Cole Bransford

Cole Bransford is the Football Quantitative Methods Analyst for the Minnesota Vikings, where he currently applies data-driven methods to professional sports analytics. Entering his third season with the National Football League franchise in 2025, he focuses on leveraging statistical modeling and quantitative analysis to evaluate player performance and optimize on-field team strategy. Prior to transitioning into professional football, Bransford served as the technical Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Zage, an early-stage financial technology startup. During his tenure at the financial technology company, he was directly responsible for architecting the initial technical infrastructure and developing core software products for digital payment processing applications. His professional background reflects a highly specialized focus on combining complex software engineering with advanced quantitative methods across both the payment technology startup sector and the broader professional sports industry.