Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-42@ Memphis | 13 | 50 | 3.8 | 1 | 10 | Season-high 50 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 52-7vs West Georgia | 12 | 49 | 4.1 | 1 | 11 | |
| Total | 25 | 99 | 3.9 | 2 | 11 |
#5
Kenyon Clay
Senior running back for Arkansas State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 223 lb · Union, MS
CFB Index 32 · #295 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Arkansas State 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
99
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 4 per carry · 4 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 50 rush yds, 1 TD, 85 rec yds, at Memphis
The play that turned itSwung Arkansas State from 26% to 98% to win.Arkansas State at App State · 30-29
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Arkansas State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Southern Miss in 2022.
- Transferred from Southern Miss to Arkansas State in 2025.
Kenyon Clay
Just keeps getting the ball, series after series. Three head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 85 rec yds, 50 rush yds against Memphis — Week 1, 2026.
99 RUSH YDS · 2 RUSH TD · 25 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20225 games
- Signed with Southern Miss3-star out of Union
202513 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Arkansas State
Played his entire career under Butch Jones.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Southern Miss7-6HC: Will Hall · Run-leaning
2023Southern Miss3-9HC: Will Hall · Run-leaning
2024Southern Miss1-11HC: Reed Stringer · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Arkansas State7-6HC: Butch Jones · Balanced
2026Arkansas State1-1HC: Butch Jones · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rec yards (100th percentile). 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: 49.5 YDS/g, 3.9 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Butch Jones
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-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #33 of 36 Sun Belt RBs
How the All-Sun Belt 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
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arkansas State | 25 | 99 | 4.0 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Arkansas State | 139 | 523 | 3.8 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Southern Miss | 84 | 387 | 4.6 | 7 | -- |
| 2023 | Southern Miss | 40 | 179 | 4.5 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Southern Miss | 19 | 45 | 2.4 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 307 | 1,233 | 4.0 | 15 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arkansas State | 4 | 89 | 22.2 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Arkansas State | 37 | 205 | 5.5 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Southern Miss | 21 | 225 | 10.7 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Southern Miss | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | Southern Miss | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 65 | 533 | 8.2 | 5 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 52–7
vs West Georgia
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Memphis · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +6.08(03:35) Shotgun #9 T.Owens pass complete short right to #5 K.Clay caught at ASU37, for 75 yards to the MEM00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 03:26, 1ST DOWN #34 C.Van Andel kick attempt good (H: #90 D.Vuckovic, LS: #88 R.Smith)
- Week 1 · Memphis · 3&1 · Q2 · EPA +2.45(07:43) #5 K.Clay rush right for 1 yard gain to the MEM00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:42, 1ST DOWN #34 C.Van Andel kick attempt good (H: #90 D.Vuckovic, LS: #88 R.Smith)
- Week 2 · West Georgia · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.92(09:24) Shotgun #5 K.Clay rush right for 11 yards gain to the UWG39 (#18 S.Ferguson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · West Georgia · 1&5 · Q3 · EPA +1.88(08:27) #5 K.Clay rush right for 5 yards gain to the UWG00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 08:26 #34 C.Van Andel kick attempt good (H: #90 D.Vuckovic, LS: #88 R.Smith)
- Week 1 · Memphis · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.38(09:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 K.Clay rush right for 9 yards gain to the ASU42 (#9 M.Montgomery)
- Week 2 · West Georgia · 4&1 · Q3 · EPA +1.28(05:05) #5 K.Clay rush left for 3 yards gain to the UWG27 (#3 C.Bekee; #39 L.Naquin), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · West Georgia · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA -0.99(02:28) Shotgun #5 K.Clay rush middle for 0 yards to the ASU25 (#3 C.Bekee; #98 N.Spurrier)
- Week 1 · Memphis · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.85(06:58) Shotgun #5 K.Clay rush middle for 1 yard gain to the MEM44 (#9 M.Montgomery; #22 Z.Ruffin)
- Week 1 · Memphis · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.84(03:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 K.Clay rush left for 10 yards gain to the ASU35 (#2 C.Logan Jr.), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · West Georgia · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.81(08:48) Shotgun #9 T.Owens pass complete short right to #5 K.Clay caught at UWG40, for 0 yards to the UWG39 (#6 E.Barnes; #7 S.French)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Arkansas State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Arkansas State
Returning around him
- 30% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- Transfer portal: -12 net (25 in / 37 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Arkansas State · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #91 · 2026 recruiting class #85
DNA match
Player DNA
Workhorse
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kadarius Calloway’s 2025 season.
Matches Kadarius on
Rush TD rate
Yards / reception
Receiving share
Differs from Kadarius on
Class year (lower)
Height (higher)
Through 5 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Travis Theis’s path through South Dakota.
Travis Theis
97%match
#3
Rickey Spruill
93%
#5
Jawaun Northington
88%
Matches Travis on
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Tony Mathis Jr.'s senior season at Houston (2023).
64%match
Matches Tony on
Weight
Yards / carry
Differs from Tony on
Class year (lower)
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Kenyon Clay
The backfield · Arkansas State
- #4Devin Spencer559 rushing yards · 2025
- #5Kenyon Clay523 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Timothy Carter2 games · 2026
- #24Nasir Allen1 game · 2025
- #8Corey Reddick Jr.no box-score line yet
5 more on the roster · Arkansas State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology