Running back, Arizona, 2016–⁠19

J.J. Taylor

Number
No. 21
Height
5′6″
Weight
185 lb
Class (2019)
Junior
Hometown
Corona, CA
Born
Jan 4, 1998, in Corona, California

Wikipedia readers: about 870 a month over the past year

J.J. Taylor played running back at Arizona (2016–⁠19).

At a glance

Best season
1,432
Rushing yards, 2018 (Arizona, 5–⁠7)
Best game
284 yards
At Oregon State, week 4, 2018: No. 1 rushing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 7
In FBS in rushing yards, 2018

Career highs

284rushing yards, career highat Oregon State, 20182rushing touchdowns, career highfour times; last vs. Oregon State, 20197catches, career highvs. Oregon State, 201989receiving yards, career highvs. Oregon State, 2019

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
2016Arizona382616.9261
2017Arizona1458465.8579
2018Arizona2541,4325.6664
2019Arizona1487214.9540
Career5853,2605.61879

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTDPRYdsTD
2016Arizona–––3260
2018Arizona225401–––
2019Arizona204480–––
Career4298813260

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2016Arizona2168.0018
2017Arizona12494.1216
2018Arizona161338.3020
2019Arizona322899.0028
Career624877.9228

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2016Arizona21RBYr 1
2017Arizona21RBYr 2
2018Arizona21RBYr 3
2019Arizona21RBJr. (Yr 4)5′6″185

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
2016Arizona390.31––12.027%0.22
2017Arizona1580.1453rd (n=287)0.1221.417%0.13
2018Arizona2190.1551st (n=300)0.1532.630%0.02
2019Arizona1900.1453rd (n=287)0.1326.724%0.13

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

2019 Arizona 11 games, 721 rushing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDKRYdsPR
Aug 24atHawai’iL 38–⁠4514671344–
Sep 7vs.Northern ArizonaW 65–⁠41101021–––
Sep 14vs.Texas TechW 28–⁠1411390–––
Oct 5atColoradoW 35–⁠30140–––
Oct 12vs.WashingtonL 27–⁠5118891121–
Oct 19atUSCL 14–⁠41168004100–
Oct 26atStanfordL 31–⁠41161070231–
Nov 2vs.Oregon StateL 38–⁠5621782250–
Nov 16atOregonL 6–⁠3417740494–
Nov 23vs.UtahL 7–⁠3510330141–
Nov 30atArizona StateL 14–⁠2414480367–
2018 Arizona 12 games, 1,432 rushing yards, 6 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDKRYdsPR
Sep 1vs.BYUL 23–⁠2818851371–
Sep 8atHoustonL 18–⁠4518540346–
Sep 15vs.Southern UtahW 62–⁠3185402114–
Sep 22atOregon StateW 35–⁠14272842121–
Sep 29vs.USCL 20–⁠2418500116–
Oct 6vs.CaliforniaW 24–⁠1715730130–
Oct 12atUtahL 10–⁠4213610367–
Oct 20atUCLAL 30–⁠31191541346–
Oct 27vs.OregonW 44–⁠15302122236–
Nov 2vs.ColoradoW 42–⁠34401920–––
Nov 17atWashington StateL 28–⁠6920690111–
Nov 24vs.Arizona StateL 40–⁠41281440282–
2017 Arizona 13 games, 846 rushing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDKRYdsPR
Sep 2vs.Northern ArizonaW 62–⁠249440–––
Sep 9vs.HoustonL 16–⁠1917870–––
Sep 15atUTEPW 63–⁠1612550–––
Sep 22vs.UtahL 24–⁠3010431–––
Oct 7atColoradoW 45–⁠4210290–––
Oct 14vs.UCLAW 47–⁠3016640–––
Oct 21atCaliforniaW 45–⁠444441–––
Oct 28vs.Washington StateW 58–⁠37131522–––
Nov 4atUSCL 35–⁠4912510–––
Nov 11vs.Oregon StateW 49–⁠28101290–––
Nov 18atOregonL 28–⁠4810550–––
Nov 25atArizona StateL 30–⁠4212741–––
Dec 27 ✦vs.PurdueL 35–⁠3810190–––
2016 Arizona 4 games, 261 rushing yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDKRYdsPR
Sep 3vs.BYUL 16–⁠181−40–––
Sep 10vs.GramblingW 31–⁠21–––––2
Sep 17vs.Hawai’iW 47–⁠28181681––1
Sep 24vs.WashingtonL 28–⁠3519971–––

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

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2020
Height5′5¼″
Weight185 lb
Arm length28¾″
Hand size8½″
Wingspan71¼″W
40-yard dash4.61 s
10-yard split1.54 sW
Vertical jump34½″
Broad jump9′10″
Bench press19 reps
3-cone drill7.00 s
20-yard shuttle4.15 s

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

In the NFL

4 seasons, 15 games with a stat; latest team: Houston Texans.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2020New England Patriots623110014
2021New England Patriots51937248
2022New England Patriots1109018
2024Houston Texans31044020
NFL career15622002820

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

Other pro football

YearsLeagueTeam
2026CFLWinnipeg Blue Bombers *

Leagues other than the NFL, from the infobox of his Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA), as it names the teams. * Off-season roster or practice squad only.

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