Art - Our next DE up is the also super active and very friendly TubbyTim69 who I’ve seen around a bunch and who’s a recreate. So far the DE class is shaping up real nice. Anyway, TubbyTim69’s Makoto Otawara is matched to HoneyandVinegar’s Vick Vinegar, of all 50 TPE and last update in July. Sorry Tim, just how the onion peels. Let’s dig into why - Makoto Otawara has the highest strength and tackling of the S26 prospects via the build we have, while Vinegar also has decent strength and tackling - considering they’re IA. It’s not perfect, clearly Otawara has higher normalized values than Vinegar with his 50 TPE. But the reason Otawara has missed out on a match to Ruschmann or Toblerone or Crowder is that their endurance is far too low and under the mean, versus all of the above with high tackling and strength but also endurance. So Otawara gets placed with Vinegar.
Hordle - Power Rusher vs Power Rusher. Stats line up pretty well but the stuff outside the mark that we weren’t testing for like activity clearly doesn’t. But what are you going to do. While Otawara’s stats match up with Vinegars, Otawara is in the lead on base build and updates.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - TubbyTim69’s a veteran ISFL user who’s been around and maybe players. Checking the retirement listing it looks like he’s made a CB and OL before, with a decent career with the Julian McMorris CB. Regardless, Tim is clearly not IA so the Vinegar match is a poor result on the spectrum of activity, or longevity at least.
Hordle - I get that the math doesn’t compare activity and that Otawara’s endurance is lower. I still think Crowder is the better match up. Tubby’s active, Madden’s active. They’re both gaining and like you’ve said this isn’t Tubbys first time. This player will become a beast in the long run. I think if you really want to see what a power rusher can be look at Crowder and watch the direction that Otawara’s heading in.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Hordle - Tubby’s active and while I haven’t talked to him personally I’ve seen his conversations with others. Which sounds creepier than it should. Regardless, this player’s going to be a great fit for any team looking to pressure from pure strength.
Art - Yeah Hordle’s a little bit of a creep, but then again I was going to write the same sentence basically (just less creepily). Anway, I’m excited to see what Tubby does this season and beyond. Man there’s a lot of good DE prospects, so these guys will also need to stand out somehow. Wonder what Tubby’s angle will be.
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User: Bilar
Color # in chart above: 2
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Dimitrius Rogers
S25 Match: Crozier McCoy
Cosine Similarity: 0.940
Other notable matches: Henry Grant (0.900), Albert Ruschmann (0.896)
Distinguishing attributes: High TCK
Why it works:
Art - Next up is Bilar’s defensive end Dimitrius Rodgers who’s been matched to piratecaptaindom’s Crozier McCoy. Taking a dive into the builds and maths, we can isolate a couple variables to highlight for this match: mostly on the back of a high tackling, positive (or near positive for McCory) normalized endurance, and decent (but not too high) strength. So while it's not a perfect match, Rodger’s positive endurance (0.3 std above the mean) pushes him into this category of positive normalized endurance such as Grant or Ruschmann, but the high tackling matches well with McCoy as well.
Hordle - Higher endurance and tackling work out to match these two up. Strength is also up there. The match isn’t bad but I do think it can be better. On Archetype alone I am a little confused as to why power rush is being matched with balance where there are other power rushers. Math and stats right?
Why it doesn’t:
Art - Based on presence alone, Bilar separates himself from piratecaptaindom - the prospect was online as recently as yesterday and has earned up to 69 (nice) TPE unapplied in his update thread. Not exactly a top earner, but he’s pushing more than McCoy who hasn’t been seen since July. If I’m wagering, I’d put money on Bilar being around and making something of Rodgers - but you’d first have to tell me the line, since I’m hoping for positive money.
Hordle - I don’t really care for this match. I know that the stats say that they match up and math and what not is the whole part of this shindig. But there are power rushers to compare him to. Bilar joined at the mid point of last month, so he’s got a decent gain of TPE and suchs and obviously wouldn’t look towards McCoy for the future of this players career if Bilar decides to keep pressing.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - So yeah, while 69 (nice) TPE is good - it’s not crazy high, so you’re hoping that Bilar picks up the pace a little bit (if he wants to be a max earner, if he doesn’t that’s cool). But I’m hopeful that’s what happens over the course of the DSFL season, and I think he has a good shot of being right up there with the other DE prospects with a productive ISFL career.
