Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 13-38vs Mississippi State | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-7vs Akron | 8 | 40 | 5.0 | 1 | 17 | Season-high 40 yds |
| Total | 10 | 44 | 3.5 | 1 | 17 |
#2
A.J. Turner
Senior running back for Minnesota. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 200 lb · Hampton, VA · Life Christian Academy
CFB Index 69 · #38 of 310 RBsHigh confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
44
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 40 rush yds, 1 TD, vs Akron
Statement game15 car · 177 yds · 3 TDvs Georgia State (FBS) · W 35-20
Top 1% rushing yards game since 2021.
I’m going to make a bold statement here and say one of GSU’s halftime adjustments should be to keep an eye on that AJ Turner fella.r/CFB game thread · ▲ 4His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior running back for Minnesota. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Carolina in 2015.
A.J. Turner
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Two head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. In 2024 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Sun Belt. The receipt on tape: 40 rush yds, 1 tackles against Akron, Week 3, 2026.
44 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 10 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2015
- Signed with South Carolina3-star out of Centreville
20227 games
- Signed with Marshall3-star out of Life Christian Academy
202411 games
- All-Sun Beltsecond
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-SUN BELT · 2ND TEAM
All-Sun Belt 2nd team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Minnesota
Played his entire career under P.J. Fleck.
Career stats
Game log
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 3 · Akron · 1&4 · Q4 · EPA +1.69(11:37) Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush right for 4 yards gain to the AKRON00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 11:34 #12 L.Drzewiecki kick attempt good (H: #42 T.Weston, LS: #52 A.Soukup)
- Week 3 · Akron · 3&1 · Q3 · EPA +1.00(00:47) Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush middle for 4 yards gain to the MINN34 (#29 T.Davis), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Mississippi State · 3&2 · Q1 · EPA -0.92(03:40) Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush middle for 1 yard loss to the MSST26 (#10 J.Smith; #5 J.Gilbert)
- Week 3 · Akron · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.75(14:07) Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush middle for 17 yards gain to the AKRON29 (#32 D.Johnson), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Akron · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.63(14:43) #2 A.Turner rush middle for 0 yards to the MINN36 (#1 C.Durham)
- Week 3 · Akron · 2&4 · Q2 · EPA -0.46(03:58) Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush right for 3 yards gain to the MINN48 (#97 V.Kavals)
- Week 3 · Akron · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.29(06:21) #2 A.Turner rush middle for 6 yards gain to the AKRON37 (#32 D.Johnson; #8 J.Mixon)
- Week 3 · Akron · 2&5 · Q1 · EPA -0.17(13:27) Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush left for 3 yards gain to the AKRON20 (#18 D.Nunoo). #78 A.Beers injured on the play
- Week 2 · Mississippi State · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA +0.10(10:18) Shotgun #5 D.Lindsey pass complete short right to #2 A.Turner caught at MINN36, for 5 yards to the MINN39 (#10 J.Smith), out of bounds
- Week 3 · Akron · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.09(03:11) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 A.Turner rush middle for 3 yards gain to the AKRON08 (#32 D.Johnson)
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +40 rushing yards, +1 rushing TD.
Season context · Team result + system
2022Marshall9-4HC: Charles Huff · Run-heavy
2023Marshall6-7HC: Charles Huff · Balanced
2024Marshall10-3HC: Charles Huff · Run-leaning
2025Minnesota8-5HC: P.J. Fleck · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Minnesota2-1HC: P.J. Fleck · Pass-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 22.0 YDS/g, 3.5 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
P.J. Fleck
Pass share
57.1%
112 pass / 84 run
Plays / game
65.3
3 games
Team sack rate
1.7%
119 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Pass-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
RB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Anthony Watkins’s 2021 season.
66%match
Matches Anthony on
Rush TD rate
Weight
Height
Differs from Anthony on
Class year (lower)
Total rush EPA (college ability) (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Dae Dae Hunter's junior season at Liberty (2022).
58%match
Matches Dae on
Weight
EPA / carry (adj)
Differs from Dae on
Yards / carry (higher)
Height (higher)
Receiving share (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like A.J. Turner
Background
PRONUNCIATION Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. HONORS: All-SBC Second Team Running Back (2024) OVERVIEW: Enrolled at Minnesota in January 2025 • spent the previous three seasons (2022-24) at Marshall where he was an All-SBC Second Team Running Back in 2024. 2025: Played in three games…
The backfield · Minnesota
- #1Darius Taylor670 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Grant Washington132 rushing yards · 2025
- #2A.J. Turner64 rushing yards · 2025
- #9Xavier Ford35 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Jaron Thomas15 rushing yards · 2025
4 more on the roster · Minnesota team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology