Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 31-14vs North Alabama | 17 | 49 | 2.9 | 1 | 12 | Season-high 49 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 10-43@ Utah | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | 0 | 4 | |
| Total | 22 | 62 | 2.8 | 1 | 12 |
BR
Braylen Russell
Junior running back for Arkansas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 227 lb · Benton, AR
CFB Index 38 · #242 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Arkansas 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
62
rushing yards · 2026
1 TD · 2.8 per carry · 1 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 16 car · 175 yds -- top 1% rushing yards game. -- Best game: 49 rush yds, 1 TD, 11 rec yds, vs North Alabama
Swing playSwung Arkansas from 56% to 78% to win.Auburn at Arkansas · 33-24
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Arkansas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Arkansas in 2024.
Buzz vs Tape
Country hotter than the fans
The wider college football conversation reads him warmer than his own fans do — a gap of 16.8 points in belief.
7.7own fans
24.5national conversation
Arkansas Razorbacks’ offense faces big questions, but is set to surprise in the upcoming college football season. Are concerns over the running game, quarterback battle, and offensive consistency overblown, or is a turnaround in sight?…
Braylen Russell
Wears you down at the goal line. Three seasons at Arkansas, two different head coaches: Sam Pittman and Ryan Silverfield. One game to point at: 49 rush yds, 11 rec yds against North Alabama — Week 1, 2026.
62 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 22 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20249 games
- Signed with Arkansas4-star out of Benton
20259 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Arkansas
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Arkansas
Coaching transition mid-career: Sam Pittman → Ryan Silverfield. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Arkansas7-6HC: Sam Pittman · Run-leaning
2025Arkansas2-10HC: Sam Pittman · Balanced
2026Arkansas1-1HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 31.0 YDS/g, 2.8 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield
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.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #28 of 37 SEC RBs
How the All-SEC 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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 31–14
49 rush yds (17 car) · 1 TD
With K. Jackson — 267 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · 27 rush yds (10 car) · G. Rush — 48 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 51 LONG
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 2&1 · Q4 · EPA +1.90(12:01) #0 B.Russell rush middle for 1 yard gain to the UNA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 11:58 #30 M.Gilbert kick attempt good (H: #37 G.Rush, LS: #51 A.Johnston)
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 3&3 · Q1 · EPA +1.50(10:12) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 3 yards gain to the ARK44 (#15 A.Howard; #0 J.White), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 3&2 · Q3 · EPA +1.32(12:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 4 yards gain to the ARK39 (#11 T.Butler), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 2&6 · Q4 · EPA -0.99(08:09) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 0 yards to the ARK40 (#15 A.Howard)
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 2&14 · Q1 · EPA +0.96(10:51) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 K.Jackson pass complete short right to #0 B.Russell caught at ARK24, for 11 yards to the ARK41 (#11 T.Butler; #14 T.Martin)
- Week 2 · Utah · 2&1 · Q2 · EPA -0.95(07:27) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 0 yards to the UTA35 (#7 J.Hall)
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 2&4 · Q2 · EPA -0.85(04:14) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush right for 1 yard gain to the ARK37 (#4 K.Thomas; #9 K.Benton)
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.72(01:07) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 1 yard gain to the UNA42 (#41 W.Goggins)
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 3&2 · Q1 · EPA -0.68(05:22) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 1 yard loss to the ARK32 (#0 J.White; #7 K.Harris)
- Week 1 · North Alabama · 2&2 · Q4 · EPA +0.64(13:17) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 B.Russell rush middle for 3 yards gain to the UNA03 (#14 T.Martin; #0 J.White), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Short-yardage and goal-line specialist. Carries the load, owns the red zone.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Arkansas
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Arkansas
Returning around him
- 14% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 4 Arkansas players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -1 net (42 in / 43 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Arkansas · Last season: 2-10 · Talent rank #36 · 2026 recruiting class #46
DNA match
Player DNA
Power Back
Short-yardage and goal-line specialist. Carries the load, owns the red zone.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to La'Darius Jefferson’s 2022 season.
78%match
Matches La'Darius on
Weight
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Receiving share
Differs from La'Darius on
Class year (lower)
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Xavier Robinson’s path through Oklahoma.
92%match
Matches Xavier on
Yards per carry
Weight
Height
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Antwain Littleton II's sophomore season at Maryland (2022).
76%match
Matches Antwain on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Yards / carry
Differs from Antwain on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Braylen Russell
The backfield · Arkansas
- #5Sutton Smith669 rushing yards · 2025
- Braylen Russell286 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Jasper Parker93 rushing yards · 2025
- #27Cam Settles16 rushing yards · 2025
- #24Mario Robinson Jr.no box-score line yet
3 more on the roster · Arkansas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology