Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 3-56@ Ohio State | 6 | 4 | 0.7 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wk 2 | W 41-17vs Stony Brook | 9 | 125 | 13.9 | 1 | 54 | Season-high 125 yds |
| Total | 15 | 129 | 7.3 | 1 | 54 |
#4
TJ Horton
Junior running back for Ball State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 201 lb · Lexington, KY · Frederick Douglass HS
CFB Index 27 · #324 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Ball State 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
129
rushing yards · 2026
1 TD · 8.6 per carry · 7 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 125 rush yds, 1 TD, -4 rec yds, vs Stony Brook
Swing playSwung Ball State from 26% to 49% to win.Kent State at Ball State · 17-13
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Ball State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ball State in 2023.
TJ Horton
Wins in space out of the backfield. TJ Horton has played for two head coaches in three seasons at Ball State. The receipt: 125 rush yds, 3 receptions against Stony Brook — Week 2, 2026.
129 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 15 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Ball State3-star out of Frederick Douglass
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Ball State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Ball State
2025–2026era →
Mike Uremovich
Ball State
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Neu → Mike Uremovich. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Ball State3-9HC: Mike Neu · Balanced
2025Ball State4-8HC: Mike Uremovich · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Ball State1-1HC: Mike Uremovich · Pass-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: yards / carry (93rd percentile). Strength: long run (80th percentile). 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: 64.5 YDS/g, 7.3 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Uremovich
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-MAC
Based on 2025: #30 of 30 Mid-American RBs
How the All-MAC 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 | Ball State | 15 | 129 | 8.6 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Ball State | 60 | 180 | 3.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Ball State | 23 | 107 | 4.7 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 98 | 416 | 4.2 | 1 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ball State | 7 | 2 | 0.3 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Ball State | 15 | 71 | 4.7 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Ball State | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 26 | 75 | 2.9 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 41–17
vs Stony Brook
125 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 24-point win at home against Stony Brook.
With K. Luster — 256 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 48.4 · 14 rush yds (11 car) · C. Stumbaugh — 49 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 52 LONG
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +4.18(02:23) Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush left for 54 yards gain to the SB 00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:17, 1ST DOWN #38 B.Boehm kick attempt good (H: #32 C.Stumbaugh, LS: #45 C.Britton)
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 1&1 · Q3 · EPA -2.91(01:14) Shotgun #6 K.Luster pass complete short left to #4 T.Horton caught at BSU41, for 4 yards loss to the BSU41 (#6 J.Garcia)
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 2&2 · Q1 · EPA -1.78(05:41) Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush middle for 2 yards loss to the BSU40 (#95 M.Seals)
- Week 1 · Ohio State · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.38Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush right for 2 yards loss to the OhioSt38 (#2 K.Jackson Jr.; #14 C.Alliegro)
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.14(01:56) Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush right for 12 yards gain to the BSU48, out of bounds at BSU48, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.12(10:40) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush right for 12 yards gain to the BSU41 (#20 G.Calgaro), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Ohio State · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.05Shotgun #6 K.Luster pass complete short middle to #4 T.Horton caught at BallSt48, for 0 yards to the OhioSt48 (#44 E.Sitanilei)
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 2&3 · Q1 · EPA +1.02(03:47) Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush right for 37 yards gain to the SB 10 (#3 R.Barrett), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Stony Brook · 1&2 · Q1 · EPA -1.00(02:22) Shotgun #6 K.Luster pass complete short middle to #4 T.Horton caught at SB 04, for 1 yard loss to the SB 03 (#2 A.Roberts; #42 A.Ferrelli)
- Week 1 · Ohio State · 3&19 · Q3 · EPA -0.78Shotgun #4 T.Horton rush left for 5 yards loss to the OhioSt50 (#3 J.Smith)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Ball State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Ball State
Returning around him
- 6% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: +6 net (24 in / 18 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Ball State · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #113 · 2026 recruiting class #113
DNA match
Player DNA
Satellite Back
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Dallan Hayden’s 2024 season.
Matches Dallan on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Receiving share
Rush TD rate
Differs from Dallan on
Recruiting rating (lower)
Yards / reception (lower)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Josh Johnson’s path through UL Monroe.
Matches Josh on
Yards per carry
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Clay Ash's sophomore season at West Virginia (2025).
Matches Clay on
Yards / carry
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Height
Differs from Clay on
Weight (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like TJ Horton
Background
Awards and Honors: 2026 Preseason All-MAC (third team KOR by Athlon Sports; third team KOR by Phil Steele Football College Preview) Ball State All-Access (Aug. 21, 2026): Catching up with the running backs Expected to receive regular reps in the Ball State backfield again this season, cited by Ba...
The backfield · Ball State
- #4TJ Horton180 rushing yards · 2025
- #2Jalen Bonds77 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Johnny Thompson Jr.75 rushing yards · 2025
- Elijah Jackson17 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Anthony McMullenno box-score line yet
1 more on the roster · Ball State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology