Ky Thomas: RB · Kent State · #3.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Ky Thomas
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Played for three head coaches across three seasons and three programs. A game that shows it: 121 rushing yards against Bowling Green — Week 8, 2024.
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
Boom vs consistent · carry-yardage shape
Steady, not spectacular
Just 22.5% of his season rushing yards came on his 5 best carries — remarkably even — and he's stuffed on 22.6% of his carries. 7 carries for 14 yds vs Tennessee; 14 for 121 vs Bowling Green.
Counted from the play-by-play, so a carry or two can differ from the box score.
No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.
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| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kent State | 135 | 550 | 4.1 | 1 | 38 |
| 2022 | Kansas | 53 | 162 | 3.1 | 2 | 40 |
| 2021 | Minnesota | 166 | 824 | 5.0 | 6 | 50 |
| Career | 354 | 1,536 | 4.3 | 9 | 50 |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kent State | 10 | 53 | 5.3 | 0 | 10 |
| 2022 | Kansas | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 1 | 29 |
| 2021 | Minnesota | 6 | 44 | 7.3 | 0 | 11 |
| Career | 21 | 136 | 6.5 | 1 | 29 |
Game log · Week-by-week
2024 season · 11 games
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| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-55@ Pittsburgh | 18 | 40 | 2.2 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 2 | L 17-23vs Saint Francis | 11 | 39 | 3.5 | 0 | 32 | |
| Wk 3 | L 0-71@ No. 7 Tennessee | 7 | 10 | 1.4 | 0 | 3 | |
| Wk 4 | L 0-56@ No. 10 Penn State | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Wk 5 | L 33-52vs Eastern Michigan | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 0 | 14 | |
| Wk 7 | L 35-37vs Ball State | 17 | 67 | 3.9 | 1 | 24 | |
| Wk 8 | L 6-27@ Bowling Green | 14 | 121 | 8.6 | 0 | 38 | Season-high 121 yds |
| Wk 9 | L 21-52@ Western Michigan | 15 | 62 | 4.1 | 0 | 16 | |
| Wk 11 | L 0-41vs Ohio | 15 | 50 | 3.3 | 0 | 20 | |
| Wk 12 | L 7-34@ Miami (OH) | 15 | 58 | 3.9 | 0 | 13 | |
| Wk 13 | L 17-38vs Akron | 13 | 52 | 4.0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Total | 135 | 550 | 4.1 | 1 | 38 |
Week 8 · 2024
L 6-27
121 rush yds (14 car)
With J. Smith — 48.6 yards per punt · 5 punts · 3 inside the 20 · W. Hryszko — 6 points · 37 long · 100 percent on field goals
The plays that mattered most
Rush profile · Shape, efficiency, and ball security
How he gets his yards, and how often it works
Success rate
33%118 carriesFumble rate
2.2%3 of 135 carries · 2 lostStuffed
0 or fewer ydsGrind
1–3 ydsChunk
4–9 ydsExplosive
10+ yds4.1 yds/carry on 135 carries · 14% explosive (10+ yds) · 33% success rate.
Situational · Carry shape (PBP, full season)
Yardage DNA
Stuffed (≤0)
Grind (1–3)
Chunk (4–9)
Explosive (10+)
Splits · Per-game
2024 season · 11 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 48.6 | 4.1 | 0.2 |
| Road6g | 51.2 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 34.5 | 3.5 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 68.6 | 4.8 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kenni Burns
Pass share
43.7%
294 pass / 379 run
Plays / game
56.1
12 games
Team sack rate
12.0%
309 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2024
135 carries and 10 catches in 11 games, about as many touches a game as a typical FBS running back who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Former four-star. Now #293 at the position.
How it ended
Three seasons, at Minnesota, Kansas and Kent State, 1,536 rushing yards — the college career is complete.
A stat line in 28 games over three seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2020–2024
3 coachesPlayed for 3 head coaches at 3 schools: P.J. Fleck, Lance Leipold and Kenni Burns.
