Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 62-13vs UL Monroe | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 1 | 14 | Season-high 28 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 38-13@ Minnesota | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 0 | 11 | |
| Total | 6 | 41 | 6.8 | 1 | 14 |
#5
Xavier Gayten
Junior running back for Mississippi State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 205 lb · Brookhaven, MS · Brookhaven HS
Returning to Mississippi State for 2026
The numbers
41
rushing yards · 2026
1 TD · 6.8 per carry
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 28 rush yds, 1 TD, vs UL Monroe
The play that turned itSwung Texas from 38% to 68% to win.Texas at Mississippi State · 45-38
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Mississippi State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Mississippi State in 2024.
Xavier Gayten
He has spent three seasons in the Mississippi State backfield. The receipt on tape: 28 rush yds, 1 rush TD against UL Monroe, Week 1, 2026.
41 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 6 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20245 games
- Signed with Mississippi State4-star out of Brookhaven
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Mississippi State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Mississippi State
Played his entire career under Jeff Lebby.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Jeff Lebby, all run-leaning offenses — 9-18 over that span.
2024Mississippi State2-10HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2025Mississippi State5-8HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
2026Mississippi State2-0HC: Jeff Lebby · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: yards / carry (93rd 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: 20.5 YDS/g, 6.8 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Lebby
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 | Mississippi State | 6 | 41 | 6.8 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 29 | 157 | 5.4 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 8 | 115 | 14.4 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 43 | 313 | 7.3 | 4 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mississippi State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 3 | 2 | 0.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Mississippi State | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 0 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–13
at Minnesota
13 rush yds (3 car)
Dominant 25-point win on the road against Minnesota.
With K. Taylor — 227 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 88.8 · 86 rush yds (13 car) · A. Evans III — 6 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Mississippi State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Mississippi State
Returning around him
- 34% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 2 Mississippi State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -12 net (28 in / 40 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Mississippi State · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #20 · 2026 recruiting class #23
Background
Career Honors 2025 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll Career Notes Played in 24 career games with zero starts … Following the 2025 season, Gayten had 272 rushing yards on 37 carries and three touchdowns … First career touchdown came on a 72-yard run, the longest rush for a State player since Nov. 5, 20...
The backfield · Mississippi State
- #24Fluff Bothwell677 rushing yards · 2025
- #5Xavier Gayten157 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Kolin Wilson26 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Brinston Williams1 game · 2026
- #25Cooper Crosby1 game · 2026
1 more on the roster · Mississippi State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology