Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 62-13vs UL Monroe | 9 | 52 | 5.8 | 0 | 14 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-13@ Minnesota | 18 | 113 | 6.3 | 2 | 30 | Season-high 113 yds |
| Total | 27 | 165 | 6.0 | 2 | 30 |
#24
Fluff Bothwell
Junior running back for Mississippi State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 230 lb · Oneonta, AL · Oneonta HS (South Alabama)
CFB Index 56 · #98 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Mississippi 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
165
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 6.1 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 113 rush yds, 2 TD, 3 rec yds, at Minnesota
Swing playSwung Mississippi State from 53% to 80% to win.Tennessee at Mississippi State · 41-34
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Mississippi State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Alabama in 2024.
- Transferred from South Alabama to Mississippi State in 2025.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Hype = tape
+6aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 45th percentile of RBs; the tape says
39th pctl our rushing-value metric (wEPA) RBs · 140 qualified, n=27
— the discourse is fair.Aura — fan perception45th pctl
Production — on-field39th pctl
n=27 mentions · cohort: RBs · 140 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our rushing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Every angle we can check here reads about where you'd expect this season.
46thattention percentile · vs RBs
39thproduction percentile · vs RBs
Also checked out fine:
Fluff Bothwell
Just keeps getting the ball, series after series. Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Major Applewhite and Jeff Lebby. 2024 brought the first one: All-Sun Belt. The receipt: 113 rush yds, 3 rec yds against Minnesota — Week 2, 2026.
165 RUSH YDS · 2 RUSH TD · 27 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
The week the volume broke through — put up 134 yds vs Tennessee.Tennessee · L 34-412025
202412 games
- Signed with South Alabama3-star out of Oneonta
- All-Sun Beltthird
202511 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-SUN BELT
All-Sun Belt mention (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Mississippi State
Played his entire career under Jeff Lebby.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024South Alabama7-6HC: Major Applewhite · Balanced
2025Mississippi State5-8HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2026Mississippi State2-0HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: yards / carry (87th percentile). Concern: carries (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: 82.5 YDS/g, 6.0 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Lebby
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: #14 of 37 SEC RBs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. 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 | Mississippi State | 27 | 165 | 6.1 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 142 | 677 | 4.8 | 6 | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 112 | 834 | 7.4 | 13 | -- |
| Career | 281 | 1,676 | 6.0 | 21 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mississippi State | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 14 | 105 | 7.5 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 12 | 90 | 7.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 28 | 214 | 7.6 | 0 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–13
at Minnesota
113 rush yds (18 car) · 2 TD
Dominant 25-point win on the road against Minnesota.
With K. Taylor — 227 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 88.8 · 86 rush yds (13 car) · A. Evans III — 6 rush yds (1 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 2&5 · Q1 · EPA +2.44(00:24) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 5 yards gain to the MINN00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:22 #80 K.Ferrie kick attempt good (H: #47 W.Wilkinson, LS: #46 K.Rushing)
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 2&3 · Q3 · EPA +2.38(10:45) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 30 yards gain to the MINN38 (#14 K.Brown), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · UL Monroe · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.82(14:18) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush left for 14 yards gain to the ULM34 (#30 M.Ross), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 1&3 · Q4 · EPA +1.46(12:34) Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 3 yards gain to the MINN00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 12:32 #80 K.Ferrie kick attempt good (H: #47 W.Wilkinson, LS: #46 K.Rushing)
- Week 1 · UL Monroe · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.42(14:56) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 K.Taylor pass complete short left to #24 F.Bothwell caught at State29, for 16 yards to the State41 (#9 J.Calender), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.22(07:44) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush left for 13 yards gain to the MSST49 (#49 M.Kingsbury), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA +1.15(14:36) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 6 yards gain to the MSST35 (#6 M.Baranowski), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.12(13:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 9 yards gain to the MINN42 (#7 A.Gousby)
- Week 2 · Minnesota · 2&2 · Q2 · EPA -0.99(05:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 3 yards loss to the MINN24 (#93 R.Sunram)
- Week 1 · UL Monroe · 2&5 · Q2 · EPA +0.78(06:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 F.Bothwell rush middle for 7 yards gain to the State32 (#8 C.Fauntroy; #30 M.Ross), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Mississippi State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Mississippi State
Returning around him
- 34% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 2 Mississippi State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -12 net (28 in / 40 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Mississippi State · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #20 · 2026 recruiting class #23
DNA match
Player DNA
Workhorse
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Bill Davis’s 2024 season.
78%match
Matches Bill on
Receiving share
Weight
Rush TD rate
Differs from Bill on
Class year (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s path through Kentucky.
87%match
All-SECNFL Rd 6
Matches Chris on
Yards per carry
Weight
Height
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Bill Davis's sophomore season at Louisiana (2024).
79%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Bill on
Weight
Receiving share
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #101
Peaked at #101 this season.
Background
Career Honors 2025 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll 2024 Third Team All-Sun Belt Career Notes Played in 23 career games with five starts … Following the 2025 season, had 1,509 yards on 253 carries with 19 touchdowns … Six career 100-yard rushing games … 2024 Sun Belt leader in rushing touchdowns (13)...
The backfield · Mississippi State
- #24Fluff Bothwell677 rushing yards · 2025
- #5Xavier Gayten157 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Kolin Wilson26 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Brinston Williams1 game · 2026
- #25Cooper Crosby1 game · 2026
1 more on the roster · Mississippi State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology