Running back, Pittsburgh (from Kentucky, Austin Peay, Western Kentucky), 2021–⁠26

La’Vell Wright

Number
No. 29
Height
5′11″
Weight
215 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
Louisville, KY

La’Vell Wright plays running back for Pittsburgh, after Kentucky (2021–⁠23), Austin Peay (2024) and Western Kentucky (2025). Last time out, at Boston College: 15 carries, 52 yards. Wright leads Pittsburgh in rushing touchdowns this season.

2026 so far

242 rushing yards, 4 TD

Last game: 15 carries, 52 yards at Boston College, L 21–⁠27

Next game: at Miami, Oct 24

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 25M-OH
  2. 35UCF
  3. 81SYR
  4. 4@VT
  5. 45UNC
  6. 52@BC

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

142rushing yards, career highvs. Alabama A&M, 20243rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Alabama A&M, 2024

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2021Kentucky911813.1152
2022Kentucky381163.1015
2024Austin Peay1156435.6572
2025Western Kentucky854715.51039
2026Pittsburgh592424.1416
Career3061,5905.22072

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2022Kentucky6284.7013
2024Austin Peay4194.8014
2025Western Kentucky10888.8122
2026Pittsburgh6518.5018
Career261867.2122

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2021Kentucky110000
2025Western Kentucky420000
Career530000

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2021Kentucky29RBYr 1
2022Kentucky29RBYr 2
2023Kentucky29RBYr 3
2024Austin Peay29RBYr 4
2025Western Kentucky29RBYr 5
2026Pittsburgh29RBSr. (Yr 6)5′11″215

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
2021Kentucky90.70––6.3––
2022Kentucky45-0.20––-8.910%0.03
2024Austin Peay (FCS)1150.2268th (n=434)0.1624.918%–
2025Western Kentucky940.2995th (n=576)0.1027.510%0.27

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
2025Western Kentucky60%3.701.301.2014%

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 Pittsburgh 6 games, 242 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 5vs.Miami (OH)W 59–⁠14425010––
Sep 12vs.UCFW 12–⁠7133509228
Sep 17vs.SyracuseW 27–⁠13148111615
Oct 2atVirginia TechW 35–⁠334414––
Oct 10vs.North CarolinaL 17–⁠21945215318
Oct 17atBoston CollegeL 21–⁠271552011––
2025 Western Kentucky 13 games, 471 rushing yards, 10 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 23vs.Sam HoustonW 41–⁠2462211214
Aug 30vs.North AlabamaW 55–⁠62909––
Sep 6atToledoL 21–⁠453806113
Sep 20vs.NevadaW 31–⁠1674721415
Sep 27atMissouri StateW 27–⁠221091217113
Oct 3atDelawareW 27–⁠2492605122
Oct 14vs.Florida InternationalL 6–⁠25340626
Oct 21atLouisiana TechW 28–⁠274−802115
Nov 1vs.New Mexico StateW 35–⁠1664412413
Nov 15vs.Middle TennesseeW 42–⁠261184237––
Nov 22atLSUL 10–⁠135170817
Nov 29atJacksonville StateL 34–⁠3714116239––
Dec 23 ✦vs.Southern MissW 27–⁠1651106––
2024 Austin Peay 10 games, 643 rushing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 31atLouisvilleL 0–⁠6272301035
Sep 7vs.Southern IllinoisL 17–⁠31960016114
Sep 14atCentral ArkansasL 17–⁠451157013––
Sep 21vs.Alabama A&MW 59–⁠168142362––
Sep 28vs.Southern UtahL 17–⁠2817140072––
Oct 26vs.Tarleton StateL 17–⁠271228113––
Nov 2atNorth AlabamaW 31–⁠171461015––
Nov 9vs.Abilene ChristianL 34–⁠351766111––
Nov 16vs.Eastern KentuckyL 27–⁠3081608––
Nov 23vs.ChattanoogaL 17–⁠241250017––
2022 Kentucky 7 games, 116 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3vs.Miami (OH)W 37–⁠1331007113
Sep 10atFloridaW 26–⁠1611270910
Sep 17vs.Youngstown StateW 31–⁠052109––
Sep 24vs.Northern IllinoisW 31–⁠239140518
Oct 29atTennesseeL 6–⁠4483301511
Nov 5atMissouriW 21–⁠171505––
Dec 31 ✦vs.IowaL 0–⁠21160626
2021 Kentucky 2 games, 118 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Nov 20vs.New Mexico StateW 56–⁠16675052––
Nov 27atLouisvilleW 52–⁠21343141––

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

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.