Running back, Samford (from Elon), 2018–⁠22

Jaylan Thomas

Number
No. 6
Height
5′9″
Weight
176 lb
Class (2022)
Senior
Hometown
Carrollton, GA

Jaylan Thomas played running back at Elon (2018–⁠21) and Samford (2022).

Career highs

104rushing yards, career highat Furman, 20223rushing touchdowns, career highat Furman, 20226catches, career highvs. VMI, 2022

Team titles: Southern champions, 2022

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2018Elon9879.7025
2019Elon11272.509
2021Elon7395.6028
2022Samford955165.4744
Career1226695.5744

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2022Samford322247.0460

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018Elon6RBYr 1
2019Elon6RBYr 2
2021Elon6RBYr 4
2022Samford6RBSr. (Yr 5)5′9″176

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/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2018Elon (FCS)90.36––3.2–
2019Elon (FCS)11-0.08––-0.9–
2021Elon (FCS)70.17––1.2–
2022Samford (FCS)1160.1861st (n=470)0.1421.314%

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). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2022 Samford 12 games, 516 rushing yards, 7 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 1vs.Kennesaw StateW 27–⁠17570–––
Sep 10atGeorgiaL 0–⁠33–––150
Sep 24vs.Western CarolinaW 35–⁠12103104751
Oct 1atFurmanW 34–⁠2751043380
Oct 8vs.WoffordW 28–⁠14127613150
Oct 22atEast Tennessee StateW 55–⁠4510461290
Oct 29atThe CitadelW 38–⁠3135712140
Nov 5vs.VMIW 34–⁠15189716341
Nov 12atChattanoogaW 35–⁠2463003130
Nov 19vs.MercerW 50–⁠4492705221
Dec 3vs.SE LouisianaW 48–⁠4264002261
Dec 9atNorth Dakota StateL 3–⁠24110130

No box score in the source for Sep 17 at Tennessee Tech, so that game is not listed.

2021 Elon 1 game, 39 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 18atApp StateL 10–⁠447390–––
2019 Elon 1 game, 27 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 21atWake ForestL 7–⁠4911270–––

No box score in the source for Aug 31 at North Carolina A&T; Sep 7 vs. The Citadel; Sep 14 at Richmond; Sep 28 vs. James Madison; Oct 5 at New Hampshire; Oct 12 vs. Delaware; Oct 26 at Rhode Island; Nov 2 vs. William & Mary; Nov 9 vs. Maine; Nov 23 at Towson, so those games are not listed.

2018 Elon 1 game, 87 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 1atSouth FloridaL 14–⁠349870–––

No box score in the source for Sep 8 vs. Furman; Sep 22 at Charleston Southern; Sep 29 vs. New Hampshire; Oct 6 at James Madison; Oct 13 at Delaware; Oct 20 vs. Richmond; Nov 3 vs. Rhode Island; Nov 10 vs. Towson; Nov 17 at Maine; Nov 24 at Wofford, so those games are not listed.

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

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