Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 16-17@ Auburn | 25 | 88 | 3.5 | 0 | 7 | Season-high 88 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 44-3vs Prairie View A&M | 15 | 69 | 4.6 | 0 | 13 | |
| Total | 40 | 157 | 4.0 | 0 | 13 |
#35
Dawson Pendergrass
Baylor doesn't have to wonder what it gets from Dawson Pendergrass; that certainty is the whole point of him.
6′2″ · 225 lb · Alba, TX · Mineola HS
CFB Index 57 · #78 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Baylor 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.
How he plays
Just keeps getting the ball, series after series.
Success rate: 96th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
157
rushing yards · 2026
3.9 per carry · 4 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 88 rush yds, 11 rec yds, vs Auburn
The play that turned itSwung Baylor from 55% to 91% to win.Oklahoma State at Baylor · 38-28
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Baylor. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Baylor in 2023.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans warmer than rivals
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
23.5own fans
0rival fans
Very disappointing to lose Bryson Washington. But with Dawson Pendergrass coming back I think the Bears could have a really good unit again. https://www.si.com/college/baylor/football/one-baylor-offensive-returner-a-force-to-be-reckoned-wit…
Also worth knowing:
In Their Words
104 windows · 2026 fan posts
dawson×549.0knighten×1647.0turner×187.2baylor×23.9fall×23.3running×13.0last×8.8
“Presser: Coach Khenon Hall, Runnnig Backs Answer Fall Camp Questions The Baylor Football running backs coach, as well as Dawson Pendergrass, Caden Knighten, and Michael Turner, fielded questions after Tuesday's practice.”
board/Baylor University Football · fan post, verbatim
Dawson Pendergrass
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Dawson Pendergrass is a cornerstone for Baylor — measured against the line he joined.
157RUSH YDS0RUSH TD40CARRIES
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
202311 games
- Signed with Baylor3-star out of Mineola
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Baylor
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2024
Baylor
2026
Baylor
Played his entire career under Dave Aranda.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Dave Aranda — 12-15 over that span.
2023Baylor3-9HC: Dave Aranda · Balanced
2024Baylor8-5HC: Dave Aranda · Run-leaning
2026Baylor1-1HC: Dave Aranda · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
High confidence
Elite: success rate (96th percentile). Concern: explosive rate (4th percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Box-score rates (7)
Season trend
EPA / carry— first qualifying season
Success rate— first qualifying season
Explosive rate— first qualifying season
Yards / carry— first qualifying season
TD rate— first qualifying season
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).
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 78.5 YDS/g, 4.0 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dave Aranda
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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 44–3
69 rush yds (15 car)
Dominant 41-point win at home against Prairie View A&M.
With N. Bennett — 301 yds · 2 TD · 2 INT · QBR 29.6 · 13 rush yds (2 car) · 1 TD · C. Knighten — 66 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 4&1 · Q3 · EPA +2.38(13:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush middle for 5 yards gain to the PVAMU44 (#11 N.Harris), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.25(09:54) No Huddle-Shotgun #12 N.Bennett pass complete short right to #35 D.Pendergrass caught at BAYLOR44, for 19 yards to the PVAMU33 (#3 J.Ward; #25 R.Carter), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA +2.02(12:05) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush middle for 13 yards gain to the PVAMU46 (#33 C.Thompson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Auburn · 3&5 · Q4 · EPA +1.86(13:50) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush middle for 5 yards gain to the AUB44 (#5 E.Winters), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Auburn · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -1.13(02:09) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush middle for 1 yard loss to the AUB43 (#5 E.Winters)
- Week 1 · Auburn · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA -1.06(11:50) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush right for 0 yards to the AUB47 (#0 S.Smith-Reed; #9 E.Melendez)
- Week 1 · Auburn · 2&5 · Q4 · EPA +1.04(14:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush right for 7 yards gain to the BAY46 (#17 X.Atkins), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Auburn · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA +0.95(02:54) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush right for 2 yards gain to the BAY36 (#11 D.Smith), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Auburn · 2&6 · Q4 · EPA -0.93(14:15) No Huddle-Shotgun #35 D.Pendergrass rush middle for 1 yard gain to the AUB49 (#13 C.Murray; #94 C.Sigler). #74 K.Sieracki injured on the play
- Week 1 · Auburn · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA +0.86(02:30) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 D.Lagway pass complete short left to #35 D.Pendergrass caught at AUB46, for 6 yards to the AUB42 (#21 G.Jenkins), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Just keeps getting the ball, series after series.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Baylor
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Baylor
Returning around him
- 60% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 2 Baylor players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -1 net (31 in / 32 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Baylor · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #43 · 2026 recruiting class #57
DNA match
Player DNA
Workhorse
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
RB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Jaren Mangham’s 2019 season.
Matches Jaren on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Class year
Differs from Jaren on
Recruiting rating (lower)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Julius Loughridge’s path through Fordham.
Julius Loughridge
99%match
#3
Cooper Wallace
90%
Matches Julius on
Yards per carry
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Tony Mathis Jr.'s junior season at West Virginia (2021).
86%match
Matches Tony on
Receiving share
Recruiting rating
Yards / carry
Player DNA
Players who play like Dawson Pendergrass
Background
2025 (Junior): Redshirted the season while recovering from a preseason injury. 2024 (Sophomore): Played in 13 games as a key member of a primarily two-man rotation at running back … Finished with 121 carries for 671 yards and six TDs … Also caught 11 balls for 103 yards and a score … Averaged 51....
The backfield · Baylor
- #11Caden Knighten469 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Michael Turner320 rushing yards · 2025
- #27Joseph Dodds104 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Jacorey Watson1 game · 2025
- #35Dawson Pendergrass2 games · 2026
3 more on the roster · Baylor team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology