Running back, UCLA (from UC Davis), 2015–⁠19

Joshua Kelley

Number
No. 27
Height
5′11″
Weight
219 lb
Class (2019)
Senior
Hometown
Lancaster, CA
Born
Nov 20, 1997

Joshua Kelley played running back at UC Davis (2015–⁠16) and UCLA (2018–⁠19). The Los Angeles Chargers took Kelley in round 4, No. 112 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,243
Rushing yards, 2018 (UCLA, 3–⁠9)
Best game
289 yards
Vs. USC, week 12, 2018: No. 3 rushing game in FBS that week
Drafted
No. 112
Round 4, 2020 NFL Draft (Los Angeles Chargers)

Career highs

289rushing yards, career highvs. USC, 20184rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Arizona State, 20196catches, career highat Oregon, 2018

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2015UC Davis14795.6116
2016UC Davis9465.1025
2018UCLA2251,2435.51261
2019UCLA2291,0604.61254
Career4772,4285.12561

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2016UC Davis155.005
2018UCLA271937.1022
2019UCLA11716.5114
Career392696.9122

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2015UC Davis41240
2016UC Davis51230
Career92470

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2015UC Davis27RBYr 1
2016UC Davis27RBYr 2
2018UCLA27RBYr 4
2019UCLA27RBSr. (Yr 5)5′11″219

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
2015UC Davis (FCS)140.30––4.3––
2016UC Davis (FCS)10-0.04––-0.4––
2018UCLA2540.2376th (n=300)0.1559.332%0.31
2019UCLA2480.1452nd (n=287)0.1333.529%0.17

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 UCLA 11 games, 1,060 rushing yards, 12 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 7vs.San Diego StateL 14–⁠23155311222
Sep 14vs.OklahomaL 14–⁠481851013––
Sep 21atWashington StateW 67–⁠632090018219
Sep 28atArizonaL 17–⁠202712713619
Oct 5vs.Oregon StateL 31–⁠48217411414
Oct 17atStanfordW 34–⁠1618176154213
Oct 26vs.Arizona StateW 42–⁠3234164424––
Nov 2vs.ColoradoW 31–⁠1423126235––
Nov 16atUtahL 3–⁠491978013112
Nov 23atUSCL 35–⁠52154511119
Nov 30vs.CaliforniaL 18–⁠28197612013
2018 UCLA 11 games, 1,243 rushing yards, 12 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 1vs.CincinnatiL 17–⁠2662009319
Sep 8atOklahomaL 21–⁠495709––
Sep 28atColoradoL 16–⁠3812124044310
Oct 6vs.WashingtonL 24–⁠3120125139339
Oct 13atCaliforniaW 37–⁠73015731828
Oct 20vs.ArizonaW 31–⁠3031136128443
Oct 26vs.UtahL 10–⁠411690125211
Nov 3atOregonL 21–⁠4226161125632
Nov 10atArizona StateL 28–⁠312179112217
Nov 17vs.USCW 34–⁠2740289261––
Nov 24vs.StanfordL 42–⁠491855223214
2016 UC Davis 2 games, 5 returns, 123 yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3atOregonL 28–⁠53200015
Sep 17atWyomingL 22–⁠45746025––

No box score in the source for Sep 11 vs. Southern Oregon; Sep 25 vs. Weber State; Oct 1 at Eastern Washington; Oct 9 at Southern Utah; Oct 15 vs. Northern Colorado; Oct 23 at Cal Poly; Nov 5 vs. Portland State; Nov 12 at Montana State; Nov 19 vs. Sacramento State, so those games are not listed.

2015 UC Davis 2 games, 79 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3atNevadaL 17–⁠31643016––
Sep 19vs.Hawai’iL 27–⁠47836114––

No box score in the source for Sep 13 vs. South Dakota; Sep 26 at North Dakota; Oct 3 vs. Montana; Oct 10 vs. Northern Arizona; Oct 17 at Northern Colorado; Oct 24 vs. Southern Utah; Nov 7 at Weber State; Nov 14 vs. Cal Poly; Nov 21 at Sacramento State, so those games are not listed.

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

Before the draft

Played in the 2020 Senior Bowl (North team, won 34–⁠17).

DrillCombine 2020
Height5′10⅝″
Weight212 lb
Arm length31⅝″
Hand size9⅝″
Wingspan76¼″W
40-yard dash4.49 s
10-yard split1.61 sW
Vertical jump31″
Broad jump10′1″
Bench press23 reps
3-cone drill6.95 s
20-yard shuttle4.28 s

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

5 seasons, 51 games with a stat; latest team: Tennessee Titans.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2020Los Angeles Chargers13111354223148
2021Los Angeles Chargers8331020538
2022Los Angeles Chargers1269287214101
2023Los Angeles Chargers171074052832
2024Tennessee Titans112000
NFL career513211,150650319

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

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