Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 1 | 15 | Season-high 35 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 43-10vs Arkansas | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Total | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 1 | 15 |
#25
Steve Chavez-Soto
Sophomore running back for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 205 lb · Chino, CA · Orange Lutheran HS
CFB Index 45 · #172 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred San José State → Utah 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
53
rushing yards · 2026
1 TD · 5.9 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 10 car · 53 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% rushing TDs game. -- Best game: 35 rush yds, 1 TD, vs Idaho
Swing playSwung San José State from 18% to 47% to win.Air Force at San José State · 26-16
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 running back for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to San José State in 2025.
- Transferred from San José State to Utah in 2026.
Steve Chavez-Soto
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Two head coaches in two seasons, at two different programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: Mountain West Freshman Player of the Week. The receipt: 35 rush yds, 1 rush TD against Idaho — Week 1, 2026.
53 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 9 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
20258 games
- Signed with San José State3-star out of Orange Lutheran
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎓
FRESHMAN HONORS
Freshman recognition (2025)
1 mention(s)
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Utah
2026era →
Morgan Scalley
Utah
Coaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Utah
2025San José State
2026Utah
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025San José State3-9HC: Ken Niumatalolo · Pass-leaning
2026Utah2-0HC: Morgan Scalley · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: yards / carry (87th percentile). Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 26.5 YDS/g, 5.9 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
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
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | San José State | 87 | 448 | 5.1 | 7 | -- |
| Career | 96 | 501 | 5.2 | 8 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | San José State | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–14
vs Idaho
35 rush yds (6 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 52-point win at home against Idaho.
With D. Dampier — 176 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.5 · 31 rush yds (6 car) · B. Ficklin — 93 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.1 · 70 rush yds (8 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Idaho · 2&3 · Q4 · EPA +2.23(09:20) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush middle for 5 yards gain to the IDA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 09:13, 1ST DOWN #88 T.Cragun kick attempt good (H: #92 O.Phillips, LS: #65 L.Castor)
- Week 2 · Arkansas · 3&2 · Q4 · EPA +1.92(04:53) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush left for 10 yards gain to the Ark46 (#55 A.Sandel Bascomb; #20 J.Johnson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho · 2&4 · Q3 · EPA +0.66(11:01) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush middle for 15 yards gain to the IDA28 (#3 H.Dalton), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.34(11:20) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush left for 6 yards gain to the IDA43 (#43 N.Speer), out of bounds
- Week 1 · Idaho · 3&3 · Q3 · EPA -0.29(09:03) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush middle for 0 yards to the IDA03 (#0 D.Donaldson; #43 N.Speer)
- Week 2 · Arkansas · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.16(06:03) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush middle for 4 yards gain to the UTA40 (#88 X.Sims)
- Week 2 · Arkansas · 2&6 · Q4 · EPA -0.16(05:39) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush middle for 4 yards gain to the UTA44 (#8 P.Jackson; #13 C.Stoutmire)
- Week 1 · Idaho · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.11(12:27) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush right for 4 yards gain to the IDA40 (#2 I.Daniels), out of bounds
- Week 1 · Idaho · 2&6 · Q4 · EPA +0.10(11:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #25 S.Chavez-Soto rush right for 5 yards gain to the IDA35 (#27 L.Moore; #42 R.Bordner)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Victor Rosa’s 2022 season.
Matches Victor on
Weight
Yards / carry
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Differs from Victor on
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Corey Taylor II’s path through Tulsa.
100%match
#2
Julius Loughridge
99%
Matches Corey on
Yards per carry
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Antwan Raymond's freshman season at Rutgers (2024).
86%match
All-Big Ten
Matches Antwan on
Receiving share
Yards / carry
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Differs from Antwan on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Steve Chavez-Soto
Background
Prior to Utah: Began his collegiate career at San Jose State (2025). Finished with 448 yards on 87 carries with seven touchdowns in eight games played. His seven touchdowns were eighth-best in the regular season for a freshman in the FBS. Had a season-high three touchdowns with 53 rushing yards o...
The backfield · Utah
- #1Wayshawn Parker981 rushing yards · 2025
- #25Steve Chavez-Soto448 rushing yards · 2025
- #5Daniel Bray272 rushing yards · 2025
- #3Nate Johnson225 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Mateaki Helu2 games · 2026
3 more on the roster · Utah team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology