Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 20-13vs Liberty | 15 | 47 | 3.1 | 1 | 7 | |
| Wk 2 | W 87-3vs Wagner | 9 | 52 | 5.8 | 3 | 32 | Season-high 52 yds |
| Total | 24 | 99 | 4.5 | 4 | 32 |
#6
George Pettaway
5th-year running back for James Madison. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 200 lb · Suffolk, VA · Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
CFB Index 66 · #45 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to James Madison 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
99
rushing yards · 2026
4 TD · 4.1 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 52 rush yds, 3 TD, vs Wagner
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for James Madison. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to North Carolina in 2022.
- Transferred from North Carolina to James Madison in 2024.
George Pettaway
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Across five seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Mack Brown, Bob Chesney and Billy Napier. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Sun Belt. The receipt on tape: 47 rush yds, 1 rush TD against Liberty, Week 1, 2026.
99 RUSH YDS · 4 RUSH TD · 25 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.
202210 games
- Signed with North Carolina4-star out of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
202413 games
- Entered the portal
202511 games
- All-Sun Belt
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 (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
4 coaches2022
James Madison
2023era →
Damian Wroblewski
James Madison
2024–2025era →
Bob Chesney
James Madison
Played under 4 different head coaches: Curt Cignetti, Damian Wroblewski, Bob Chesney, and Billy Napier. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022North Carolina9-5HC: Mack Brown · Balanced
2023North Carolina8-5HC: Mack Brown · Balanced
2024James Madison9-4HC: Bob Chesney · Run-leaning
2025James Madison12-2HC: Bob Chesney · Run-heavy
2026James Madison2-0HC: Billy Napier · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rush tds (93rd percentile). Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (6)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 49.5 YDS/g, 4.5 YPC, 2.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Billy Napier
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 | James Madison | 24 | 99 | 4.1 | 4 | -- |
| 2025 | James Madison | 34 | 195 | 5.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | James Madison | 163 | 976 | 6.0 | 5 | -- |
| 2023 | North Carolina | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | North Carolina | 20 | 93 | 4.7 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 241 | 1,363 | 5.7 | 11 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | James Madison | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | James Madison | 9 | 67 | 7.4 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | James Madison | 24 | 197 | 8.2 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | North Carolina | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | North Carolina | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 39 | 285 | 7.3 | 3 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 87–3
vs Wagner
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Wagner · 4&1 · Q2 · EPA -4.00No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 12 yards loss to the WAG23 fumbled by #6 G.Pettaway at WAG14 recovered by JMU #7 C.Coleman at WAG23, End Of Play, TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 2 · Wagner · 2&8 · Q2 · EPA +3.29No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush right for 32 yards gain to the WAG00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 13:09, 1ST DOWN #5 M.Suarez kick attempt good (H: #11 P.Rea, LS: #47 M.Dietzel)
- Week 1 · Liberty · 2&7 · Q1 · EPA +2.61No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush right for 7 yards gain to the LU 00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 04:23 #5 M.Suarez kick attempt good (H: #11 P.Rea, LS: #47 M.Dietzel)
- Week 2 · Wagner · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA +2.45No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 1 yard gain to the WAG00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:46 #5 M.Suarez kick attempt good (H: #11 P.Rea, LS: #47 M.Dietzel)
- Week 2 · Wagner · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA +1.90No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 1 yard gain to the WAG00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:16 #5 M.Suarez kick attempt good (H: #11 P.Rea, LS: #47 M.Dietzel)
- Week 2 · Wagner · 3&3 · Q1 · EPA +1.72No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 5 yards gain to the WAG01 (#2 W.Johnston), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Liberty · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -1.21No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 1 yard loss to the JMU35 (#33 A.Vaughan)
- Week 2 · Wagner · 1&1 · Q1 · EPA -0.96No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 0 yards to the WAG01 (#4 B.Leal)
- Week 1 · Liberty · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA +0.87No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 3 yards gain to the JMU32 (#8 B.Williams), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Liberty · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.83No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Pettaway rush middle for 1 yard gain to the JMU36 (#1 D.Farrar; #13 J.Vessel)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
James Madison
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · James Madison
Returning around him
- 8% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: +6 net (37 in / 31 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
James Madison · Last season: 12-2 (AP #19) · Talent rank #101 · 2026 recruiting class #80
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Brashard Smith’s 2024 season.
67%match
All-ACCNFL Rd 7
Matches Brashard on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Differs from Brashard on
Class year (lower)
Rush TD rate (lower)
Recruiting rating (higher)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Jahmyr Gibbs’s path through Alabama.
89%match
All-SECNFL Rd 1 · Pk 12
#3
Cooper Wallace
90%
Matches Jahmyr on
Yards per carry
Recruiting rating
Weight
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Emmett Johnson's junior season at Nebraska (2025).
72%match
All-Big TenNFL Rd 5
Matches Emmett on
Yards / carry
Receiving share
Height
Differs from Emmett on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Rush TD rate (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like George Pettaway
Background
2026: Preseason Second Team All-Sun Belt running back 2025: Played in 12 games Had 34 carries for 195 rushing yards, averaging 5.7 per rush Also had nine receptions for 67 receiving yards and a touchdown and had two kickoff returns for 38 yards (19.0) with a long of 24 Season-high 99 rushing yard...
The backfield · James Madison
- #6George Pettaway195 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Jackson Mccarter18 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Trashon Dye12 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Malachi Fannin-Render6 rushing yards · 2025
- #34Seth Cromwell1 game · 2026
2 more on the roster · James Madison team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology