Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-13vs Youngstown State | 11 | 78 | 7.1 | 0 | 22 | Season-high 78 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 17-45vs Alabama | 11 | 53 | 4.8 | 0 | 10 | |
| Total | 22 | 131 | 5.9 | 0 | 22 |
#26
Jason Patterson
Junior running back for Kentucky. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 204 lb · Sneads, FL
CFB Index 33 · #286 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Kentucky 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
131
rushing yards · 2026
6 per carry · 1 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 78 rush yds, 16 rec yds, vs Youngstown State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Kentucky. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Kentucky in 2024.
Buzz vs Tape
Every angle we can check here reads about where you'd expect this season.
32.3own fans
32.5national conversation
Jason Patterson
Wins in space out of the backfield. Jason Patterson has been at Kentucky through two head coaches in three seasons. The receipt on tape: 78 rush yds, 16 rec yds against Youngstown State, Week 1, 2026.
131 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 22 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20243 games
- Signed with Kentucky3-star out of Sneads
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Kentucky
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Kentucky
2026era →
Will Stein
Kentucky
Coaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Kentucky4-8HC: Mark Stoops · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Kentucky5-7HC: Mark Stoops · Run-leaning
2026Kentucky1-1HC: Will Stein · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: yards / carry (87th percentile). Concern: rush yards (0th 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: 65.5 YDS/g, 5.9 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
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: #33 of 37 SEC RBs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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 1 · 2026
W 45–13
78 rush yds (11 car)
Dominant 32-point win at home against Youngstown State.
With K. Minchey — 301 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · 17 rush yds (1 car) · T. O'Hara — 42 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 45 LONG
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Alabama · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -1.66(02:48) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush middle for 3 yards gain to the UK37 fumbled by #26 J.Patterson at UK35 forced by #21 D.Kirkpatrick Jr. recovered by ALA #13 I.Taylor at UK37, End Of Play
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.32(00:31) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush left for 9 yards gain to the UK50 (#37 M.Johnson)
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -1.21(10:32) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush right for 1 yard loss to the UK35 (#5 C.Marshall; #95 T.Jolly)
- Week 2 · Alabama · 2&5 · Q4 · EPA +1.02(03:25) #26 J.Patterson rush middle for 10 yards gain to the UK34 (#19 C.McDonald III), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Alabama · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.80(03:39) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush left for 8 yards gain to the ALA40 (#7 C.Woodson)
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.71(04:00) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush right for 22 yards gain to the YSU06 (#1 C.Smith), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.61(14:17) Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short right to #26 J.Patterson caught at YSU44, for 16 yards to the YSU27 (#3 M.Wells; #37 M.Johnson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.60(11:43) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush middle for 7 yards gain to the UK32 (#35 G.Rollins; #36 R.Owens Jr.). #56 C.Johannesen injured on the play
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.39(04:57) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush right for 8 yards gain to the UK28 (#5 C.Marshall; #97 D.Kirby)
- Week 2 · Alabama · 2&4 · Q3 · EPA -0.36(02:19) Shotgun #26 J.Patterson rush middle for 3 yards gain to the UK34 (#18 B.Hubbard; #22 K.Bingley-Jones)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kentucky
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Kentucky
Returning around him
- 19% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 4 Kentucky players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +4 net (31 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kentucky · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #23 · 2026 recruiting class #60
DNA match
Player DNA
Satellite Back
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caden Williams’s 2025 season.
73%match
Matches Caden on
Weight
Yards / carry
Differs from Caden on
Recruiting rating (higher)
EPA / carry (adj) (lower)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Gerrid Doaks’s path through Cincinnati.
94%match
All-AACNFL Rd 7
Matches Gerrid on
Yards per carry
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Caden Williams's sophomore season at Liberty (2025).
Matches Caden on
Weight
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Caden on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Rush TD rate (higher)
The backfield · Kentucky
- #26Jason Patterson225 rushing yards · 2025
- #1CJ Baxter196 rushing yards · 2025
- #2Jovantae Barnes45 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Tovani Mizell10 rushing yards · 2025
- #28Ahmir Smith1 game · 2026
3 more on the roster · Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology