CBS Sports College FootballShort-yardage / goal-line · enumeration
Who gets the tough yard
5/113rd/4th & short
5 of 11 on 3rd/4th-and-2-or-less (45.5%).
Ajay Allen
Rushing yards405111th of 278 running backsLast gameL 21–35vs Delaware · Oct 27
Nextat Middle TennesseeSat Nov 7 · 3:30 pm ET
- touchdown
Delaware · L 21-35
12 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD
The other 7 games average 47 yards. This one was 26 above.
Dashed line: 100 yards.
Compare with
Allen against Western Kentucky’s best seasons, game by game
Backs who run like Allen, and how their seasons went
Allen against this year’s top backs, game by game
The road ahead: 405 yards, 51 a game, 4 regular-season games left.
- 497 yards, their own best season (2025): 92 to go, 23 a game.
This week
- RecordWestern Kentucky is 3-5.
- Next gameat Middle Tennessee · Sat Nov 7
Worth knowing
- Ajay Allen has 18 catches, tied for 21st among FBS running backs.
His most important play this season
33% of the carries, 34% of the yards, 45% of the touchdowns
- Carries33%94 of 286
- Yards34%405 of 1,182
- Touchdowns45%5 of 11
- A touchdown every 18.8 carries. Everyone else on the team: one every 32.0.
Share of the team's rushing yards, game by game
No bar in a game where the team had under 100 rushing yards: a share of that little says nothing.
Who carried it
- Brock Glenn451 yards, 91 carries, 5 touchdowns
- Ajay Allen405 yards, 94 carries, 5 touchdowns
- Le'Kamren Meadows165 yards, 26 carries
- Jaden McGill41 yards, 11 carries
- Cameron Flowers32 yards, 5 carries
- 6 others89 yards
Share of the team's total this season.
Most of his carries go up the middle
10203040503941
leftmiddlerightno spot
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each line is one carry: taller means more yards, and a line pointing down lost yards. Black lines are touchdowns. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside each lane the carries are lined up shortest to longest, not placed. Of his carries with a spot in the play text: left 15, middle 63, right 16. His longest went for 39 yards.
Ajay Allen
Filling the Shoesas of Nov 4
Ajay Allen takes over from Marvis Parrish at Western Kentucky.
405rushing yards5rushing TD94carries
Rushing value per play
+0.14
our model · 2026 · 67 plays
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-11-04
Style of play
Style of play
Play style
Wins in space out of the backfield.
Similar players
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Career stats
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Western Kentucky | 94 | 405 | 4.3 | 5 | 39 |
| 2025 | Tulsa | 97 | 497 | 5.1 | 5 | 40 |
| 2024 | Miami | 24 | 183 | 7.6 | 2 | 56 |
| 2023 | Miami | 70 | 361 | 5.2 | 5 | 30 |
| 2022 | Nebraska | 33 | 190 | 5.8 | 2 | 23 |
| Career | 318 | 1,636 | 5.1 | 19 | 56 |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Western Kentucky | 18 | 111 | 6.2 | 1 | 41 |
| 2025 | Tulsa | 10 | 98 | 9.8 | 0 | 21 |
| 2024 | Miami | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 16 |
| 2023 | Miami | 4 | 9 | 2.2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2022 | Nebraska | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Career | 35 | 250 | 7.1 | 1 | 41 |
Last game (Wk 9): 73 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 2 catches.
Game log
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 14-49@ Nevada | 21 | 102 | 4.9 | 2 | 23 | |
| Wk 2 | L 20-70@ No. 2 Georgia | 11 | 19 | 1.7 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 3 | L 0-38@ No. 4 Indiana | 10 | 22 | 2.2 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 4 | W 52-7vs Mercyhurst | 8 | 42 | 5.3 | 0 | 12 | |
| Wk 5 | L 13-34@ New Mexico State | 9 | 17 | 1.9 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 6 | W 34-13vs Missouri State | 13 | 105 | 8.1 | 2 | 39 | Season-high 105 yds |
| Wk 7 | W 16-3@ Sam Houston | 10 | 25 | 2.5 | 0 | 6 | |
| Wk 9 | L 21-35vs Delaware | 12 | 73 | 6.1 | 1 | 27 | |
| Total | 94 | 405 | 4.3 | 5 | 39 |
The latest game
Oct. 27 · L 21-35 vs Delaware, play by play
12 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown.
- 3 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 4 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 7 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 3 for 15
- Second quarterbegan up 14-7
- 3 for 21, 1 rec, 1 TD
- Third quarterbegan down 28-21
- 6 for 371
- Fourth quarterbegan down 35-21
- 0 for 0, 1 rec2
- FinalL 21-35
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
27-yard run. Third quarter, down 28-21.
- 2
Incomplete on 4th and 17. Fourth quarter, down 35-21. Turnover on downs.
The season, game by game
W 16-3 at Sam HoustonOct. 1425 yds10 carries
10 carries for 25 yards. He also caught 5 passes for 26 yards.
- 0 went 10+ yards
- 2 stopped at or behind the line
- 1 moved the chains
- 5 catches for 26 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 1 for 1, 3 rec12
- Second quarterbegan up 7-0
- 3 for 11, 1 rec3
- Third quarterbegan up 10-3
- 2 for 0, 1 rec4
- Fourth quarterbegan up 13-3
- 4 for 13
- FinalW 16-3
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
6-yard catch on 3rd and 2. First quarter, tied 0-0. Converted.
- 2
5-yard catch on 3rd and 9. First quarter, up 7-0. Converted.
- 3
6-yard run on 3rd and 10. Second quarter, up 10-3.
- 4
6-yard catch on 3rd and 19. Third quarter, up 10-3.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
6 more games, with the play by play
W 34-13 vs Missouri StateOct. 8105 yds13 carries, 2 TD
13 carries for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns, his most this season.
- 2 went 10+ yards
- 1 stopped at or behind the line
- 4 moved the chains
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 2 for 5
- Second quarterbegan up 7-3
- 2 for 6, 1 rec, 1 TD12
- Third quarterbegan up 21-6
- 4 for 113
- Fourth quarterbegan up 24-13
- 5 for 83, 1 TD4
- FinalW 34-13
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
10-yard catch on 3rd and 5. Second quarter, up 14-6. Converted.
- 2
3-yard touchdown run on 3rd and 1. Second quarter, made it 21-6.
- 3
3-yard run on 3rd and 1. Third quarter, up 21-13. Converted.
- 4
39-yard touchdown run. Fourth quarter, made it 34-13.
10203040502339
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
L 13-34 at New Mexico StateOct. 117 yds9 carries
9 carries for 17 yards. He also caught 4 passes for 24 yards.
- 0 went 10+ yards
- 3 stopped at or behind the line
- 1 moved the chains
- 4 catches for 24 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 6 for 3123
- Second quarterbegan down 6-3
- 2 for 10, 2 rec
- Third quarterbegan down 20-6
- 1 for 4, 1 rec
- Fourth quarterbegan down 27-13
- 0 for 0, 1 rec4
- FinalL 13-34
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
6-yard run on 3rd and 5. First quarter, tied 0-0. Converted.
- 2
7-yard run on 3rd and 25. First quarter, tied 3-3.
- 3
14-yard loss on 3rd and 2. First quarter, down 6-3.
- 4
17-yard catch on 3rd and 19. Fourth quarter, down 27-13.
1020304050
leftmiddlerightno spot
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 52-7 vs MercyhurstSept. 2642 yds8 carries
8 carries for 42 yards.
- 2 went 10+ yards
- 1 stopped at or behind the line
- 3 moved the chains
- 1 catch for 41 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 4 for 17
- Second quarterbegan up 10-0
- 3 for 21, 1 rec, 1 TD1
- Third quarterbegan up 31-0
- 1 for 4
- FinalW 52-7
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
No game thread archived for this game yet.
- 1
41-yard touchdown on 4th and 5. Second quarter, made it 31-0.
102030405041
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
L 0-38 at IndianaSept. 1922 yds10 carries
10 carries for 22 yards. He also caught 3 passes for 8 yards.
- 0 went 10+ yards
- 4 stopped at or behind the line
- 2 moved the chains
- 3 catches for 8 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 4 for -2, 2 rec
- Second quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 3 for 12123
- Third quarterbegan down 14-0
- 3 for 12
- Fourth quarterbegan down 31-0
- 0 for 0, 1 rec
- FinalL 0-38
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
9-yard run. Second quarter, down 7-0.
- 2
4-yard run on 3rd and 5. Second quarter, down 7-0.
- 3
1-yard loss on 4th and 1. Second quarter, down 7-0. Turnover on downs.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
L 20-70 at GeorgiaSept. 1219 yds11 carries
11 carries for 19 yards.
- 0 went 10+ yards
- 5 stopped at or behind the line
- 1 moved the chains
- 1 catch for -2 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 6 for 10, 1 rec12
- Second quarterbegan down 21-0
- 3 for 5
- Third quarterbegan down 49-6
- 2 for 4
- FinalL 20-70
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
2-yard catch on 3rd and 5. First quarter, down 7-0.
- 2
7-yard run. First quarter, down 21-0.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
L 14-49 at NevadaSept. 5102 yds21 carries, 2 TD
21 carries for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- of the 20 carries drawn:
- 4 went 10+ yards
- 4 stopped at or behind the line
- 10 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 7 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 6 for 41
- Second quarterbegan down 14-0
- 5 for 30, 1 rec, 1 TD12
- Third quarterbegan down 21-7
- 7 for 8, 1 rec3
- Fourth quarterbegan down 35-7
- 2 for 21, 1 TD
- FinalL 14-49
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
The per-play feed is missing a 2-yard run in the second quarter (the play drew a penalty), which the play text shows; the chart draws the 20 carries it has.
- 1
23-yard run. Second quarter, down 14-0.
- 2
6-yard catch on 4th and 3. Second quarter, down 21-7. Converted.
- 3
No gain on 4th and 2. Third quarter, down 35-7. Turnover on downs.
10203040502023
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
Signature game
Week 1 · 2026
L 14-49
at Nevada
102 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD
With J. Smith — 36.3 yards per punt · 6 punts · 3 inside the 20 · R. Tisdale Jr. — 203 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 51.1 · 13 rush yds (10 car)
Signature plays
The plays that mattered most
- Week 4 · Mercyhurst · 4th and 5 · Q2 · EPA +5.58Tisdale Jr. to Allen: a 41-yard touchdown pass.
- Week 3 · Indiana · 4th and 1 · Q2 · EPA −4.38A.Allen rush middle for 1 yard loss (I.Jones), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 1 · Nevada · 4th and 2 · Q3 · EPA −4.15A.Allen rush middle for 0 yards to the Nevada43 (D.Labarbera; E.Smith), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 6 · Missouri State · 2nd and 3 · Q4 · EPA +3.01A.Allen rush middle for 39 yards gain for a touchdown
- Week 9 · Delaware · 2nd and 8 · Q3 · EPA +3.00A.Allen rush middle for 27 yards gain (J.Kolagbodi; K.Ali)
- Week 5 · New Mexico State · 3rd and 2 · Q1 · EPA −2.93A.Allen rush middle for 14 yards loss (N.Session; G.Peterson)
4 more plays
- Week 1 · Nevada · 4th and 3 · Q2 · EPA +2.56Tisdale Jr. to Allen: a 6-yard pass.
- Week 1 · Nevada · 1st and 10 · Q4 · EPA +2.51A.Allen rush middle for 10 yards gain to the Nevada00 TOUCHDOWN
- Week 6 · Missouri State · 3rd and 1 · Q2 · EPA +2.47A.Allen rush middle for 3 yards gain for a touchdown
- Week 1 · Nevada · 2nd and 9 · Q2 · EPA +2.43A.Allen rush right for 23 yards gain to the Nevada32 (E.Smith)
Where he ranks
Rush yards405tied for 111thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Yards / carry4.3tied for 209thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Rush TDs5tied for 56thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Long run39tied for 145thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Carries94tied for 68thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Rec yards111tied for 51stAmong 273 backs with 40 or more carries
Receptions18tied for 21stAmong 273 backs with 40 or more carries
129th in rushing yards, among all 1,551 FBS players with a rushing row this season, any position
Rushing yards4057th in the Conference USA this season.
Rushing touchdowns5tied for 4th in the Conference USA this season; tied for 44th among current FBS players over the whole career (19).
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Opponents faced, by strength
Ratings of the games shown run from -18 to +27 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Rushing profile
Rush profile · Shape, efficiency, and ball security
How he gets his yards, and how often it works
93 of 94 carries matched to play-by-play
Success rate
40%93 carriesStuffed
0 or fewer yds22%of carries
20 carries
Grind
1–3 yds33%of carries
31 carries
Chunk
4–9 yds33%of carries
31 carries
Explosive
10+ yds12%of carries
11 carries
5 of 11 (45%) converted on 3rd/4th & short (≤2 to go) · 3 of 5 (60%) scored from inside the 5-yard line
4.3 yds/carry on 94 carries · 12% explosive (10+ yds) · 40% success rate.
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
18 of 18 receptions matched to play-by-play
29 of 29 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
2910% of team targetsCatch rate
62%18 of 29 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
38% of targets (11)
64%catch rate
Air -3.2 · YAC 8.1 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
59% of targets (17)
65%catch rate
Air 2.3 · YAC 5.5 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
3% of targets (1)
0%catch rate
Air 11.0 avg
62% catch rate on 29 targets · 10% of the team's targets.
Teams and coaches
2022Nebraska4-8HC: Scott Frost and Mickey Joseph · Run-leaning
2023Miami7-6HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2024Miami10-3HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2025Tulsa4-8HC: Tre Lamb · Run-leaning
2026Western Kentucky3-5HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced, fast tempo
Our ratings
Splits
Home and road splits, scheme and staff
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 73.3 | 6.5 | 1.0 |
| Road5g | 37.0 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 47.4 | 3.8 | 0.6 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 73.0 | 6.1 | 1.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tyson Helton
Pass share
53.4%
444 pass / 388 run
Plays / game
104.0
8 games
Team sack rate
5.9%
323 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Starter
94 carries and 18 catches in 8 games, about as many touches a game as a typical FBS running back who plays every week.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
45 · #181 of 330 RBs
Three-star recruit. Now #181 at the position.
Six seasons, four schools
2026 is in progress.
- 2026 Western Kentucky HeltonYear 6 · 8 games
- Jan 2026 Entered the transfer portal
- 2025 Tulsa LambYear 5 · 11 games
- Apr 2025 Entered the transfer portalFlorida International to Tulsa
- 2024 Miami CristobalYear 4 · 6 games
- 2023 Miami CristobalYear 3 · 9 games
- May 2023 Entered the transfer portalNebraska to Miami
- 2022 Nebraska FrostYear 2 · 4 games
- 2021 Nebraska FrostYear 1 · on the roster, no stat line
- High school NevilleMonroe, LA · Class of 2022Three-star, No. 502 in the 2022 class. Signed with Nebraska.Also from Neville: Lance Heard (Kentucky), Lorenzell Dubose (Louisiana), Matthew Fobbs-White (Virginia) and 6 more.
Moves
- Transferred from Nebraska to Miami, May 1, 2023.
- Transferred from Florida International to Tulsa, Apr 25, 2025.
- Entered the transfer portal from Tulsa, Jan 1, 2026.
Played for four programs.
2022 4 games
- Signed with NebraskaThree-star, out of Neville
2023 9 games
The role got bigger.
- Transferred to Miamifrom Nebraska
2025 11 games
- Transferred to Tulsafrom Florida International
2026 8 games
- Entered the portalfrom Tulsa
Coaching lineage · 2021–2026
5 coaches2021
Nebraska
Played for 5 head coaches at 4 schools: Scott Frost, Mickey Joseph, Mario Cristobal, Tre Lamb and Tyson Helton.
In the portal · 2026
In transfer portal
2025Tulsa
DestinationTBD