#24

Will Nixon

Syracuse fans still can't agree what Will Nixon is — the eye test and the résumé keep splitting the room.

RB · Syracuse · Sr. · #24

5′11″ · 205 lb · Waco, TX

CFB Index 42 · #198 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Syracuse for 2026

The numbers

432

rushing yards · 2025

3 TD · 4 per carry · 24 catches

Swing playSwung Syracuse from 37% to 62% to win.Boston College at Syracuse · 34-12

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 running back for Syracuse. 2025: 432 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD, 24 catches.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Midway in 2020.
Transferred from Washington to Syracuse in 2024.

His career, year by year

How he plays

Wins in space out of the backfield.

TD rate: 52nd percentile.

The full scouting read

Will Nixon

RB · Syracuse · Sr · #24

On Trialas of 2026-09-15

Will Nixon is on trial in Syracuse's fan jury — the eye test against the résumé.

Syracuse fans are litigating his worthiness — the eye test against the résumé.

low confidence1 source

Minority viewA vocal minority sees it the other way.

Read the story so far

Will Nixon arrived as a 3-star prospect. He lines up at RB for Syracuse.

Syracuse fans are litigating his worthiness — the eye test against the résumé.

Whatever the tape says, the room has already made up its mind.

Why nowHis 2026 case is being argued before a snap is played.

compiled from tagged fan discourse

AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Nebraska3-9HC: Scott Frost · Run-leaning

2022Washington11-2HC: Kalen DeBoer · Pass-leaning

2023Washington14-1HC: Kalen DeBoer · Pass-leaning

2024Syracuse10-3HC: Fran Brown · Pass-leaning, fast tempo

2025Syracuse3-9HC: Fran Brown · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

42Rotational starter #198 of 326?

High confidence13 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: receptions (83rd percentile). Concern: yards / carry (18th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

TD rate#219 / 456 · 52nd pct

2.9%

Success rate#267 / 456 · 41st pct

41.9%

Explosive rate#353 / 456 · 23rd pct

3.8%

EPA / carry#371 / 456 · 19th pct

-0.02

Yards / carry#375 / 456 · 18th pct

4.1

Box-score rates (8)

Receptions#55 / 338 · 83rd pct

Rec yards#76 / 338 · 78th pct

173

Carries#143 / 349 · 59th pct

107

Fumbles lost#55 / 201 · 49th pct

Rush yards#193 / 349 · 45th pct

432

Rush TDs#200 / 349 · 38th pct

Long run#259 / 349 · 26th pct

Yards / carry#292 / 349 · 15th pct

4.0

Season trend

EPA / carry— first qualifying season

Success rate— first qualifying season

Explosive rate— first qualifying season

Yards / carry— first qualifying season

TD rate— first qualifying season

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Situational

Situational · Carry shape (PBP, full season)

Yardage DNA

105 carries

13%

Stuffed (≤0)

47%

Grind (1–3)

32%

Chunk (4–9)

Explosive (10+)

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home6g	38.7	4.1	0.2
Road6g	33.3	3.9	0.3

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	35.0	3.7	0.3
Weeks 8+6g	37.0	4.3	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Fran Brown

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

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Starter

A locked-in starting job.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

42 · #198 of 326 RBs

Three-star recruit. Now #198 at the position.

2026 outlook

Outside shot for All-ACC

Based on 2025: #28 of 38 ACC RBs

How the All-ACC 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
2025	Syracuse	107	432	4.0	3	--
2024	Syracuse	19	76	4.0	0	--
2023	Washington	33	201	6.1	1	--
2022	Washington	21	89	4.2	2	--
2021	Nebraska	--	--	--	--	--
Career		180	798	4.4	6	--

Season	Team
2025	Syracuse	24	173	7.2	--
2024	Syracuse	4	44	11.0	--
2023	Washington	13	84	6.5	--
2022	Washington	7	66	9.4	--
2021	Nebraska	1	5	5.0	--
Career		49	372	7.6	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025

W 66–24

vs Colgate

66 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD

Dominant 42-point win at home against Colgate.

With S. Angeli — 382 yds · 5 TD · 0 INT · QBR 87.5 · 21 rush yds (6 car) · 1 TD · D. Gill Jr. — 6 rec · 152 yds · 2 TD

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 3 · Colgate · 2&7 · Q2 · EPA +2.85Will Nixon run for 28 yds to the COLG 37 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Clemson · 2&8 · Q2 · EPA +2.82Steve Angeli pass complete to Will Nixon for 10 yds to the CLEM 36 for a 1ST down Clemson Penalty, UNR: Unnecessary Roughness (Ronan Hanafin) to the CLEM 49 for a 1ST down
Week 11 · Miami · 3&5 · Q4 · EPA +2.50(07:29) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 W.Nixon rush right for 15 yards gain to the MIA37 (#25 J.Richard), 1ST DOWN
Week 9 · Georgia Tech · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA +2.45Will Nixon 1 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
Week 4 · Clemson · 1&9 · Q2 · EPA +2.42Will Nixon run for 9 yds for a TD (Tripp Woody KICK)
Week 14 · Boston College · 2&3 · Q1 · EPA +2.37(03:11) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 W.Nixon rush left for 28 yards gain to the BC48 (#2 K.Price), 1ST DOWN
Week 9 · Georgia Tech · 4&1 · Q2 · EPA -2.15(00:36) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 W.Nixon rush left for 0 yards to the GT39 (#2 E.Lightsey), TURNOVER ON DOWNS. The previous play is under automatic review - "Short of the line to gain". CALL UPHELD
Week 11 · Miami · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.07(14:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #24 W.Nixon rush left for 23 yards gain to the SYR48 (#2 D.Brown), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
Week 1 · Tennessee · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.89Steve Angeli pass complete to Will Nixon for 21 yds to the SYR 46 for a 1ST down
Week 14 · Boston College · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.73(00:45) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 J.Filardi pass complete short left to #24 W.Nixon caught at SYRA34, for 12 yards to the SYRA37 (#35 A.McShane), 1ST DOWN

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	L 26-45@ Tennessee	9	33	3.7	0	10
Wk 2	W 27-20vs UConn	9	30	3.3	0	10
Wk 3	W 66-24vs Colgate	12	66	5.5	1	28
Wk 4	W 34-21@ Clemson	10	46	4.6	1	12
Wk 5	L 3-38vs Duke	7	25	3.6	0	6
Wk 6	L 18-31@ SMU	7	10	1.4	0	3
Wk 8	L 13-30vs Pittsburgh	5	9	1.8	0	3
Wk 9	L 16-41@ Georgia Tech	6	17	2.8	1	8
Wk 10	L 10-27vs North Carolina	5	29	5.8	0	13
Wk 11	L 10-38@ Miami	7	61	8.7	0	23
Wk 13	L 7-70@ Notre Dame	14	33	2.4	0	9
Wk 14	L 12-34vs Boston College	16	73	4.6	0	28	Season-high 73 yds
Total		107	432	4.0	3	28

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

Will Nixon

2020

20228 games

20243 games

2025 snapshot

Situational

Splits & context

Awards

Starter

Career stats

Signature game

Signature plays

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Satellite Back