Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-8vs NC State | 15 | 64 | 4.3 | 0 | 15 | Season-high 64 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 59-3vs Norfolk State | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Total | 18 | 79 | 4.7 | 0 | 15 |
#21
Jekail Middlebrook
New school, new number, same question — and Jekail Middlebrook's early answer at Virginia is 412 team receiving yards leader.
5′10″ · 198 lb · Atlanta, GA · Langston Hughes
CFB Index 63 · #59 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Middle Tennessee → Virginia 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
79
rushing yards · 2026
4.4 per carry · 1 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 64 rush yds, vs NC State
The play that turned itSwung Middle Tennessee from 35% to 66% to win.Middle Tennessee at Delaware · 31-28
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Virginia. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Middle Tennessee in 2023.
- Transferred from Middle Tennessee to Virginia in 2026.
In Their Words
128 windows · 2026 fan posts
jekail×811.0taylor×68.1middle×80.6yard×22.9back×10.9touchdowns×22.1last×9.0
Jekail Middlebrook
On Trialas of 2026-09-15
Jekail Middlebrook arrives at Virginia with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
79RUSH YDS0RUSH TD18CARRIES
TEAM RECEIVING YARDS LEADER
412
Team leader in receiving yards (412).
Virginia fans are litigating his worthiness — the eye test against the résumé.
medium confidence9 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
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — stacked 1 td vs Jacksonville State.Jacksonville State · L 21-242025
20233 games
- Signed with Middle Tennesseeout of Langston Hughes
20249 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Conference USA
202511 games
- All-Conference USAhonorable_mention
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE USA
All-Conference USA mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Virginia
Played his entire career under Tony Elliott.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Virginia
2025Middle Tennessee
2026Virginia
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Middle Tennessee4-8HC: Rick Stockstill · Balanced
2024Middle Tennessee3-9HC: Derek Mason · Pass-leaning
2025Middle Tennessee3-9HC: Derek Mason · Pass-leaning
2026Virginia2-0HC: Tony Elliott · Run-heavy
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidenceAscending
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 39.5 YDS/g, 4.7 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tony Elliott
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 | Virginia | 18 | 79 | 4.4 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Middle Tennessee | 140 | 752 | 5.4 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | Middle Tennessee | 60 | 273 | 4.5 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Middle Tennessee | 18 | 85 | 4.7 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 236 | 1,189 | 5.0 | 8 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Virginia | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Middle Tennessee | 40 | 412 | 10.3 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Middle Tennessee | 22 | 163 | 7.4 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Middle Tennessee | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 67 | 611 | 9.1 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 59–3
15 rush yds (3 car)
Dominant 56-point win at home against Norfolk State.
With B. Pribula — 162 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 51.1 · -8 rush yds (2 car) · D. Sparks — 54 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 61 LONG
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · NC State · 4&1 · Q4 · EPA +2.00(14:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush middle for 2 yards gain to the NCS41 (#0 P.Aguirre; #88 I.Shirley), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Norfolk State · 3&4 · Q3 · EPA +1.96(13:51) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush middle for 7 yards gain to the NSU46 (#1 J.Saunders; #98 Q.Goins), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · NC State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -1.36(12:08) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush right for 1 yard loss to the UVA41 (#5 H.Dyson III; #2 R.Royal, III)
- Week 1 · NC State · 3&1 · Q3 · EPA -1.19(00:06) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush middle for 0 yards to the NCS43 (#58 E.Satchell)
- Week 1 · NC State · 2&9 · Q1 · EPA +1.15(07:50) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush right for 10 yards gain to the NCS31 (#4 K.Mack; #22 J.Vick), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Norfolk State · 2&5 · Q3 · EPA -0.95(14:27) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush right for 1 yard gain to the UVA47 (#2 N.Bashir; #11 C.Turner). The previous play is under automatic review - "Runner was down by contact". CALL OVERTURNED. (Original Play: (14:27) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush right for 6 yards gain to the NSU48 (#2 N.Bashir; #11 C.Turner), 1ST DOWN)
- Week 1 · NC State · 2&4 · Q2 · EPA -0.87(01:58) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush right for 1 yard gain to the UVA38 (#42 K.Carter; #92 C.Bond)
- Week 1 · NC State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.76(03:32) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush left for 9 yards gain to the UVA16 (#0 P.Aguirre)
- Week 1 · NC State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.70(08:23) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush left for 1 yard gain to the NCS41 (#99 A.Prim)
- Week 1 · NC State · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA -0.69(01:17) Shotgun #21 J.Middlebrook rush left for 0 yards to the UVA38 (#42 K.Carter; #0 P.Aguirre)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Wins in space out of the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
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 Quincy Craig’s 2025 season.
77%match
Matches Quincy on
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Quincy on
Class year (lower)
Receiving share (higher)
Yards / reception (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Quincy Craig's junior season at Arizona (2025).
76%match
Matches Quincy on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Quincy on
Class year (lower)
Yards / reception (higher)
Receiving share (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jekail Middlebrook
The backfield · Virginia
- #21Jekail Middlebrook752 rushing yards · 2025
- #28Solomon Beebe338 rushing yards · 2025
- #2Peyton Lewis290 rushing yards · 2025
- Xavier Brown241 rushing yards · 2025
- #3Noah Vaughn174 rushing yards · 2025
2 more on the roster · Virginia team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology