James Jones has built a role at New Mexico State the hard way, one season at a time.
6′1″ · 205 lb · Baltimore, MD
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
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 5.7 per carry · 4 catches
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 137 rush yds, 1 TD, 2 rec yds, vs Mercyhurst
The play that turned itSwung UL Monroe from 51% to 85% to win.UAB at UL Monroe · 32-6
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for New Mexico State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
How he plays
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
EPA / carry: 82nd percentile.
The full scouting readJames Jones
James Jones is a cornerstone for New Mexico State — measured against the line he joined.
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
Career arc
Season context · Team result + system
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
Elite: epa / carry (82nd percentile). Strength: explosive rate (82nd percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Season trend
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 · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 137 | 7.2 | 1.0 |
| Road2g | 53.0 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 81.0 | 5.2 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tony Sanchez
Pass share
52.3%
101 pass / 92 run
Plays / game
64.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.7%
107 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2026
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | New Mexico State | 43 | 243 | 5.7 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | UL Monroe | 79 | 336 | 4.3 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 122 | 579 | 4.7 | 3 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | New Mexico State | 4 | 25 | 6.2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | UL Monroe | 4 | 80 | 20.0 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 8 | 105 | 13.1 | 3 | -- |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 51–14
vs Mercyhurst
137 rush yds (19 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 37-point win at home against Mercyhurst.
With T. Washington Jr. — 43 rush yds (7 car) · 2 TD · T. Hedden — 253 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 36.8 · -7 rush yds (3 car)
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 17-34@ Florida State | 11 | 28 | 2.5 | 0 | 10 | Season-high 137 yds |
| Wk 1 | W 51-14vs Mercyhurst | 19 | 137 | 7.2 | 1 | 46 | Season-high 137 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 19-29@ Hawai'i | 13 | 78 | 6.0 | 1 | 15 | |
| Total | 43 | 243 | 5.2 | 2 | 46 |
Play style
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
New Mexico State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · New Mexico State
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
New Mexico State · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #135 · 2026 recruiting class #134
Player DNA
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Breck Turner’s 2016 season.
Matches Breck on
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Rovaughn Banks Jr.’s path through Abilene Christian.
Rovaughn Banks Jr.
Jaylen Jenkins
Kierre Crossley
Matches Rovaughn on
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jaylen Coleman's junior season at Duke (2022).
Matches Jaylen on
Player DNA
3 more on the roster · New Mexico State team page