Al-Jay Henderson

Senior running back for Buffalo. 2025: 755 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD, 25 catches.

RB · Buffalo · Sr. · #5

6′0″ · 216 lb · South Orange, NJ

CFB Index 33 · #293 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Buffalo for 2026

The numbers

755

rushing yards · 2025

6 TD · 4.1 per carry · 25 catches

Backed by 30 car · 185 yds · 1 TD -- top 1% rushing yards game.

Swing playSwung Buffalo from 14% to 35% to win.Ohio at Buffalo · 31-26

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 running back for Buffalo. 2025: 755 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD, 25 catches.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Buffalo in 2021.

His career, year by year

How he plays

Does a little of everything without one standout trait.

TD rate: 41st percentile.

The full scouting read

Al-Jay Henderson

RB · Buffalo · Sr · #5

Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Al-Jay Henderson has been at Buffalo through two head coaches in four seasons. 2024 brought the first one: All-MAC. The receipt on tape: 119 rush yds, 7 rec yds against Bowling Green, Week 10, 2025.

Low coverage — composed from the verified record.

positional archetype classification
head-coach lineage
recognition record
game log

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Buffalo7-6HC: Maurice Linguist · Run-leaning

2023Buffalo3-9HC: Maurice Linguist · Balanced

2024Buffalo9-4HC: Maurice Linguist · Run-heavy

2025Buffalo5-7HC: Pete Lembo · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

33Below cohort / limited sample #293 of 326?

High confidenceFading13 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: carries (90th percentile). Strength: receptions (85th percentile). Concern: epa / carry (10th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

TD rate#268 / 456 · 41st pct

2.2%

Success rate#374 / 456 · 18th pct

36.9%

Explosive rate#394 / 456 · 14th pct

2.8%

EPA / carry#413 / 456 · 10th pct

-0.08

Yards / carry#413 / 456 · 10th pct

3.8

Box-score rates (8)

Carries#36 / 349 · 90th pct

182

Receptions#51 / 338 · 85th pct

Rec yards#71 / 338 · 79th pct

181

Rush yards#74 / 349 · 79th pct

755

Rush TDs#83 / 349 · 72nd pct

Long run#196 / 349 · 43rd pct

Yards / carry#285 / 349 · 18th pct

4.1

Fumbles lost#154 / 201 · 14th pct

Season trend

Last seasonThis season

EPA / carry

62nd → 10th percentile

Success rate

53rd → 18th percentile

Explosive rate

64th → 14th percentile

Yards / carry

64th → 10th percentile

TD rate

50th → 41st percentile

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Situational

Situational · Carry shape (PBP, full season)

Yardage DNA

179 carries

20%

Stuffed (≤0)

39%

Grind (1–3)

33%

Chunk (4–9)

Explosive (10+)

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home7g	62.6	4.4	0.6
Road5g	63.4	4.2	0.4

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	69.7	3.8	0.7
Weeks 8+6g	56.2	4.9	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Pete Lembo

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Starter

A locked-in starting job.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

33 · #293 of 326 RBs

Three-star recruit. Now #293 at the position.

2026 outlook

Outside shot to repeat All-MAC

Based on 2025: #24 of 30 Mid-American RBs

How the All-MAC estimate is computed

15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Buffalo	182	755	4.1	6	--
2024	Buffalo	204	1,078	5.3	9	--
2023	Buffalo	5	--	0.0	1	--
2022	Buffalo	59	301	5.1	3	--
Career		450	2,134	4.7	19	--

Season	Team
2025	Buffalo	25	181	7.2	1	--
2024	Buffalo	19	238	12.5	1	--
2023	Buffalo	--	--	--	--	--
2022	Buffalo	6	45	7.5	0	--
Career		50	464	9.3	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2025

W 45–6

vs Saint Francis

98 rush yds (24 car) · 2 TD

Dominant 39-point win at home against Saint Francis.

With T. Roberson — 133 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 73.0 · 88 rush yds (9 car) · 2 TD · V. Snow — 3 rec · 67 yds · 1 TD

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 2 · Saint Francis · 4&2 · Q2 · EPA -3.79Al-Jay Henderson run for a loss of 1 yard to the SFPA 16
Week 10 · Bowling Green · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +3.24(14:03) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 A.Henderson rush middle for 41 yards gain to the BGSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 13:57, 1ST DOWN #91 J.Howes kick attempt good (H: #42 D.Drennan, LS: #57 C.Selee)
Week 14 · Ohio · 3&4 · Q3 · EPA +3.14No Huddle-Shotgun #5 A.Henderson rush right for 23 yards gain to the OHI00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 12:39, 1ST DOWN #2 T.Roberson pass attempt failed
Week 3 · Kent State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +3.09Al-Jay Henderson run for 38 yds for a TD (Jack Howes KICK)
Week 2 · Saint Francis · 1&20 · Q2 · EPA +3.01Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Al-Jay Henderson for 22 yds to the SFPA 39 for a 1ST down
Week 2 · Saint Francis · 3&13 · Q3 · EPA +2.68Ta'Quan Roberson pass complete to Al-Jay Henderson for 20 yds to the BUF 42 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Troy · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.65Al-Jay Henderson 22 Yd Run (Jack Howes Kick)
Week 2 · Saint Francis · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA +2.45Al-Jay Henderson run for 1 yd for a TD (Jack Howes KICK)
Week 8 · Massachusetts · 4&2 · Q1 · EPA -2.39Al-Jay Henderson run for no gain to the MASS 35
Week 2 · Saint Francis · 2&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.14Al-Jay Henderson run for 10 yds for a TD (Jack Howes KICK)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	L 10-23@ Minnesota	11	25	2.3	0	6
Wk 2	W 45-6vs Saint Francis	24	98	4.1	2	10
Wk 3	W 31-28@ Kent State	15	75	5.0	1	38
Wk 4	L 17-21vs Troy	22	76	3.5	1	22
Wk 5	L 17-20vs UConn	24	63	2.6	0	6
Wk 6	W 31-30vs Eastern Michigan	16	81	5.1	0	17
Wk 8	W 28-21@ Massachusetts	20	59	3.0	0	8
Wk 9	L 16-24vs Akron	11	67	6.1	0	14
Wk 10	W 28-3@ Bowling Green	18	119	6.6	1	41	Season-high 119 yds
Wk 12	L 19-38@ Central Michigan	9	39	4.3	0	12
Wk 13	L 20-37vs Miami (OH)	7	22	3.1	0	12
Wk 14	L 26-31vs Ohio	5	31	6.2	1	23
Total		182	755	4.3	6	41