Running back, Illinois (from Western Michigan), 2017–⁠22

Chase Brown

Number
No. 2
Height
5′11″
Weight
205 lb
Class (2022)
Junior
Hometown
London, ON
Born
Mar 21, 2000

Chase Brown played running back at Western Michigan (2017–⁠18) and Illinois (2019–⁠22). The Cincinnati Bengals took Brown in round 5, No. 163 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,643
Rushing yards, 2022 (Illinois, 8–⁠5)
Best game
257 yards
Vs. Charlotte, week 5, 2021: No. 1 rushing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 4
In FBS in rushing yards, 2022
Drafted
No. 163
Round 5, 2023 NFL Draft (Cincinnati Bengals)

Career highs

257rushing yards, career highvs. Charlotte, 20212rushing touchdowns, career highfive times; last at Michigan, 2022

Honors

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2018Western Michigan713525.0029
2019Illinois122.002
2020Illinois1035395.2339
2021Illinois1701,0055.9580
2022Illinois3281,6435.01049
Career6733,5415.31880

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2018Western Michigan10757.5022
2020Illinois7649.1033
2021Illinois1414210.1033
2022Illinois272408.9343
Career585219.0343

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2018Western Michigan122270
2019Illinois1150
2020Illinois4620
Career173040

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2018Western Michigan440000
2019Illinois100000
2020Illinois110000
2021Illinois420000
Career1070000

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2017Western Michigan2RBYr 1
2018Western Michigan2RBYr 2
2019Illinois2RBYr 3
2020Illinois2RBYr 4
2021Illinois2RBYr 5
2022Illinois2RBJr. (Yr 6)5′11″205

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2018Western Michigan83-0.0114th (n=300)0.15-1.19%-0.07
2019Illinois1-0.39––-0.4––
2020Illinois1120.0932nd (n=212)0.149.722%0.17
2021Illinois2140.2980th (n=277)0.1661.230%0.24
2022Illinois3380.0729th (n=470)0.1424.039%0.12

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2022 Illinois 12 games, 1,643 rushing yards, 10 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 27vs.WyomingW 38–⁠619151238316
Sep 2atIndianaL 20–⁠233619903216
Sep 10vs.VirginiaW 24–⁠32014603613
Sep 22vs.ChattanoogaW 31–⁠02010812426
Oct 1atWisconsinW 34–⁠102512914916
Oct 8vs.IowaW 9–⁠631146023417
Oct 15vs.MinnesotaW 26–⁠1441180017353
Oct 29atNebraskaW 26–⁠932149121313
Nov 5vs.Michigan StateL 15–⁠2333136018221
Nov 12vs.PurdueL 24–⁠312398218332
Nov 19atMichiganL 17–⁠1929140237324
Nov 26atNorthwesternW 41–⁠31961113143
2021 Illinois 10 games, 1,005 rushing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 28vs.NebraskaW 30–⁠22524015––
Sep 11atVirginiaL 14–⁠42741121428
Sep 17vs.MarylandL 17–⁠201457013254
Oct 2vs.CharlotteW 24–⁠1426257280117
Oct 9vs.WisconsinL 0–⁠2483502325
Oct 23atPenn StateW 20–⁠183322312716
Oct 30vs.RutgersL 14–⁠20186701517
Nov 6atMinnesotaW 14–⁠63214701916
Nov 20atIowaL 23–⁠33134206219
Nov 27vs.NorthwesternW 47–⁠1414112131––
2020 Illinois 8 games, 539 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Oct 23atWisconsinL 7–⁠45312051−2
Oct 31vs.PurdueL 24–⁠31107303015
Nov 7vs.MinnesotaL 14–⁠41431016––
Nov 14atRutgersW 23–⁠2017130039––
Nov 21atNebraskaW 41–⁠2326110235112
Dec 5vs.IowaL 21–⁠351883017215
Dec 12atNorthwesternL 10–⁠281470016––
Dec 19atPenn StateL 21–⁠561130112234
2019 Illinois 2 games, 2 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Oct 12vs.MichiganL 25–⁠42––––––
Nov 2vs.RutgersW 38–⁠101202––
2018 Western Michigan 13 games, 352 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 31vs.SyracuseL 42–⁠55440013––
Sep 8atMichiganL 3–⁠497340151−3
Sep 15vs.Delaware StateW 68–⁠0648029––
Sep 22atGeorgia StateW 34–⁠15634011216
Sep 29atMiami (OH)W 40–⁠394−104116
Oct 6vs.Eastern MichiganW 27–⁠2432309––
Oct 13atBowling GreenW 42–⁠35417015––
Oct 20atCentral MichiganW 35–⁠1052309––
Oct 25vs.ToledoL 24–⁠51628013226
Nov 1vs.OhioL 14–⁠591552018––
Nov 13atBall StateL 41–⁠42221019––
Nov 20vs.Northern IllinoisW 28–⁠2151801017
Dec 21 ✦vs.BYUL 18–⁠4941505313

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2023 Senior Bowl (National team, won 27–⁠10).

DrillCombine 2023
Height5′9½″
Weight209 lb
Arm length31″
Hand size10″
Wingspan75⅛″W
40-yard dash4.43 s
10-yard split1.53 sW
Vertical jump40″
Broad jump10′7″
Bench press25 reps

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

4 seasons, 50 games with a stat; latest team: Cincinnati Bengals.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2023Cincinnati Bengals1244179014156
2024Cincinnati Bengals16229990754360
2025Cincinnati Bengals172321,019669437
2026 (so far)Cincinnati Bengals571246124124
NFL career505762,434141611,077

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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