Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 40-0vs Northern Illinois | 6 | 8 | 1.3 | 0 | 6 | Season-high 8 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 16-13vs Iowa State | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Total | 9 | 11 | 1.1 | 0 | 6 |
#26
Xavier Williams
Junior running back for Iowa. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 228 lb · Schererville, IN · Lake Central
CFB Index 44 · #180 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to Iowa 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
11
rushing yards · 2026
1.2 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 rush yds, 12 rec yds, vs Northern Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Iowa. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Iowa in 2024.
Xavier Williams
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Second year in the Iowa backfield, same address the whole way. The receipt: 12 rec yds, 8 rush yds against Northern Illinois — Week 1, 2026.
11 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 9 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Iowa3-star out of Lake Central
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Iowa
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Kirk Ferentz — 11-4 over that span.
2025Iowa9-4HC: Kirk Ferentz · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2026Iowa2-0HC: Kirk Ferentz · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
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: 5.5 YDS/g, 1.1 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kirk Ferentz
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-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #27 of 44 Big Ten RBs
How the All-Big Ten 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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 16–13
vs Iowa State
3 rush yds (3 car)
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With B. Everitt — 44 AVG · 4 IN 20 · 51 LONG · H. Brown — 191 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 34.2 · 22 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 1&8 · Q2 · EPA +2.32(07:44) Shotgun #10 J.Hecklinski pass complete short left to #26 X.Williams caught at NIU10, for 8 yards to the NIU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:40 #92 C.Buhr kick attempt good (H: #35 T.Philpott, LS: #69 I.Speltz)
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 2&4 · Q4 · EPA -1.46(10:30) #26 X.Williams rush middle for 1 yard loss to the Iowa45 (#44 J.Murray; #92 J.McGhee)
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 1&1 · Q3 · EPA -1.13(06:47) #26 X.Williams rush middle for 1 yard loss to the NIU02 (#5 Y.Falke)
- Week 2 · Iowa State · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA +1.04(11:14) Shotgun #26 X.Williams rush middle for 3 yards gain to the ISU45 (#98 M.Ta'ase), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Iowa State · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -1.00(10:41) #26 X.Williams rush right for 0 yards to the ISU45 (#34 B.Goodwin)
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.79(10:58) #26 X.Williams rush middle for 1 yard gain to the NIU45 (#19 J.Bradley)
- Week 2 · Iowa State · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA -0.70(01:03) Shotgun #26 X.Williams rush middle for 0 yards to the ISU24 (#89 D.Fitzmaurice; #88 I.Terrell)
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.40(11:13) Shotgun #26 X.Williams rush middle for 6 yards gain to the Iowa46 (#20 M.Washington, Jr.)
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 2&9 · Q2 · EPA -0.39(10:19) #26 X.Williams rush left for 3 yards gain to the NIU42 (#8 C.Mau; #16 K.Conyers)
- Week 1 · Northern Illinois · 3&2 · Q3 · EPA -0.31(06:02) #26 X.Williams rush left for 0 yards to the NIU02 (#6 J.Nelson)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Iowa
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Iowa
Returning around him
- 34% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 7 Iowa players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +7 net (15 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #44 · 2026 recruiting class #26
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Antario Brown’s 2021 season.
65%match
Matches Antario on
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)
Weight
Differs from Antario on
Class year (lower)
Total rush EPA (college ability) (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Cornell Hatcher Jr.'s freshman season at Oregon State (2025).
68%match
Matches Cornell on
Yards / carry
Receiving share
Differs from Cornell on
Yards / reception (higher)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Weight (higher)
The backfield · Iowa
- #28Kamari Moulton878 rushing yards · 2025
- #26Xavier Williams285 rushing yards · 2025
- #5Nathan Mcneil169 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Brevin Doll3 rushing yards · 2025
- #21L.J. Phillips Jr.1 game · 2026
2 more on the roster · Iowa team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology