#8

AJ Hairston

QB · Merrimack · Fr. · #8

Transferred Massachusetts → Merrimack for 2026
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

AJ Hairston

QB · Massachusetts · Fr · #8

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#2146 national
CFB
College
Massachusetts
2024–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Where He Ended Up · Transfer

Transferred to Merrimack

2025Massachusetts
2026Merrimack

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2024Massachusetts2-10HC: Shane Montgomery · Run-leaning
2025Massachusetts0-12HC: Joe Harasymiak · Balanced

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2025Massachusetts10721649.5%9574.44489.2----
2024Massachusetts407354.8%4806.650132.6----
Career14728950.9%1,4375.094100.1----
SeasonTeam
2025Massachusetts4330.10--
2024Massachusetts24-5-0.21--
Career67-2-0.01--

How he plays

Play style

Operates within the system without forcing anything.

CFB Index positional classification

DNA match

Player DNA

Pocket Passer

Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.

QB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Landyn Locke’s 2025 season.

Landyn Locke

68%match

Sam Houston · 2025

#2

Tad Hudson

Coastal Carolina · 2025

56%
#3

Joey Yellen

Hawai'i · 2022

56%
#4

Artur Sitkowski

Illinois · 2021

55%
#5

Devin Kargman

Kent State · 2024

54%

Matches Landyn on

Yards / attempt
Height
TD rate

Differs from Landyn on

INT rate (lower)
Weight (higher)

Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Victor Gabalis’s path through Tarleton State.

Tarleton State · 2025

#2

Jack Salopek

Western Michigan · 2023

89%
#3

D.J. Mack Jr.

Old Dominion · 2021

88%
#4

Breylin Smith

Central Arkansas · 2021

88%
#5

AJ Bianco

Nevada · 2025

86%

Matches Victor on

Height
Completion %
Yards per attempt
20242025

As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Joey Yellen's sophomore season at Hawai'i (2022).

Joey Yellen

52%match

Hawai'i · 2022

#2

Artur Sitkowski

Illinois · 2021

51%
#3

Brandon Rose

Massachusetts · 2025

48%
#4

Tyler Vitt

Texas State · 2021

45%
#5

Ken Seals

Vanderbilt · 2021

43%

Differs from Joey on

Class year (lower)
Recruiting rating (lower)
TD rate (higher)

Player DNA

Players who play like AJ Hairston

#1

Jack Salopek

Western Michigan · 2022

89%
#2

D.J. Mack Jr.

Old Dominion · 2021

88%
#3

AJ Bianco

Nevada · 2023

86%
#4

Brady Olson

Massachusetts · 2021

77%
#5

Carson Conklin

Fresno State · 2025

77%

Heisman trajectory

Heisman Trajectory · 2025

Peak #1638

Final rank
#2670
Avg #2336.3
Finalist prob 0%

Peaked at #1638 this season.

Development

Development Trajectory · passing yards

2024–2025
4802024
9572025

+99%

Up 99% from first season to most-recent.