SMG Player of the Year Pyramid | 5.21.25

With the final Major of the 2025 Call of Duty League season fast approaching, it’s time to turn the spotlight onto the league’s top-tier SMG players. After three Black Ops 6 Major tournaments, the SMG Pyramid has taken shape. Sparked by highlight plays, relentless pressure, and the consistency needed to thrive in the fastest role in the game. These players have been the difference-makers—setting kill records, winning opening duels, and setting the tempo for their squads.

As we head into the final Major before Champs, this special edition of the SMG Pyramid will rank the top 15 players in the league based on their performance this season, with recent matches weighing slightly more. Let’s break it all down.

The Ladder (Not Left to Right, just Tiers)

Last Pyramid: May 1st

Tier 1

Paco "HyDra" Rusiewiez - LA Thieves

Previous Tier: Tier 1 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 32-10 Record (76%), 113-48 Map Count (70%), 440 CDL points (1st Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 1:30 pm EST vs Vancouver Surge

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.14 (1st)
Slayer Rating: 95.7 (1st)
aKD: 1.12 (1st)
TES Rating: 59.5% (2nd)
NTK Pct: 68.7% (10th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Control Kills per 10 minutes: 26.6 (1st)

Photo by @CODLeague

Tier 2

Chris "Simp" Lehr - Atlanta FaZe

Previous Tier: Tier 2 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 31-10 Record (76%), 108-57 Map Count (66%), 430 CDL points (2nd Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs Cloud9 New York

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.06 (6th)
Slayer Rating: 87.8 (15th)
aKD: 1.10 (2nd)
TES Rating: 58.5% (4th)
NTK Pct: 66.4% (16th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
SND K/D: 1.39 (1st)

Joseph "JoeDeceives" Romero - Toronto Ultra

Previous Tier: Tier 2 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 28-14 Record (67%), 93-68 Map Count (58%), 340 CDL points (3rd Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs OpTic Texas

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.07 (3rd)
Slayer Rating: 92.4 (4th)
aKD: 1.06 (5th)
TES Rating: 58.7% (3rd)
NTK Pct: 69.9% (4th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Hardpoint Hill Time per 10 Minutes: 71.3 (3rd)

Tier 3

Tobias "CleanX" Juul Jønsson - Toronto Ultra

Previous Tier: Tier 4 (Up 1 Tier)
Team Record: 28-14 Record (67%), 93-68 Map Count (58%), 340 CDL points (3rd Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs OpTic Texas

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.03 (9th)
Slayer Rating: 93.7 (3rd)
aKD: 1.04 (12th)
TES Rating: 57.9% (8th)
NTK Pct: 68.6% (11th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Slayer Rating: 101.5 (1st)

Photo by @CODLeague

Dylan "Envoy" Hannon - LA Thieves

Previous Tier: Tier 3 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 32-10 Record (76%), 113-48 Map Count (70%), 440 CDL points (1st Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 1:30 pm EST vs Vancouver Surge

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.01 (13th)
Slayer Rating: 86.0 (18th)
aKD: 1.02 (14th)
TES Rating: 58.0% (7th)
NTK Pct: 69.0% (8th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Non-Traded Kill Percentage: 74.7% (1st)

Travis "Neptune" McCloud - Vancouver Surge

Previous Tier: Tier 3 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 25-16 Record (61%), 92-78 Map Count (54%), 330 CDL points (4th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 1:30 pm EST vs LA Thieves

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.07 (4th)
Slayer Rating: 95.2 (2nd)
aKD: 1.06 (7th)
TES Rating: 58.1% (5th)
NTK Pct: 66.0% (21st)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Percentage of SND Rounds with at least a Kill: 61.4% (1st)

Tier 4

Justice "Estreal" McMillan - Minnesota RØKKR 

Previous Tier: Tier 4 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 13-22 Record (37%), 65-83 Map Count (44%), 135 CDL points (9th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 1:30 pm EST vs Miami Heretics

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.02 (12th)
Slayer Rating: 86.9 (16th)
aKD: 1.01 (16th)
TES Rating: 58.0% (6th)
NTK Pct: 69.3% (7th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
1v2 Clutches in SND: 3 (1st)

Tyler "aBeZy" Pharris - Atlanta FaZe

Previous Tier: Tier 3 (Down 1 Tier)
Team Record: 31-10 Record (76%), 108-57 Map Count (66%), 430 CDL points (2nd Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs Cloud9 New York

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.00 (16th)
Slayer Rating: 85.8 (19th)
aKD: 1.06 (6th)
TES Rating: 57.1% (13th)
NTK Pct: 68.1% (12th)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Control Non-Traded Kill Percentage: 79.5% (1st)

Photo by @CODLeague

Cuyler "Huke" Garland - OpTic Texas

Previous Tier: Tier 5 (Up 1 Tier)
Team Record: 18-19 Record (49%), 68-72 Map Count (49%), 175 CDL points (8th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs Toronto Ultra

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.13 (2nd)
Slayer Rating: 89.2 (12th)
aKD: 1.09 (3rd)
TES Rating: 59.6% (1st)
NTK Pct: 70.2% (3rd)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
Respawn K/D: 1.23 (1st)

José "ReeaL" Castilla - Miami Heretics

Previous Tier: Tier 4 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 18-18 Record (50%), 75-75 Map Count (50%), 235 CDL points (5th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 1:30 pm EST vs Minnesota Rokkr

Overall Stats (Active SMG Ranks)
KD: 1.04 (8th)
Slayer Rating: 88.1 (14th)
aKD: 1.04 (11th)
TES Rating: 57.4% (11th)
NTK Pct: 70.7% (1st)

Qualifier IV Highlight Stat
SND Kills per Round: 0.90 (2nd)

Tier 5

Isaiah "Gwinn" Gwinn - Carolina Royal Ravens

Previous Tier: Tier 4 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 20-19 Record (51%), 73-75 Map Count (49%), 220 CDL points (6th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 6:00 pm EST vs the Loser of Texas/Toronto

Anthony "Shotzzy" Cuevas-Castro - OpTic Texas

Previous Tier: Tier 5 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 18-19 Record (49%), 68-72 Map Count (49%), 175 CDL points (8th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs Toronto Ultra

Photo by @CODLeague

Kyle "Kremp" Haworth - Cloud9 New York

Previous Tier: Tier 5 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 12-22 Record (35%), 56-74 Map Count (43%), 125 CDL points (10th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 3:00 pm EST vs Atlanta FaZe

Eric "Snoopy" Pérez - Boston Breach

Previous Tier: Tier 5 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 16-18 Record (47%), 64-73 Map Count (47%), 200 CDL points (7th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 4:30 pm EST vs the Loser of Miami/Minnesota

Jovan "O4" Rodriguez - Vancouver Surge

Previous Tier: Tier 5 (Unchanged)
Team Record: 25-16 Record (61%), 92-78 Map Count (54%), 330 CDL points (4th Seed)
Next Match: Friday, May 23rd at 1:30 pm EST vs LA Thieves