Hordle - Bilar has been on which is a good sign. Maybe a little forum confusion is preventing the max TPE gain they could be getting but we’ll look past that. They have updated, they’ve been on so maybe with a little guidance they’ll become a star or at least and important piece in someone's team.
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User: TheDude83
Color # in chart above: 5
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Moe Skeeter
S25 Match: Albert Ruschmann
Cosine Similarity: 0.947
Other notable matches: Etrigan T. Slayer (0.930), Henry Grant (0.912)
Distinguishing attributes: High END
Why it works:
Art - Our last defensive end before we move onto defensive tackles. This time we’ve got TheDude83’s Moe Skeeter matched up with katarn22’s Albert Ruschmann - another Ruschmann match interestingly enough, which means we can draw parallels to Mojojojo’s Ernest Lover as well. So let's check why the maths thought this would work: and it's pretty clear, Moe Skeeter has a very similar build to Ernest Lover’s, which both match well to Albert’s. Essentially its high strength, high tackling, and high endurance - and Ruschmann separates with high endurance along with the classic defensive end attributes. So another solid mathematical match.
Hordle - Moe’s a high earner and a great prospect. Much like Ernest it makes sense for them to be paired with Albert. It’s no surprise that Moe and Ernest matched up with one of the top dogs from the S25 class. I would have been more surprised if they didn’t tbh.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - Mojojo worked on multiple angles with Katarn22 - both the initial build, the design choices, the high endurance and the activity - how about TheDude83? I’d argue hell yes, they’re active and around with a good post count and whooping 138 TPE after the next update (tied with myself at time of writing). They’ve posted media, they’re active in discord, and man now I’m thinking a match with katarn22 is a secret indicator of a top prospect. Way to go maths.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - Love the early spend in endurance as it means you can focus on other attributes. What does that look like? It'll be fun to see how TheDude83 allocates points moving forward. One interesting aspect of all 4 DE’s being solid, and a few of them as really top-notch prospects, is how do you stand out? What makes you unique? That’s what I’ll be watching for this season.
Hordle - Moe’s got 138 TPE, 88 of which is banked. 15 points off of max strength, 15 points off of max speed. High endurance. Activity is high on not only discord but the forums. Really there is no reason for this guy to not be on a team's radar unless they’re completely full on DE’s and like what they have.
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Defensive Tackles:
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User: Ephenssta
Color # in chart above: 3
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Redbeard McFredbeard
S25 Match: Bonifacius van den Huevel
Cosine Similarity: 0.882
Other notable matches: J.J.J. Shabadoo (0.869), LeDavious "Dave" Davis (0.857)
Distinguishing attributes: High STR
Why it works:
Art - Our first defensive tackle of only 2 in this draft class (that we’ve imported - again sorry to new creates who missed when I pulled this data) and we’re starting with the amazingly named Redbeard McFredbeard. I don’t know why but I absolutely love this name. And I’ve looked at dozens of names so far. This just hits me differently. Maybe it's the name, maybe it's the monotony of looking at prospects. Anywho - they’ve been matched to Bonifacius van den Huevel which is a just a) another great name and also b) a god-send to word count. So why this match in naming heaven? Well both have positive normalized strength and tackling. That’s it - because Redbeard’s values are much greater over the norm … but I’ll outline this in the next section. For now, let’s just say that I think Honky-Tonk Haywood is a much better match.
Hordle - Art, you can’t just throw words next to each other and expect the graders to accept it.. Wait you mean those are actually names? Well then I stand corrected. But there isn't a whole lot to go with. Redbeards active and updating, being a recreate that’s not much of a surprise. I agree with you that Haywood would have been a better match.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - Why Honky-Tonk Haywood over Bonifacius van den Huevel? Just on the maths alone - Redbeard has over 1 standard deviation above the mean in strength. Bonifacius has only 0.5 std over the mean - while Haywood has over 1 std. So what gives? High tackling for both as well - Haywood has better tackling than Bonifacius, so good match there. The only difference is that Redbeard has much worse endurance than Haywood - it’s more in the ballpark of Bonifacius. I guess that’s why the match was made, but it's not ideal in my humble opinion.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - Ephenssta is a veteran ISFL user so I’ve got high hopes for what they can accomplish with Redbeard McFredbeard, and most importantly I get to keep seeing that name around, which is truly exciting. So not much to be worried about here, it’ll be interesting and fun to see what Ephenssta does with Redbeard over what I’m sure will be a long ISFL career.
Hordle - Vet check! Great name check. 110 TPE with great updating style so you can see what exactly is changing? Check. It’s color coated. I’m being serious here. Regardless Ephenssta joined last year, getting close to their one year mark. So they have experience and understanding of what works. Another thing I’ve found out recently is that DT’s are judged on three stats. Two of which Redbeard has in the 70’s. His strength is only 20 points away from max and it’s very possible that we could see that being maxed out in his DSFL run.
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User: Primo Berto
Color # in chart above: 2
Draft Year: S26
Position: Defensive End
Name: Primo Berto
S25 Match: Hunter Mantis
Cosine Similarity: 0.857
Other notable matches: Timmy Dimbi (0.840)
Distinguishing attributes: High SPD
Why it works:
Art - Our last member of the defensive line! We’re looking at Primo Berto’s player named … Primo Berto. He’s been matched with Hunter Mantis, although it's a cosine under 0.9 so it's not fantastic. Let’s dive into why Berto’s got matched with the Mantis: it's mostly likely since we’re just dealing with the 50 TPE base build here, so Berto’s strength is not that high - instead with a decent speed to get past the OL. So naturally he’s matched to a S25 player with low strength, which leaves either Mantis or Booker Bookchin, but Bookchin’s got less speed than Mantis - so we’ve got a Mantis match. Timmy Dimbi also works as a match for that nice speed he’s got, and he doesn’t have the higher endurance like Goat Tank, so Dimbi is a better match for Berto’s base build. Interesting stuff.
Hordle - No one’s getting past OL cause we’re the best line. Anyway Primo Berto is a fast guy. I don’t really think the math had a good matchup for Primo. I can’t remember if these are the lowest number matches we’ve seen or not.
Why it doesn’t:
Art - So yeah now that we’ve isolated why this works mathematically, it's clear why this isn’t a great match in any other way - Berto is hella active and all over, whereas Mantis hasn’t been seen since July and never updated past the 50 TPE build. Berto’s got at least 34 TPE to be applied at the next update. And Berto’s present in LRs and Discord. So on the spectrum of activity, it's definitely not a match.
Hordle - Pretty much. It’s like matching a bot with an active player. Berto’s active, I’ve seen him around. He’s gaining TPE, maybe not at a crazy rate but he is there. I think he’s got what it takes and I’m excited to see him crash into the great wall of Oline.
What to watch for / build similarities:
Art - Well Berto’s going to have fun always being in a draft class with only (2) other prospects … unfortunately Siegel you weren’t signed up or created when I pulled the prospect pool, but there is another DT not on this list. Anyway, the 3 of them will be compared so it will be exciting to see what they do with their careers and how that competition looks down the line. Berto’s a bit behind Redbeard on TPE applied … 110 (to be) applied for Ephenssta and 84 will be applied for Berto after the next update as of current update pages. I’ll be interested to see how Berto does, but I have a lot of faith that these will both turn into crazy good DT ISFL prospects by the end of the season (as with Siegel!).
Hordle - With only 2 prospects it’s not one of those well who’s the best. Redbeard is currently in the lead with TPE but that doesn’t make Berto the worse choice. Both are going to hit cap one way or another. By the end of it, it’s going to come down to sim luck and builds.
Quote:Word count - 3185
Please split equally between Hordle and wonderful_art