Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 54-14vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 13 | 47 | 3.6 | 1 | 12 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-21@ Kansas | 28 | 125 | 4.5 | 1 | 64 | Season-high 125 yds |
| Total | 41 | 172 | 4.0 | 2 | 64 |
#20
Jamal Roberts
Jamal Roberts has built a role at Missouri the hard way, one season at a time.
6′0″ · 216 lb · Saint Louis, MO · St. Mary's HS
CFB Index 72 · #37 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Missouri 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.
Long run: 83rd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
172
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 4.2 per carry · 1 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 125 rush yds, 1 TD, -4 rec yds, at Kansas
Swing playSwung Missouri from 57% to 85% to win.South Carolina at Missouri · 29-20
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Missouri. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Missouri in 2023.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Underrated
-63aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 36th percentile of RBs; the tape says
99th pctl our rushing-value metric (wEPA) RBs · 140 qualified, n=22
— the tape outruns the hype.Aura — fan perception36th pctl
Production — on-field99th pctl
n=22 mentions · cohort: RBs · 140 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our rushing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Attention percentile: 36th · Production percentile: 99th
His production sits in the 99th percentile among qualified RBs this season, well ahead of 36th-percentile attention — a gap of 63 points between tape and volume.
36thattention percentile · vs RBs
99thproduction percentile · vs RBs
Also worth knowing:
Jamal Roberts
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Jamal Roberts is a cornerstone for Missouri — measured against the line he joined.
172RUSH YDS2RUSH TD41CARRIES
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 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2023
- Signed with Missouri3-star out of St. Mary's
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Missouri
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Missouri
Played his entire career under Eli Drinkwitz.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Eli Drinkwitz — 31-10 over that span.
2023Missouri11-2HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-leaning
2024Missouri10-3HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-leaning
2025Missouri8-5HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-heavy
2026Missouri2-0HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: long run (83rd percentile). Concern: rec yards (3rd percentile).
Box-score rates (8)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 86.0 YDS/g, 4.0 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Eli Drinkwitz
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
In the mix for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #6 of 37 SEC RBs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. 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 2 · 2026
W 38–21
at Kansas
125 rush yds (28 car) · 1 TD
With A. Simmons — 292 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.4 · 8 rush yds (2 car) · B. Reus — 50 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 66 LONG
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Kansas · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +5.15(05:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush middle for 64 yards gain to the KU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:22, 1ST DOWN #19 B.Craig kick attempt good (H: #40 B.Reus, LS: #49 B.Le Blanc)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 4&1 · Q1 · EPA +2.05(07:06) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush middle for 7 yards gain to the UAPB33 (#51 M.Kelleh; #49 A.Lewis), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 2&1 · Q2 · EPA +1.90J. Roberts run for 1 yd, for a TD (B. Craig KICK)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 2&8 · Q1 · EPA +1.80(02:10) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush middle for 12 yards gain to the UAPB43 (#37 B.Williams), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Kansas · 3&13 · Q1 · EPA -1.72(06:42) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short right to #20 J.Roberts caught at KU28, for 4 yards loss to the KU26 (#3 C.Gordon)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 2&6 · Q2 · EPA +1.65(13:49) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush right for 11 yards gain to the UAPB01 (#37 B.Williams; #35 M.Henderson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA -1.48(01:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush left for 2 yards loss to the UAPB45 (#0 D.Hilliard)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA -1.15(07:43) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush middle for 0 yards to the UAPB40 (#50 N.Walker; #51 M.Kelleh)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.97(06:32) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush left for 2 yards loss to the UAPB35 (#98 K.Wilks)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 1&1 · Q2 · EPA -0.96(13:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #20 J.Roberts rush middle for 0 yards to the UAPB01, End Of Play
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Just keeps getting the ball, series after series.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Missouri
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Missouri
Returning around him
- 42% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 6 Missouri players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +3 net (30 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Missouri · Last season: 8-5 (AP #25) · Talent rank #19 · 2026 recruiting class #34
DNA match
Player DNA
Workhorse
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
RB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Cartevious Norton’s 2024 season.
Matches Cartevious on
Receiving share
Rush TD rate
Weight
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Charles Pierre Jr.’s path through South Dakota.
Charles Pierre Jr.
97%match
Matches Charles on
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Hayden Reed's senior season at Army (2025).
81%match
Matches Hayden on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Rush TD rate
Differs from Hayden on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jamal Roberts
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #135
Peaked at #135 this season.
Background
2025: Played in all 13 games on the season with two starts (started season opener for the first of his career and at Auburn) … Rushed 124 times for 753 yards (6.1 YPC) and six touchdowns on the season (all career-high totals), including a 63-yard scoring scamper that iced the game late in the win...
The backfield · Missouri
- #29Ahmad Hardy1,649 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Jamal Roberts753 rushing yards · 2025
- #31Anthony Favrow4 rushing yards · 2025
- #26Brady Hultman1 game · 2025
- #24Xai'Shaun Edwards2 games · 2026
3 more on the roster · Missouri team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology