Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 27-24@ Florida State | 12 | 75 | 6.3 | 0 | 23 | Season-high 75 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 56-10vs UC Davis | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 5 | |
| Total | 15 | 78 | 3.6 | 1 | 23 |
#6
Kendrick Raphael
Senior running back for SMU. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 200 lb · Naples, FL
CFB Index 55 · #101 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred California → SMU 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
78
rushing yards · 2026
1 TD · 5.2 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 20 car · 71 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% rushing TDs game. -- Best game: 75 rush yds, 11 rec yds, at Florida State
The play that turned itSwung California from 30% to 74% to win.California at Boston College · 28-24
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for SMU. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to NC State in 2023.
- Transferred from California to SMU in 2026.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Aura tax
+24aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 39th percentile of RBs; the tape says
15th pctl our rushing-value metric (wEPA) RBs · 140 qualified, n=23
— more hype than the tape.Aura — fan perception39th pctl
Production — on-field15th pctl
n=23 mentions · cohort: RBs · 140 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our rushing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Attention percentile: 39th · Production percentile: 16th
He's mentioned more than 39% of qualified RBs this season, but his production sits in just the 16th percentile — a gap of 23 points between volume and tape.
39thattention percentile · vs RBs
16thproduction percentile · vs RBs
Kendrick Raphael
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Kendrick Raphael has played for three head coaches across four seasons and three programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: ACC Running Back Player of the Week. One game to point at: 75 rush yds, 11 rec yds against Florida State — Week 1, 2026.
78 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 15 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — put up 131 yds vs Texas Southern.Texas Southern · W 35-32025
202310 games
- Signed with NC State3-star out of Naples
202513 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Played his entire career under Rhett Lashlee.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to SMU
2025California
2026SMU
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023NC State9-4HC: Dave Doeren · Run-leaning
2024NC State6-7HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced, slow tempo
2025California7-6HC: Justin Wilcox · Pass-leaning
2026SMU2-0HC: Rhett Lashlee · Pass-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
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: 39.0 YDS/g, 3.6 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rhett Lashlee
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 | SMU | 15 | 78 | 5.2 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | California | 233 | 952 | 4.1 | 13 | -- |
| 2024 | NC State | 78 | 425 | 5.4 | 3 | -- |
| 2023 | NC State | 67 | 311 | 4.6 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 393 | 1,766 | 4.5 | 18 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | SMU | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | California | 34 | 245 | 7.2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | NC State | 10 | 41 | 4.1 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | NC State | 10 | 96 | 9.6 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 56 | 416 | 7.4 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 27–24
75 rush yds (12 car)
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 on the road.
With K. Jennings — 430 yds · 3 TD · 2 INT · QBR 95.6 · 33 rush yds (5 car) · D. Green — 43 rush yds (13 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · UC Davis · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +2.02(11:36) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 K.Jennings pass complete short right to #6 K.Raphael caught at `SMU28, for 23 yards to the UCD44 (#23 B.Rosa; #1 H.John), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · UC Davis · 1&5 · Q1 · EPA +1.88(06:39) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 K.Raphael rush left for 5 yards gain to the UCD00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 06:40 #99 N.Reed kick attempt good (H: #43 W.McSparron, LS: #48 M.Tribbett)
- Week 1 · Florida State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.81Kendrick Raphael run for 23 yds to the FSU 39 for a 1ST down
- Week 1 · Florida State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.78Kendrick Raphael run for 23 yds to the SMU 40 for a 1ST down
- Week 2 · UC Davis · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA -1.55(09:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 K.Raphael rush right for 2 yards loss to the `SMU30 (#97 D.Huegel; #2 M.Madruga)
- Week 1 · Florida State · 2&2 · Q4 · EPA -1.08Kendrick Raphael run for 1 yd to the SMU 48
- Week 2 · UC Davis · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.97(11:15) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 K.Raphael rush left for 0 yards to the UCD44 (#23 B.Rosa)
- Week 1 · Florida State · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.64Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the FSU 49
- Week 1 · Florida State · 2&9 · Q2 · EPA -0.61Kendrick Raphael run for 2 yds to the FSU 41
- Week 1 · Florida State · 2&4 · Q4 · EPA -0.37Kendrick Raphael run for no gain to the FSU 6
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
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 Rodrigues Clark’s 2021 season.
83%match
Matches Rodrigues on
Weight
Rush TD rate
Recruiting rating
Differs from Rodrigues on
Yards / reception (higher)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Chuba Hubbard’s path through Oklahoma State.
98%match
All-Big 12NFL Rd 4
#3
Andrew Body
93%
Matches Chuba on
Yards per carry
Recruiting rating
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Isaiah Johnson's junior season at North Texas (2022).
78%match
Matches Isaiah on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
EPA / carry (adj)
Height
Differs from Isaiah on
Weight (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Kendrick Raphael
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #117
Peaked at #117 this season.
The backfield · SMU
- #6Kendrick Raphael952 rushing yards · 2025
- #4Dramekco Green90 rushing yards · 2025
- #24Link Rhodes-4 rushing yards · 2025
- #25William Fierro1 game · 2026
- #21Christian Rhodesno box-score line yet
1 more on the roster · SMU team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology