Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-0vs Marshall | 8 | 31 | 3.9 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 2 | W 27-9@ Temple | 7 | 42 | 6.0 | 0 | 12 | Season-high 42 yds |
| Total | 15 | 73 | 5.0 | 0 | 12 |
#1
James Peoples
No.115 4★, national recruit is what James Peoples has put on film since landing at Penn State — the bet is starting to settle.
5′10″ · 214 lb · San Antonio, TX · Veterans Memorial
CFB Index 39 · #226 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Ohio State → Penn 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
73
rushing yards · 2026
4.9 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 42 rush yds, at Temple
Swing playSwung Washington from 16% to 37% to win.Ohio State at Washington · 24-6
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Penn State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ohio State in 2024.
- Transferred from Ohio State to Penn State in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans warmer than rivals
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
20own fans
0rival fans
Also worth knowing:
In Their Words
112 windows · 2026 fan posts
james×36.3jackson×16.1ohio×13.9
James Peoples
On Trialas of 2026-09-15
James Peoples arrives at Penn State with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
73RUSH YDS0RUSH TD15CARRIES
4★ · NATIONAL RECRUIT
No.115
recruiting national rank
Penn State fans can't agree whether the tape backs the reputation.
medium confidence4 sources
Minority viewA vocal minority sees it the other way.
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
20248 games
- Signed with Ohio State4-star out of San Antonio Veterans Memorial
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: James Franklin, Terry Smith, and Matt Campbell. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Penn State
2025Ohio State
2026Penn State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
2026Penn State2-0HC: Matt Campbell · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 36.5 YDS/g, 5.0 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Campbell
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 | Penn State | 15 | 73 | 4.9 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 61 | 344 | 5.6 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 49 | 197 | 4.0 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 125 | 614 | 4.9 | 5 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Penn State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 10 | 50 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 11 | 48 | 4.4 | 0 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 27–9
at Temple
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Temple · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -4.44(00:00) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush middle for 51 yards loss to the PSU14 (#44 T.Alualu; #11 E.Kulp)
- Week 2 · Temple · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.02(06:14) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush middle for 9 yards gain to the PSU26 (#33 C.Ordonez; #29 A.Powell)
- Week 1 · Marshall · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.63No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush left for 9 yards gain to the MAR13 (#0 C.Clark-Glover), out of bounds
- Week 2 · Temple · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.61(10:22) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush left for 8 yards gain to the TEM30 (#29 A.Powell)
- Week 2 · Temple · 1&5 · Q1 · EPA -0.55(07:08) Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush left for 0 yards to the TEM05 (#2 S.Karriem)
- Week 2 · Temple · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.54(00:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush left for 12 yards gain to the TEM32 (#13 D.Chavis), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Marshall · 2&1 · Q2 · EPA -0.51No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush right for 2 yards gain to the MAR11 (#5 J.Gilmore), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Marshall · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.40No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush middle for 6 yards gain to the PSU45 (#17 D.Smith; #6 J.Marshall)
- Week 1 · Marshall · 2&5 · Q2 · EPA -0.33Shotgun #1 J.Peoples rush middle for 1 yard gain to the PSU16 (#5 J.Gilmore)
- Week 2 · Temple · 2&1 · Q3 · EPA +0.27(05:28) No Huddle #1 J.Peoples rush right for 9 yards gain to the PSU35 (#25 O.Gray; #29 A.Powell), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caden Durham’s 2025 season.
Matches Caden on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Receiving share
Differs from Caden on
Rush TD rate (higher)
EPA / carry (adj) (lower)
Height (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Demetric Felton’s path through UCLA.
99%match
All-Pac-12NFL Rd 6
Matches Demetric on
Yards per carry
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Caden Durham's sophomore season at LSU (2025).
Matches Caden on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Receiving share
Height
Differs from Caden on
Rush TD rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like James Peoples
The backfield · Penn State
- #21Carson Hansen950 rushing yards · 2025
- #1James Peoples344 rushing yards · 2025
- #25Quinton Martin Jr.103 rushing yards · 2025
- #26Cam Wallace23 rushing yards · 2025
- #36Amar'e Gloverno box-score line yet
2 more on the roster · Penn State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology