Running back, Illinois State (from Merrimack, Cincinnati), 2021–⁠26

Victor Dawson

Lettered 2024 at Cincinnati (school media guide)

Number
No. 5
Height
5′11″
Weight
225 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
Akron, OH

Victor Dawson plays running back for Illinois State, after Merrimack (2021–⁠22) and Cincinnati (2023–⁠24). Last time out, at Southern Illinois: 16 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, −2 yards. Dawson leads Illinois State in rushing yards this season.

2026 so far

281 rushing yards, 4 TD

Last game: 16 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, −2 yards at Southern Illinois, W 35–⁠14

Next game: vs. Indiana State, Oct 24

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 73@WIU
  2. 46@NIU
  3. 13@UNI
  4. 67SDST
  5. 82@SIU

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

155rushing yards, career highat Villanova, 20254rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Wagner, 2022

Rushing

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

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2022Merrimack1527575.01038
2024Cincinnati7639.0047
2025Illinois State2781,3775.0569
2026Illinois State742813.8441
Career5112,4784.81969

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2025Illinois State321765.5024
2026Illinois State4102.507
Career361865.2024

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. * That team-season’s player lines are missing part of the team’s yards in our source, so these numbers may be short.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022Merrimack5RBYr 2
2023Cincinnati5RBYr 3
2024Cincinnati5RBYr 4
2025Illinois State5RBYr 5
2026Illinois State5RBSr. (Yr 6)5′11″225

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
2022Merrimack (FCS)410.12––5.016%
2024Cincinnati7-0.39––-2.8–
2025Illinois State (FCS)3060.0432nd (n=576)0.1012.526%
2026Illinois State (FCS)860.1970th (n=478)0.1016.220%

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

2026 Illinois State 5 games, 281 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 5atWestern IllinoisW 41–⁠102073214––
Sep 12atNorthern IllinoisW 28–⁠24124601117
Sep 26atNorthern IowaL 21–⁠284131913
Oct 3vs.South Dakota StateL 14–⁠31226701212
Oct 17atSouthern IllinoisW 35–⁠1416821411−2

No box score in the source for Aug 29 vs. St. Francis (IL), so that game is not listed.

2025 Illinois State 17 games, 1,377 rushing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 30atOklahomaL 3–⁠3582101317
Sep 6vs.Morehead StateW 41–⁠1310880501−4
Sep 13atEastern IllinoisW 42–⁠301242017––
Sep 20vs.North AlabamaW 38–⁠361651010211
Oct 4vs.North Dakota StateL 16–⁠331168023310
Oct 11atMurray StateW 46–⁠32107111913
Oct 18vs.Youngstown StateL 35–⁠40634016––
Oct 25atSouth DakotaW 21–⁠137240916
Nov 1vs.Northern IowaW 31–⁠1617101120416
Nov 8atIndiana StateW 52–⁠20211161153−2
Nov 15atSouth Dakota StateW 35–⁠212098016124
Nov 22vs.Southern IllinoisL 7–⁠37142505320
Nov 29atSE LouisianaW 21–⁠31172018––
Dec 6atNorth Dakota StateW 29–⁠2823137169319
Dec 13atUC DavisW 42–⁠3129148021323
Dec 20 ✦atVillanovaW 30–⁠1434155126110
Jan 5 ✦vs.Montana StateL 34–⁠3529126021533
2024 Cincinnati 4 games, 63 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 31vs.TowsonW 38–⁠20254047––
Sep 14atMiami (OH)W 27–⁠161000––
Sep 21vs.HoustonW 34–⁠03804––
Sep 28atTexas TechL 41–⁠441101––
2022 Merrimack 11 games, 757 rushing yards, 10 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2vs.Holy CrossL 17–⁠31625015––
Sep 9vs.AssumptionW 45–⁠17635120––
Sep 16atHarvardL 21–⁠2851103––
Sep 24atDelaware StateW 26–⁠13115319––
Oct 1vs.Long Island UniversityW 24–⁠2322110121––
Oct 8atDuquesneW 28–⁠2122124228––
Oct 15vs.WagnerW 54–⁠1719128438––
Oct 22vs.Sacred HeartW 31–⁠251986128––
Oct 29atStonehillW 17–⁠101383034––
Nov 12atCentral ConnecticutW 20–⁠14153807––
Nov 19vs.Saint FrancisL 23–⁠52146409––

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

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