Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-7vs Texas State | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 6 | Season-high 10 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 24-23vs Ohio State | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 6 |
#21
Ryan Niblett
Junior running back for Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 189 lb · Houston, TX · Eisenhower
Returning to Texas for 2026
The numbers
10
rushing yards · 2026
5 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 10 rush yds, vs Texas State
The play that turned itSwung Texas from 12% to 45% to win.Texas at Mississippi State · 45-38
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Texas in 2023.
- Named All-America (FWAA) in 2025.
- Named All-America (FWAA) in 2025.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 15.2 points in belief.
25.2own fans
10national conversation
https://preview.redd.it/zltgyc75rjjh1.jpeg?width=2924&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89aef490872c00104f4b020e7c871e424737de32 Ryan Niblett days until Texas football kickoff! Proud to say I was attending this one in Starkville. Mainly the BS…
In Their Words
145 windows · 2026 fan posts
ryan×61.7punt×70.3cooper×36.7iii×22.6return×24.4texas×7.2
“Is Ryan Niblett playing RB or WR this year?”
reddit/LonghornNation · fan post, verbatim
Ryan Niblett
Third year in the Texas backfield, same address the whole way. 2025 brought the first one: All-America (FWAA). The receipt on tape: 10 rush yds against Texas State, Week 1, 2026.
10 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 2 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.
2023
- Signed with Texas4-star out of Aldine Eisenhower
202513 games
- All-America
- All-SECsecond
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Texas
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥇
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2025)
1 selectors honored him
🎖
ALL-SEC · 2ND TEAM
All-SEC 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Texas
Played his entire career under Steve Sarkisian.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Steve Sarkisian, all balanced offenses — 25-6 over that span.
2024Texas13-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2025Texas10-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2026Texas2-0HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (6)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 5.0 YDS/g, 5.0 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Steve Sarkisian
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.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 24–23
vs Ohio State
1 FUM · 1 NO · 16 YDS
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 at home.
With A. Manning — 195 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 83.0 · 24 rush yds (8 car) · D. Smothers — 74 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Texas
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Texas
Returning around him
- 72% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- 6 Texas players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -6 net (22 in / 28 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Texas · Last season: 10-3 (AP #14) · Talent rank #2 · 2026 recruiting class #7
Background
A fourth-year running back/wide receiver who has played in 31 career games ... on 2026 watch list for the Paul Hornung Award ... 2026 Phil Steele preseason First-Team All-America selection ... 2026 Phil Steele preseason Second-Team SEC selection ... 2025 FWAA First-Team All-American ... Coaches'...
The backfield · Texas
- Raleek Brown1,141 rushing yards · 2025
- #2Daylan Smothers939 rushing yards · 2025
- #31James Simon122 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Ryan Niblett15 rushing yards · 2025
- #11Michael Terry III0 rushing yards · 2025
3 more on the roster · Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology