Marion Lukes

Former running back at Central Michigan. 2024: 788 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD, 16 catches.

RB · Central Michigan · Sr. · #9

5′9″ · 200 lb · Charlestown, IN

CFB Index 53 · #102 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceAll-ConferenceCentral Michigan 2024 — college career complete

Recruiting

3★

APB recruit

No. 2746 nationally · Signed with Central Michigan

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former running back at Central Michigan. 2024: 788 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD, 16 catches.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Central Michigan in 2020.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Central Michigan, 1,942 rushing yards, a first-team All-Conference season (2023) — his college career is complete.

His career

He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.

2020

Signed with Central Michigan3-star out of Charlestown

202112 games

All-MACthird

202312 games

All-MACfirst

202411 games

All-MACthird

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#2746 national

CFB

College

Central Michigan

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

4 honors · 1 category

🎖

ALL-MAC

All-MAC mention (2024)

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

1 coach

2021–2024

Jim McElwain

Central Michigan

Played his entire career under Jim McElwain.

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Jim McElwain — 22-27 over that span.

2021Central Michigan9-4HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2022Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning

2023Central Michigan5-7HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning

2024Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

53Rotational starter #102 of 310?

High confidence13 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: carries (80th percentile). Concern: success rate (18th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

Explosive rate#165 / 442 · 63rd pct

7.6%

Yards / carry#231 / 442 · 48th pct

5.2

EPA / carry#254 / 442 · 43rd pct

0.13

TD rate#310 / 442 · 30th pct

3.2%

Success rate#364 / 442 · 18th pct

37.8%

Box-score rates (8)

Carries#66 / 335 · 80th pct

161

Rush yards#76 / 335 · 77th pct

788

Long run#73 / 335 · 77th pct

Rec yards#77 / 330 · 77th pct

160

Receptions#103 / 330 · 67th pct

Rush TDs#128 / 335 · 59th pct

Yards / carry#175 / 335 · 46th pct

4.9

Fumbles lost#157 / 204 · 15th pct

Season trend

Last seasonThis season

EPA / carry

28th → 43rd percentile

Success rate

40th → 18th percentile

Explosive rate

63rd → 63rd percentile

Yards / carry

56th → 48th percentile

TD rate

38th → 30th percentile

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Situational

Situational · Carry shape (PBP, full season)

Yardage DNA

157 carries

12%

Stuffed (≤0)

41%

Grind (1–3)

32%

Chunk (4–9)

15%

Explosive (10+)

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2024 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home5g	87.4	5.3	0.8
Road6g	58.5	4.4	0.2

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-75g	64.4	4.5	0.8
Weeks 8+6g	77.7	5.1	0.2

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 · 2024

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

53 · #102 of 310 RBs

Three-star recruit. Now #102 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Central Michigan	161	788	4.9	5	--
2023	Central Michigan	144	737	5.1	5	--
2022	Central Michigan	51	323	6.3	3	--
2021	Central Michigan	22	94	4.3	0	--
Career		378	1,942	5.1	13	--

Season	Team
2024	Central Michigan	16	160	10.0	1	--
2023	Central Michigan	29	300	10.3	0	--
2022	Central Michigan	5	81	16.2	1	--
2021	Central Michigan	9	64	7.1	0	--
Career		59	605	10.3	2	--

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 8 · Eastern Michigan · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +4.31Marion Lukes run for 66 yds to the EMU 2 for a 1ST down
Week 7 · Ohio · 4&1 · Q4 · EPA +3.87Marion Lukes run for 28 yds for a TD (Tristan Mattson KICK)
Week 5 · San Diego State · 2&8 · Q4 · EPA +3.78Joe Labas pass complete to Marion Lukes for 43 yds to the SDSU 35 for a 1ST down
Week 13 · Western Michigan · 3&11 · Q3 · EPA +2.91Jadyn Glasser pass complete to Marion Lukes for 12 yds to the CMU 49 for a 1ST down
Week 5 · San Diego State · 2&8 · Q1 · EPA +2.68Joe Labas pass complete to Marion Lukes for 8 yds for a TD (Tristan Mattson KICK)
Week 11 · Bowling Green · 4&4 · Q3 · EPA -2.60Marion Lukes run for 3 yds to the BGSU 27
Week 12 · Toledo · 3&8 · Q3 · EPA +2.57Marion Lukes run for 10 yds to the TOL 40 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Ball State · 3&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.54Marion Lukes run for 2 yds for a TD (Tristan Mattson PAT BLOCKED)
Week 12 · Toledo · 2&20 · Q3 · EPA -2.45Marion Lukes run for a loss of 7 yards to the TOL 40 Marion Lukes fumbled, recovered by TOL Braden Awls B. Awls return for 0 yds
Week 12 · Toledo · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA +2.45Marion Lukes run for 23 yds to the CMU 49 for a 1ST down

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 2	L 16-52@ Florida International	10	37	3.7	0	9
Wk 3	L 9-30@ Illinois	7	13	1.9	0	8
Wk 4	W 37-34vs Ball State	13	86	6.6	1	27
Wk 5	W 22-21vs San Diego State	16	76	4.8	0	18
Wk 7	L 25-27vs Ohio	20	110	5.5	3	28	3 rushing TDs
Wk 8	L 34-38@ Eastern Michigan	13	118	9.1	0	66	Season-high 118 yds
Wk 9	L 7-46@ Miami (OH)	15	25	1.7	0	15
Wk 11	L 13-23vs Bowling Green	20	72	3.6	0	14
Wk 12	L 10-37@ Toledo	19	80	4.2	1	23
Wk 13	W 16-14vs Western Michigan	15	93	6.2	0	19
Wk 14	L 16-24@ Northern Illinois	13	78	6.0	0	16
Total		161	788	4.8	5	66