Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 3-17@ Duke | 8 | 31 | 3.9 | 0 | 7 | Season-high 31 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 28-24vs South Alabama | 6 | 8 | 1.3 | 2 | 3 | |
| Total | 14 | 39 | 2.6 | 2 | 7 |
#6
Johnnie Daniels
Senior running back for Tulane. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 209 lb · Crystal Springs, MS · Crystal Springs HS
CFB Index 49 · #135 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Mississippi State → Tulane 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
39
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 2.8 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far
Swing playSwung Tulane from 24% to 52% to win.South Alabama at Tulane · 28-24
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Tulane. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Mississippi State in 2024.
- Transferred from Mississippi State to Tulane in 2026.
Johnnie Daniels
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Johnnie Daniels has played for two head coaches across three seasons and two programs. The receipt on tape: 31 rush yds against Duke, Week 1, 2026.
39 RUSH YDS · 2 RUSH TD · 14 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
202412 games
- Signed with Mississippi State3-star out of Copiah-Lincoln C.C.
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
2 coaches2024–2025
Jon Sumrall
Tulane
Coaching transition mid-career: Jon Sumrall → Will Hall. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tulane
2025Mississippi State
2026Tulane
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Mississippi State2-10HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2025Mississippi State5-8HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2026Tulane1-1HC: Will Hall · Balanced, slow tempo
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: 19.5 YDS/g, 2.6 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Hall
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 | Tulane | 14 | 39 | 2.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 9 | 44 | 4.9 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 108 | 540 | 5.0 | 4 | -- |
| Career | 131 | 623 | 4.8 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tulane | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 8 | 76 | 9.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 11 | 95 | 8.6 | 0 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 28–24
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · South Alabama · 2&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.07(14:59) #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 2 yards gain to the USA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 14:57 #96 J.Courville kick attempt good (H: #34 W.Hudlow, LS: #57 J.Arredondo)
- Week 2 · South Alabama · 1&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.46(01:56) #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 3 yards gain to the USA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:55 #96 J.Courville kick attempt good (H: #34 W.Hudlow, LS: #57 J.Arredondo)
- Week 2 · South Alabama · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -1.09(13:57) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 1 yard loss to the USA42 (#41 T.Carter; #18 M.Lewis)
- Week 1 · Duke · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA +0.95(03:56) No Huddle #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 2 yards gain to the TULANE36 (#95 P.Watson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · South Alabama · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.83(01:31) Shotgun #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 1 yard gain to the TLN36 (#14 C.Blaylock)
- Week 1 · Duke · 2&3 · Q1 · EPA -0.63(04:31) Shotgun #6 J.Daniels rush right for 2 yards gain to the TULANE34 (#7 N.Morris Jr.)
- Week 1 · Duke · 2&4 · Q3 · EPA +0.44(09:24) Shotgun #6 J.Daniels rush left for 5 yards gain to the TULANE29 (#34 L.Mergott; #43 S.Turner), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Duke · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.34(08:54) Shotgun #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 3 yards gain to the TULANE32 (#43 S.Turner; #42 K.Johnson)
- Week 2 · South Alabama · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.28(05:30) No Huddle #6 J.Daniels rush middle for 0 yards to the TLN05 (#18 M.Lewis)
- Week 1 · Duke · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.17(01:12) Shotgun #6 J.Daniels rush right for 4 yards gain to the TULANE46 (#15 K.O'Connor; #55 J.Columbus)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
RB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Colby McDonald’s 2021 season.
Matches Colby on
Weight
Rush TD rate
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Xavier Brown’s path through Virginia.
92%match
Matches Xavier on
Height
Yards per carry
Weight
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Colby McDonald's freshman season at Maryland (2021).
85%match
Matches Colby on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Yards / carry
Player DNA
Players who play like Johnnie Daniels
Background
Prior to Tulane: Played the last two seasons at Mississippi State…Named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2024 and 2025…Played in 15 career games and ended his career with the Bulldogs with 584 rushing yards on 117 carries and four touchdowns…2025: Played in four games and earned a redshirt...
The backfield · Tulane
- #25Jamauri McClure540 rushing yards · 2025
- #12Jaylin Lucas160 rushing yards · 2025
- Maurice Turner127 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Johnnie Daniels44 rushing yards · 2025
- #32Jordan Westno box-score line yet
3 more on the roster · Tulane team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology