Running back, Massachusetts, 2025–26
Elijah Faulkner
- Number
- No. 23
- Height
- 5′9″
- Weight
- 195 lb
- Class (2026)
- Sophomore
- Hometown
- Pittsburgh, PA
Elijah Faulkner plays running back for Massachusetts. Last time out, at Buffalo: 23 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 15 yards. Faulkner leads Massachusetts in rushing yards this season.
2026 so far
361 rushing yards, 1 TD
Last game: 23 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 15 yards at Buffalo, L 18–25
Next game: at UConn, Oct 23
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Career highs
84rushing yards, career highat Buffalo, 20262receiving touchdowns, career highat Rutgers, 2026Rushing
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 40 | 114 | 2.9 | 0 | 14 |
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 83 | 361 | 4.3 | 1 | 26 |
| Career | 123 | 475 | 3.9 | 1 | 26 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 23 | RB | Fr. | ||
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 23 | RB | So. | 5′9″ | 195 |
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
| Season | Team | Plays | EPA/play | Pctile | Median | Total | Usage | Adj. rush |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 43 | -0.22 | – | – | -9.6 | 7% | 0.02 |
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 92 | -0.13 | 8th (n=478) | 0.10 | -11.5 | 22% | -0.02 |
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.
Rushing detail
| Season | Team | Success | Line yards | Second level | Open field | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Massachusetts | 28% | 2.30 | 0.70 | 0.10 | 31% |
| 2026 | Massachusetts | 39% | 3.10 | 0.80 | 0.50 | 16% |
Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.
Game by game
2026 Massachusetts 7 games, 361 rushing yards, 1 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Car | Yds | TD | Long | Rec | Rec yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3 | at Rutgers | W 37–21 | 19 | 62 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 23 |
| Sep 12 | vs. Sacred Heart | W 37–10 | 11 | 72 | 0 | 26 | – | – |
| Sep 19 | vs. Stonehill | W 36–14 | 11 | 61 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 15 |
| Sep 26 | at Sacramento State | W 35–6 | 6 | 32 | 0 | 10 | – | – |
| Oct 3 | vs. Eastern Michigan | L 14–38 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 6 | – | – |
| Oct 10 | vs. Miami (OH) | L 19–20 | 8 | 31 | 0 | 9 | – | – |
| Oct 17 | at Buffalo | L 18–25 | 23 | 84 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 15 |
2025 Massachusetts 10 games, 114 rushing yards
| Date | Opponent | Result | Car | Yds | TD | Long | Rec | Rec yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 | vs. Temple | L 10–42 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | – | – |
| Sep 13 | at Iowa | L 7–47 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 7 | – | – |
| Sep 27 | at Missouri | L 6–42 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 4 | vs. Western Michigan | L 3–21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | – | – |
| Oct 11 | at Kent State | L 6–42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | – | – |
| Oct 18 | vs.Buffalo | L 21–28 | 1 | −1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Nov 4 | at Akron | L 10–44 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | – | – |
| Nov 12 | vs. Northern Illinois | L 3–45 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 6 | – | – |
| Nov 18 | at Ohio | L 14–42 | 7 | 30 | 0 | 8 | – | – |
| Nov 25 | vs. Bowling Green | L 14–45 | 8 | 36 | 0 | 14 | – | – |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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