Running back, Cincinnati and Utah, 2018–⁠22

Tavion Thomas

Lettered 2018 at Cincinnati (school media guide)

Number
No. 9
Height
6′2″
Weight
238 lb
Class (2022)
Junior
Hometown
Dayton, OH

Tavion Thomas played running back at Cincinnati (2018–⁠19), Utah (2021), Cincinnati (2021) and Utah (2021–⁠22).

At a glance

Best season
1,108
Rushing yards, 2021 (Utah, 10–⁠4)
National rank
No. 3
In FBS in rushing touchdowns, 2021

Career highs

180rushing yards, career highvs. Stanford, 20224rushing touchdowns, career hightwice; last at Stanford, 2021

Team titles: Pac-12 champions, 2021 and 2022; American champions, 2021

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2018Cincinnati894995.6628
2019Cincinnati401904.8138
2021Utah2041,1085.42158
2022Utah1426874.8736
Career4752,4845.23558

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2018Cincinnati1−2−2.000
2019Cincinnati166.006
2021Utah231.507
2022Utah6437.2018
Career10505.0018

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018Cincinnati9RBYr 1
2019Cincinnati9RBYr 2
2021Utah9RBYr 4
2021Cincinnati9RBYr 4
2022Utah9RBJr. (Yr 5)6′2″238

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
2018Cincinnati870.2375th (n=300)0.1520.217%0.11
2019Cincinnati400.04––1.514%0.07
2021Utah2040.3187th (n=277)0.1663.924%0.37
2022Utah1410.2068th (n=470)0.1428.920%0.18

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

2022 Utah 10 games, 687 rushing yards, 7 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3atFloridaL 26–⁠2923115122––
Sep 10vs.Southern UtahW 73–⁠71148213118
Sep 17vs.San Diego StateW 35–⁠7165911813
Sep 24atArizona StateW 34–⁠131160028––
Oct 1vs.Oregon StateW 42–⁠1661306––
Oct 8atUCLAL 32–⁠421891112216
Oct 15vs.USCW 43–⁠4282801117
Nov 5vs.ArizonaW 45–⁠20838011––
Nov 12vs.StanfordW 42–⁠722180236––
Nov 19atOregonL 17–⁠201955081−1
2021 Utah 13 games, 1,108 rushing yards, 21 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2vs.Weber StateW 40–⁠1712107220––
Sep 11atBYUL 17–⁠2672609––
Sep 18atSan Diego StateL 31–⁠331000––
Sep 25vs.Washington StateW 24–⁠131101––
Oct 9atUSCW 42–⁠2616113143––
Oct 16vs.Arizona StateW 35–⁠212084116––
Oct 23atOregon StateL 34–⁠422174215––
Oct 30vs.UCLAW 44–⁠2424160424––
Nov 5atStanfordW 52–⁠72017745817
Nov 20vs.OregonW 38–⁠72194313––
Nov 26vs.ColoradoW 28–⁠1325142121––
Dec 3vs.OregonW 38–⁠101863291−4
Jan 1 ✦vs.Ohio StateL 45–⁠481867113––
2019 Cincinnati 4 games, 190 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 7atOhio StateL 0–⁠42115801616
Sep 14vs.Miami (OH)W 35–⁠131665012––
Sep 28atMarshallW 52–⁠141170138––
Oct 4vs.UCFW 27–⁠242−301––
2018 Cincinnati 8 games, 499 rushing yards, 6 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 8atMiami (OH)W 21–⁠01303––
Sep 15vs.Alabama A&MW 63–⁠718141221––
Sep 29atUConnW 49–⁠71056113––
Oct 6vs.TulaneW 37–⁠21859125––
Nov 3vs.NavyW 42–⁠01146016––
Nov 17atUCFL 13–⁠3812791281−2
Nov 23vs.East CarolinaW 56–⁠626106124––
Dec 31 ✦vs.Virginia TechW 35–⁠313908––

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

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2023Combine or pro day 2023
Height6′0⅜″
Weight237 lb
Arm length31⅛″
Hand size9¼″
40-yard dash4.74 s
10-yard split1.62 s
Vertical jump30″
Broad jump9′10″
Bench press19 reps
20-yard shuttle4.69 s

Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data).

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