Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-10vs Southeast Missouri State | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 0 | 6 | |
| Wk 2 | L 13-16@ Iowa | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 | 4 | Season-high 9 yds |
| Total | 6 | 17 | 2.9 | 0 | 6 |
#3
Arnold Barnes
Senior running back for Iowa State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 220 lb · New Orleans, LA
CFB Index 31 · #312 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Tulane → Iowa State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
17
rushing yards · 2026
2.8 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 rush yds, vs Southeast Missouri State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Iowa State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Tulane to Iowa State in 2026.
Arnold Barnes
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Slade Nagle, Jon Sumrall and Jimmy Rogers. One game to point at: 9 rush yds against Iowa — Week 2, 2026.
17 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 6 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Iowa State
2026era →
Jimmy Rogers
Iowa State
Coaching transition mid-career: Matt Campbell → Jimmy Rogers. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Iowa State
2025Tulane
2026Iowa State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Tulane11-3HC: Slade Nagle · Run-leaning
2024Tulane9-5HC: Jon Sumrall · Run-heavy
2025Tulane11-3HC: Jon Sumrall · Run-leaning
2026Iowa State1-1HC: Jimmy Rogers · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 8.5 YDS/g, 2.9 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jimmy Rogers
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iowa State | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Tulane | 51 | 217 | 4.3 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Tulane | 87 | 402 | 4.6 | 6 | -- |
| 2023 | Tulane | 23 | 138 | 6.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 167 | 774 | 4.6 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iowa State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Tulane | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Tulane | 8 | 19 | 2.4 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Tulane | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 10 | 35 | 3.5 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 38–10
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kavosiey Smoke’s 2022 season.
Matches Kavosiey on
Yards / carry
Weight
Receiving share
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Andrew Body’s path through Alabama State.
Andrew Body
98%match
#3
Narii Gaither
97%
Matches Andrew on
Yards per carry
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Leshon Williams's junior season at Iowa (2023).
79%match
Matches Leshon on
Yards / carry
Rush TD rate
Receiving share
Differs from Leshon on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Arnold Barnes
The backfield · Iowa State
- Cameron Pettaway365 rushing yards · 2025
- #3Arnold Barnes217 rushing yards · 2025
- #7Salahadin Allah71 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Aiden Flora58 rushing yards · 2025
- #25Easton Miller23 rushing yards · 2025
4 more on the roster · Iowa State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology