Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 39-14vs SE Louisiana | 18 | 69 | 3.8 | 1 | 12 | |
| Wk 2 | L 24-28@ Tulane | 15 | 73 | 4.9 | 1 | 18 | Season-high 73 yds |
| Total | 33 | 142 | 4.3 | 2 | 18 |
PM
PJ Martin
South Alabama doesn't have to wonder what it gets from PJ Martin; that certainty is the whole point of him.
5′10″ · 205 lb · New Orleans, LA
CFB Index 41 · #214 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to South Alabama 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
142
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 4.3 per carry · 5 catches
2 games into 2026 so far
Swing playSwung South Alabama from 57% to 79% to win.South Alabama at Tulane · 28-24
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for South Alabama. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Alabama in 2023.
PJ Martin
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
PJ Martin is a cornerstone for South Alabama — measured against the line he joined.
142RUSH YDS2RUSH TD33CARRIES
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20235 games
- Signed with South Alabama3-star out of De La Salle
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
South Alabama
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
South Alabama
Coaching transition mid-career: Kane Wommack → Major Applewhite. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023South Alabama7-6HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2024South Alabama7-6HC: Major Applewhite · Balanced
2025South Alabama4-8HC: Major Applewhite · Run-heavy
2026South Alabama1-1HC: Major Applewhite · Run-heavy, fast 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: 71.0 YDS/g, 4.3 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Major Applewhite
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: #22 of 36 Sun Belt RBs
- #1Wayne Knight
- #21Bill Davis
- #22PJ Martin
- #23Jevon Edwards
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 | South Alabama | 33 | 142 | 4.3 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | South Alabama | 60 | 326 | 5.4 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 13 | 98 | 7.5 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | South Alabama | 12 | 75 | 6.2 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 118 | 641 | 5.4 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | South Alabama | 5 | 34 | 6.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | South Alabama | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | South Alabama | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 15 | 140 | 9.3 | 0 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 39–14
vs SE Louisiana
69 rush yds (18 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 25-point win at home against SE Louisiana.
With K. Phillips — 66 rush yds (13 car) · B. Davenport — 154 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · 23 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · SE Louisiana · 4&2 · Q4 · EPA +2.87PJ Martin 3 Yd Run (Davis Little Kick)
- Week 2 · Tulane · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.57(01:38) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 16 yards gain to the TLN00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:31, 1ST DOWN #35 D.Little kick attempt good (H: #40 A.Pulkkinen, LS: #44 B.Turner)
- Week 2 · Tulane · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.50(13:03) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 18 yards gain to the TLN43 (#2 D.Agu; #7 K.Adams III), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Tulane · 2&3 · Q3 · EPA -1.31(00:44) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 B.Davenport pass complete short left to #0 P.Martin caught at TLN41, for 2 yards loss to the TLN37 (#27 C.Green)
- Week 2 · Tulane · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -1.30(07:30) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 1 yard loss to the USA38 (#51 R.Sterling)
- Week 2 · Tulane · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -1.16(02:47) No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 0 yards to the USA45 (#1 J.Tchienchou)
- Week 1 · SE Louisiana · 2&7 · Q1 · EPA +1.15No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 8 yards gain to the USA 34 (#7 J.Dalmado; #91 G.Whittington), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · SE Louisiana · 4&2 · Q2 · EPA -1.01No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 1 yard loss to the USA 49 (#54 A.Alexander; #10 J.Okoye), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 1 · SE Louisiana · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA -0.92No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush middle for 1 yard gain to the SLU 48 (#40 E.Aubrey; #91 G.Whittington)
- Week 1 · SE Louisiana · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.92No Huddle-Shotgun #0 P.Martin rush left for 12 yards gain to the SLU 43 (#25 R.McKneely), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
South Alabama
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · South Alabama
Returning around him
- 79% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- Transfer portal: -18 net (12 in / 30 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
South Alabama · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #107 · 2026 recruiting class #77
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Chase Brown’s 2022 season.
80%match
All-Big Ten
Matches Chase on
Weight
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Chase on
Height (lower)
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Ashton Stredick's junior season at California (2023).
80%match
Matches Ashton on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
EPA / carry (adj)
Yards / carry
Player DNA
Players who play like PJ Martin
The backfield · South Alabama
- #3Keenan Phillips622 rushing yards · 2025
- PJ Martin326 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Trae'von Dunbar41 rushing yards · 2025
- #15Chris Holifield Jr.no box-score line yet
- #23Iverson Celestineno box-score line yet
7 more on the roster · South Alabama team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology