BO7 Rookie of the Year Ladder | February 20th
The Black Ops 7 season is well underway, and the rookie class is already beginning to separate itself as we hit the midway point of the Major II qualifiers. From standout Challengers call-ups to cross-title talents adjusting to the CDL stage, several newcomers are making strong cases in the Rookie of the Year race.
Here’s a look at the Mid–Major II Qualifiers Rookie of the Year Ladder, breaking down where each contender stands and how their recent performances are shaping the race.
1) Nicolas "Traixx" Monaco - Miami Heretics
Previous Rank: 5th (Up 4 Spots)
Team Record: 6-6 Record (50%), 25-23 Map Count (52%), 6th in Season Stants
Next Match: February 21st at 7:30 pm EST vs OpTic Texas
Traixx's spot on top of the ladder may surprise fans, but the young Argentinian has steadily improved this season after the opening two weeks tanked his individual stats. He had been consistent across all three modes, which has been a rare quality for the rookies this year. As he continues to develop with the Miami squad, look for Traixx to turn into a dirty work star for the Heretics at the end of the year.
Overall
KD: 0.99
Slayer Rating: 86.8
Damage Rating: 11,246
aKD: 0.99
TES: 57.4%
NTK%: 69.9%
Hardpoint
KD: 1.00
Kills per 10 minutes: 23.8
Hill Time per 10 minutes: 3,085
Damage per 10 minutes: 53.1
SND
KD: 1.01
Kills per round: 0.71
ADR: 96.7
Opening Duel Win Percentage: 48.8%
Overload
KD: 0.95
Kills per 10 minutes: 23.7
Goals per 10 minutes: 0.6
Damage per 10 minutes: 2,949
2) Logan "Lurqxx" Brown - Carolina Royal Ravens
Previous Rank: 2nd (Unchanged)
Team Record: 6-5 Record (55%), 20-22 Map Count (48%), 8th in Season Stants
Next Match: February 21st at 6:00 pm EST vs Paris Gentle Mates
Lurqxx has impressed this season on the SMG, clicking with the fast-paced ARs & helping Carolina hold a top 8 seed this season. He is one of three rookies with a 1.00 K/D or better, while having a 91.6 Slayer Rating. He has struggled at times in SND, notably having a 38.2% opening duel win rate. He'll have to continue developing that aspect of his game heading into the rest of the season.
Overall
KD: 1.00
Slayer Rating: 91.6
Damage Rating: 11,795
aKD: 0.97
TES: 57.7%
NTK%: 65.3%
Hardpoint
KD: 1.03
Kills per 10 minutes: 27.0
Hill Time per 10 minutes: 52.0
Damage per 10 minutes: 3,412
SND
KD: 0.88
Kills per round: 0.63
ADR: 89.2
Opening Duel Win Percentage: 38.2%
Overload
KD: 0.97
Kills per 10 minutes: 23.7
Goals per 10 minutes: 0.8
Damage per 10 minutes: 3,010
3) Paul "Mamba" Solano - G2 Minnesota
Previous Rank: 1st (Down 2 Spots)
Team Record: 6-7 Record (46%), 29-24 Map Count (55%), 5th in Season Stants
Next Match: February 21st at 3:00 pm EST vs Toronto KOI
Being ranked 3rd almost feels very harsh for Mamba, as it could really be 1a/1b/1c with how tight it is at the top. He is a consistent force for G2 as they continue to shock the League. His lone "weak" mode is Overload, but all in all, he has been a strong player in every mode. The top 4 will continue to be very fluid this season, but expect Mamba to not fall lower than 3rd in the future unless the Minnesota squad drastically regresses.
Overall
KD: 0.98
Slayer Rating: 89.9
Damage Rating: 11,993
aKD: 1.01
TES: 5757%
NTK%: 66.6%
Hardpoint
KD: 1.01
Kills per 10 minutes: 25.7
Hill Time per 10 minutes: 54.2
Damage per 10 minutes: 3,313
SND
KD: 1.13
Kills per round: 0.74
ADR: 109.8
Opening Duel Win Percentage: 47.4%
Overload
KD: 0.90
Kills per 10 minutes: 22.2
Goals per 10 minutes: 0.3
Damage per 10 minutes: 2,951
4) Jeremiah "Nium" Harrison - LA Thieves
📸 Photo by @P3ngu7n
Previous Rank: Unsigned (New)
Team Record: 2-0 Record (100%), 6-1 Map Count (86%), 4th in Season Stants
Next Match: February 20th at 6:00 pm EST vs Toronto KOI
It's hard to judge Nium just two series into his professional career, but expect him to climb up these rankings in the near future. He was a pro-ready Challengers player who got plugged straight into a top team. His early objective stats are very promising for the need Thieves have, and that hasn't led to a lack of production in the damage numbers. Nium will be one of the rising prospects heading into Major II.
Overall
KD: 1.01
Slayer Rating: 85.6
Damage Rating: 11,806
aKD: 1.04
TES: 58.8%
NTK%: 71.7%
Hardpoint
KD: 0.99
Kills per 10 minutes: 22.6
Hill Time per 10 minutes: 86.2
Damage per 10 minutes: 3,112
SND
KD: 1.18
Kills per round: 0.68
ADR: 108.2
Opening Duel Win Percentage: 100%
Overload
KD: 1.00
Kills per 10 minutes: 225.4
Goals per 10 minutes: 1.7
Damage per 10 minutes: 3,202
5) Jay "Craze" Mallhi - Carolina Royal Ravens
Previous Rank: 3rd (Down 2 Spots)
Team Record: 6-5 Record (55%), 20-22 Map Count (48%), 8th in Season Stants
Next Match: February 21st at 6:00 pm EST vs Paris Gentle Mates
Craze has arguably been the best SND player out of the rookies this year, but has struggled in the respawn modes. He has shown plenty of promise in the past in Hardpoint, so it's just finding his footing in Overload. If the Royal Ravens continue to be a feisty team this season, expect Craze to climb back up the Ladder in the future.
Overall
KD: 0.91
Slayer Rating: 88.5
Damage Rating: 10,958
aKD: 0.95
TES: 55.6%
NTK%: 64.3%
Hardpoint
KD: 0.91
Kills per 10 minutes: 24.1
Hill Time per 10 minutes: 51.7
Damage per 10 minutes: 2,964
SND
KD: 1.10
Kills per round: 0.82
ADR: 100.3
Opening Duel Win Percentage: 54.1%
Overload
KD: 0.86
Kills per 10 minutes: 22.3
Goals per 10 minutes: 0.4
Damage per 10 minutes: 2,823
6) Nejra - Cloud9 New York
Previous Rank: Unsigned (New)
Team Record: 0-1 Record (0%), 0-3 Map Count (0%), 12th in Season Stants
Next Match: February 20th at 4:30 pm EST vs Riyadh Falcons
While there are no high hopes for the New York team in the short term, there is potential for certain players to stand out in future iterations. Nejra played well enough in the opening series to convince us to take Abe's spot in the Top 6 heading into the rest of the Major 2 Qualifiers.
Overall
KD: 1.05
Slayer Rating: 99.9
Damage Rating: 11,917
aKD: 1.02
TES: 55.4%
NTK%: 54.4%
Hardpoint
KD: 1.00
Kills per 10 minutes: 25.7
Hill Time per 10 minutes: 40.3
Damage per 10 minutes: 3,620
SND
KD: 0.86
Kills per round: 0.75
ADR: 76.4
Opening Duel Win Percentage: 33.3%
Overload
KD: 1.14
Kills per 10 minutes: 32.0
Goals per 10 minutes: 0.0
Damage per 10 minutes: 2,997