Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 37-21@ Rutgers | 19 | 62 | 3.3 | 0 | 8 | |
| Wk 2 | W 37-10vs Sacred Heart | 11 | 72 | 6.5 | 0 | 26 | Season-high 72 yds |
| Total | 30 | 134 | 4.9 | 0 | 26 |
#23
Elijah Faulkner
Massachusetts doesn't have to wonder what it gets from Elijah Faulkner; that certainty is the whole point of him.
5′9″ · 195 lb · Pittsburgh, PA · Central Catholic (PA)
CFB Index 28 · #323 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Massachusetts 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
134
rushing yards · 2026
4.5 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far
Swing playSwung Massachusetts from 32% to 55% to win.Massachusetts at Rutgers · 37-21
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 running back for Massachusetts. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Massachusetts in 2025.
Elijah Faulkner
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Elijah Faulkner is a cornerstone for Massachusetts — measured against the line he joined.
134RUSH YDS0RUSH TD30CARRIES
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
202510 games
- Signed with Massachusettsout of Central Catholic
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Massachusetts
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Joe Harasymiak — 2-12 over that span.
2025Massachusetts0-12HC: Joe Harasymiak · Balanced
2026Massachusetts2-0HC: Joe Harasymiak · 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 (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: 67.0 YDS/g, 4.9 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Joe Harasymiak
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-MAC
Based on 2025: #29 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 30 | 134 | 4.5 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 40 | 114 | 2.9 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 70 | 248 | 3.5 | 0 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 37–10
vs Sacred Heart
72 rush yds (11 car)
Dominant 27-point win at home against Sacred Heart.
With T. Harding — 1 rec · 49 yds · 1 TD · W. Watson III — 152 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 94.4 · 40 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&4 · Q1 · EPA +2.54(05:26) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete short right to #23 E.Faulkner caught at RU06, for 21 yards to the RU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:26, 1ST DOWN #99 D.Morris kick attempt good (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)
- Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.32(14:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush right for 26 yards gain to the SHU49 (#47 R.Palmieri; #9 K.Latney), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.07(11:46) Shotgun #5 W.Watson III pass complete short right to #23 E.Faulkner caught at RU00, for 2 yards to the RU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 11:46 #99 D.Morris kick attempt good (H: #43 E.Phillipson, LS: #51 G.Mills)
- Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.60(08:52) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush middle for 2 yards loss to the UMass45 (#11 M.Hamilton)
- Week 2 · Sacred Heart · 3&3 · Q1 · EPA +1.08(03:39) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush middle for 14 yards gain to the SHU21 (#47 R.Palmieri), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.88(01:49) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush middle for 0 yards to the RU41 (#99 R.Porter; #5 B.Jones)
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA -0.72(03:26) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush left for 1 yard gain to the UMASS37 (#16 J.Ofurie; #8 S.Kromah)
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.71(14:43) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush middle for 8 yards gain to the UMASS24 (#35 M.Munn; #3 L.Noel)
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 2&7 · Q4 · EPA -0.70(06:15) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush middle for 2 yards loss to the UMASS26 (#11 M.Davis; #96 K.Griffin)
- Week 1 · Rutgers · 3&2 · Q4 · EPA +0.63(00:19) Shotgun #23 E.Faulkner rush middle for 3 yards gain to the RU30 (#5 B.Jones; #10 T.Morris), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Massachusetts
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Massachusetts
Returning around him
- -57% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: +2 net (21 in / 19 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Massachusetts · Last season: 0-12 · Talent rank #128 · 2026 recruiting class #116
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Cam Davis’s 2022 season.
Matches Cam on
Yards / carry
Height
Weight
Differs from Cam on
Receiving share (lower)
Rush TD rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Tybo Rogers's freshman season at Washington (2023).
Matches Tybo on
Yards / carry
Total rush EPA (college ability)
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Tybo on
Receiving share (lower)
Height (lower)
Background
2025 • Freshman Competed in all 12 games for Massachusetts Tallied114 yards on 40 rushes Had one catch for five yards Registered a career-high eight rushes for a career-best 36 yards, including a career-long run of 14 yards vs. Bowling Green (11/25) Recorded a tackle vs. Bowling Green (11/25) Bef...
The backfield · Massachusetts
- #6Justin Williams-Thomas197 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Elijah Faulkner114 rushing yards · 2025
- #4Da'Marion Alberic23 rushing yards · 2025
- Jordan Washington2 games · 2025
- #14Curtis Kimmons IV2 games · 2026
3 more on the roster · Massachusetts team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology