Running back, Nebraska, 2022–⁠25

Emmett Johnson

Number
No. 21
Height
5′11″
Weight
200 lb
Class (2025)
Junior
Hometown
Minneapolis, MN
Born
Oct 10, 2003

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Emmett Johnson played running back at Nebraska (2022–⁠25). The Kansas City Chiefs took Johnson in round 5, No. 161 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,451
Rushing yards, 2025 (Nebraska, 7–⁠6)
National rank
No. 4
In FBS in rushing yards, 2025
Drafted
No. 161
Round 5, 2026 NFL Draft (Kansas City Chiefs)

Career highs

217rushing yards, career highvs. Iowa, 20253rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Michigan State, 20258catches, career highat Penn State, 2025103receiving yards, career highat UCLA, 20252receiving touchdowns, career highat UCLA, 2025

Honors

All-America: Sporting News 2025; AP second team 2025; CBS Sports 2025; Sports Illustrated 2025

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
2023Nebraska904114.6229
2024Nebraska1175985.1142
2025Nebraska2511,4515.81270
Career4582,4605.41570

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2023Nebraska7466.6013
2024Nebraska382737.2229
2025Nebraska463708.0356
Career916897.6556

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022Nebraska21RBRS
2023Nebraska21RBFr.
2024Nebraska21RBSo.
2025Nebraska21RBJr.5′11″200

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
2023Nebraska990.1028th (n=450)0.179.419%0.13
2024Nebraska1520.2061st (n=434)0.1629.819%0.08
2025Nebraska3130.2385th (n=576)0.1071.340%0.20

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

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Nebraska53%3.701.201.308%

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

2025 Nebraska 12 games, 1,451 rushing yards, 12 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 28vs.CincinnatiW 20–⁠172510807270
Sep 6vs.AkronW 68–⁠0141402271
Sep 13vs.Houston ChristianW 59–⁠713782270
Sep 20vs.MichiganL 27–⁠30196505320
Oct 4vs.Michigan StateW 38–⁠27138336370
Oct 11atMarylandW 34–⁠312117602200
Oct 17atMinnesotaL 6–⁠24146305370
Oct 25vs.NorthwesternW 28–⁠212712422150
Nov 1vs.USCL 17–⁠212916512150
Nov 8atUCLAW 28–⁠2128129131032
Nov 22atPenn StateL 10–⁠371910308480
Nov 28vs.IowaL 16–⁠402921712220
2024 Nebraska 12 games, 598 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 31vs.UTEPW 40–⁠78710150
Sep 7vs.ColoradoW 28–⁠10130–––
Sep 14vs.Northern IowaW 34–⁠345013430
Sep 28atPurdueW 28–⁠1085002350
Oct 5vs.RutgersW 14–⁠714330170
Oct 19atIndianaL 7–⁠568240360
Oct 26atOhio StateL 17–⁠218300400
Nov 2vs.UCLAL 20–⁠277230170
Nov 16atUSCL 20–⁠28105507361
Nov 23vs.WisconsinW 44–⁠251611306850
Nov 29atIowaL 10–⁠13187106250
Dec 28 ✦vs.Boston CollegeW 20–⁠15157504241
2023 Nebraska 10 games, 411 rushing yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 31atMinnesotaL 10–⁠13––––––
Sep 23vs.Louisiana TechW 28–⁠14260–––
Sep 30vs.MichiganL 7–⁠452902200
Oct 6atIllinoisW 20–⁠77290–––
Oct 21vs.NorthwesternW 17–⁠912730–––
Oct 28vs.PurdueW 31–⁠1413761–––
Nov 4atMichigan StateL 17–⁠2013571160
Nov 11vs.MarylandL 10–⁠1317840390
Nov 18atWisconsinL 17–⁠2413500–––
Nov 24vs.IowaL 10–⁠13112701110

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

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2026
Height5′10¼″
Weight202 lb
Arm length30¼″
Hand size9¾″
Wingspan74⅜″
40-yard dash4.56 s
10-yard split1.59 s
Vertical jump35½″
Broad jump10′0″
Bench press16 reps
3-cone drill7.32 s
20-yard shuttle4.29 s

Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data).

In the NFL

1 season, 4 games with a stat; latest team: Kansas City Chiefs.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2026 (so far)Kansas City Chiefs416560574

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

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