Jonathan Ward

Senior running back for Central Michigan. 2019: 1,108 rushing yards, 15 rushing TD, 34 catches.

RB · Central Michigan · Sr. · #5

6′0″ · 202 lb · Kankakee, IL

Central Michigan 2019 alumnus

Recruiting

2★

RB recruit

No. 2215 nationally · Signed with Central Michigan

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 running back for Central Michigan. 2019: 1,108 rushing yards, 15 rushing TD, 34 catches.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to Central Michigan in 2016.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Central Michigan, 2,537 rushing yards — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

20168 games

Signed with Central Michigan2-star out of Bishop McNamara

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#2215 national

CFB

College

Central Michigan

2016–2019

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2016–2019

2 coaches

2016–2018

John Bonamego

Central Michigan

2019

Jim McElwain

Central Michigan

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: John Bonamego → Jim McElwain. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2019 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2016Central Michigan6-7HC: John Bonamego · Balanced

2017Central Michigan8-5HC: John Bonamego · Balanced

2018Central Michigan1-11HC: John Bonamego · Run-leaning

2019Central Michigan8-6HC: Jim McElwain · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score percentiles

8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: rec yards (97th percentile). Strength: rush tds (96th percentile). Concern: fumbles lost (2nd percentile).

Box-score rates (8)

Rec yards#11 / 314 · 97th pct

329

Rush TDs#11 / 326 · 96th pct

Long run#13 / 326 · 96th pct

Receptions#15 / 314 · 95th pct

Rush yards#31 / 326 · 91st pct

1108

Yards / carry#48 / 326 · 85th pct

6.1

Carries#56 / 326 · 83rd pct

183

Fumbles lost#212 / 218 · 2nd pct

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2019 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home6g	112	7.0	1.2
Road6g	72.5	4.5	1.3

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	92.8	6.2	0.8
Weeks 8+6g	91.8	5.2	1.7

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Matt Drinkall

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2019

Starter

A locked-in starting job.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2019	Central Michigan	183	1,108	6.1	15	--
2018	Central Michigan	76	212	2.8	1	--
2017	Central Michigan	179	1,017	5.7	10	--
2016	Central Michigan	36	200	5.6	2	--
Career		474	2,537	5.4	28	--

Season	Team
2019	Central Michigan	34	329	9.7	1	--
2018	Central Michigan	8	41	5.1	0	--
2017	Central Michigan	48	470	9.8	3	--
2016	Central Michigan	8	69	8.6	0	--
Career		98	909	9.3	4	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2019

W 38–21

vs UAlbany

158 rush yds (22 car) · 2 TD

With Q. Dormady — 285 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 87.7 · 5 rush yds (5 car) · K. Lewis — 50 rush yds (13 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2019 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 38-21vs UAlbany	22	158	7.2	2	21	Season-high 158 yds
Wk 2	L 0-61@ Wisconsin	1	3	3.0	0	3
Wk 5	L 15-31@ Western Michigan	19	107	5.6	0	23
Wk 6	W 42-16vs Eastern Michigan	12	132	11.0	2	86
Wk 7	W 42-28vs New Mexico State	18	131	7.3	1	75
Wk 8	W 38-20@ Bowling Green	21	130	6.2	3	40	3 rushing TDs
Wk 9	L 20-43@ Buffalo	14	64	4.6	1	13
Wk 10	W 48-10vs Northern Illinois	20	138	6.9	1	29
Wk 12	W 45-44@ Ball State	24	105	4.4	4	17	4 rushing TDs
Wk 14	W 49-7vs Toledo	13	88	6.8	1	17
Wk 15	L 21-26vs Miami (OH)	10	26	2.6	0	7
Bowl	L 11-48@ San Diego State	9	26	2.9	0	6
Total		183	1108	5.7	15	86

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology