#21

Matthew Dayes

Former running back at NC State. 2016: 1,166 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD, 32 catches.

RB · NC State · #21

5′9″ · Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Cleveland — drafted 2017, Rd 7, Pick 34, #252 overall

The story

Former running back at NC State. 2016: 1,166 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD, 32 catches.

Drafted round 7 by the Cleveland in 2017.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at NC State, 2,604 rushing yards — drafted at #252 overall by Cleveland.

His career

He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

The week the volume broke through — put up 138 yds vs William & Mary.William & Mary · W 48-142016

2017

Drafted by Clevelandround 7, pick 252

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

NC State

2014–2016

NFL

NFL Draft

R7 · #252

Cleveland · 2017

Coaching lineage · 2014–2016

1 coach

2014–2016

Dave Doeren

NC State

Played his entire career under Dave Doeren.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

ClevelandEntering 10th NFL season

#252Rd 7 · Pick 34

ClevelandEntering 10th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2016 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Dave Doeren, all run-leaning offenses — 22-17 over that span.

2014NC State8-5HC: Dave Doeren · Run-leaning

2015NC State7-6HC: Dave Doeren · Run-leaning

2016NC State7-6HC: Dave Doeren · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score percentiles

8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: carries (94th percentile). Strength: receptions (93rd percentile). Concern: fumbles lost (6th percentile).

Box-score rates (8)

Carries#19 / 304 · 94th pct

249

Receptions#21 / 294 · 93rd pct

Rec yards#29 / 294 · 90th pct

267

Rush yards#34 / 304 · 89th pct

1166

Rush TDs#51 / 304 · 82nd pct

Long run#123 / 304 · 59th pct

Yards / carry#195 / 304 · 35th pct

4.7

Fumbles lost#201 / 222 · 6th pct

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

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2016 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home7g	97.9	4.6	0.6
Road6g	80.2	4.7	1.0

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	102	5.6	0.6
Weeks 8+6g	75.0	3.6	1.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Dave Doeren

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

Awards

Player standing · 2016

Impact starter

Producing measurably more than a replacement-level starter.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2016	NC State	249	1,166	4.7	10	--
2015	NC State	134	865	6.5	12	--
2014	NC State	104	573	5.5	8	--
Career		487	2,604	5.3	30	--

Season	Team
2016	NC State	32	267	8.3	0	--
2015	NC State	24	172	7.2	0	--
2014	NC State	32	321	10.0	5	--
Career		88	760	8.6	5	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 13 · 2016

W 28–21

at North Carolina

104 rush yds (26 car) · 2 TD

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 on the road.

With A. Cole III — 47 AVG · 52 LONG · 5 NO · J. Samuels — 59 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 100.0 · 15 rush yds (3 car) · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2016 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 48-14vs William & Mary	23	138	6.0	2	30	Season-high 138 yds
Wk 2	L 30-33@ East Carolina	14	103	7.4	0	54
Wk 3	W 49-22vs Old Dominion	14	71	5.1	0	18
Wk 5	W 33-16vs Wake Forest	24	125	5.2	1	29
Wk 6	W 10-3vs Notre Dame	23	126	5.5	0	28
Wk 7	L 17-24@ Clemson	22	106	4.8	1	17
Wk 8	L 13-54@ Louisville	5	13	2.6	0	7
Wk 9	L 14-21vs Boston College	19	45	2.4	0	24
Wk 10	L 20-24vs Florida State	23	104	4.5	0	25
Wk 11	W 35-20@ Syracuse	27	108	4.0	3	20	3 rushing TDs
Wk 12	L 13-27vs Miami	20	76	3.8	1	23
Wk 13	W 28-21@ North Carolina	26	104	4.0	2	18
Bowl	W 41-17@ Vanderbilt	9	47	5.2	0	16
Total		249	1166	4.7	10	54

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