Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 24-10vs Oklahoma State | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 | |
| Wk 2 | W 23-17@ Sam Houston | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 3 | W 42-0vs East Texas A&M | 7 | 56 | 8.0 | 0 | 16 | Season-high 56 yds |
| Total | 12 | 70 | 4.6 | 0 | 16 |
#4
DJ McKinney
Redshirt junior running back for Tulsa. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
5′9″ · 190 lb · Tulsa, OK · Union HS
CFB Index 38 · #239 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred New Mexico → Tulsa for 2026
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
70
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 56 rush yds, vs East Texas A&M
The play that turned itSwung New Mexico from 42% to 94% to win.Colorado State at New Mexico · 20-17
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Redshirt junior running back for Tulsa. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Sam Houston in 2023.
- Transferred from New Mexico to Tulsa in 2026.
- Named Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2024.
DJ McKinney
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Across three seasons and three programs, three head coaches: K.C. Keeler, Jason Eck and Tre Lamb. Two straight seasons of it now: Preseason All-Big 12 (media) again in 2025. The receipt: 56 rush yds against East Texas A&M — Week 3, 2026.
70 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 12 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
2023
- Signed with Sam Houstonout of Tulsa Union
202412 games
- Entered the portal
- Conference USA Freshman of the Yearwinner
- All-Conference USA
202513 games
- Entered the portal
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE USA
All-Conference USA mention (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Tulsa
2025–2026era →
Tre Lamb
Tulsa
Coaching transition mid-career: Kevin Wilson → Tre Lamb. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tulsa
2025New Mexico
2026Tulsa
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tulsa | 12 | 70 | 5.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico | 111 | 464 | 4.2 | 7 | -- |
| 2024 | Sam Houston | 97 | 481 | 5.0 | 3 | -- |
| Career | 220 | 1,015 | 4.6 | 10 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tulsa | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico | 15 | 161 | 10.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Sam Houston | 12 | 99 | 8.2 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 29 | 274 | 9.4 | 0 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
DJ McKinney's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 24–10
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Oklahoma State · 2&11 · Q3 · EPA +2.28(08:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 B.Hayes pass complete short left to #4 D.McKinney caught at TLS44, for 20 yards to the OSU30 (#1 E.Jackson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · East Texas A&M · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.99(02:54) Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush right for 11 yards gain to the ET 43 (#14 E.Hughes; #7 D.Spruiells), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Sam Houston · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA -1.88(11:02) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush middle for 4 yards loss to the TLS44 (#33 B.Bates Jr.)
- Week 1 · Oklahoma State · 2&17 · Q4 · EPA -1.87No Huddle-Shotgun #10 B.Hayes pass complete short right to #4 D.McKinney caught at OSU47, for 6 yards loss to the OSU46 (#10 J.Williams)
- Week 3 · East Texas A&M · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.07(09:40) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush middle for 9 yards gain to the TLS49 (#0 T.Gilbert)
- Week 3 · East Texas A&M · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.04(07:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush left for 16 yards gain to the ET 37 (#14 E.Hughes), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · East Texas A&M · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.75(06:38) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush middle for 0 yards to the ET 37 (#93 I.Hare)
- Week 3 · East Texas A&M · 2&6 · Q2 · EPA +0.54(12:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush middle for 11 yards gain to the ET 24 (#0 T.Gilbert), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Oklahoma State · 3&7 · Q1 · EPA -0.39(05:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush middle for 3 yards gain to the OSU35 (#3 T.Romney)
- Week 1 · Oklahoma State · 2&1 · Q3 · EPA -0.34(00:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.McKinney rush right for 4 yards gain to the OSU33 (#2 I.Chisom; #3 T.Romney), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +56 rushing yards.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Sam Houston10-3HC: K.C. Keeler · Run-heavy
2025New Mexico9-4HC: Jason Eck · Run-leaning
2026Tulsa3-0HC: Tre Lamb · Run-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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 31.5 | 5.8 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 7.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 23.3 | 4.6 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tre Lamb
Pass share
42.8%
83 pass / 111 run
Plays / game
64.7
3 games
Team sack rate
4.2%
95 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to David Mbadinga’s 2024 season.
Matches David on
Yards / carry
Height
Weight
Differs from David on
Receiving share (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Devin Miles’s path through Western Michigan.
88%match
#3
Ryan Ingram
87%
Matches Devin on
Yards per carry
Weight
Height
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Diore Hubbard's sophomore season at West Virginia (2025).
70%match
Matches Diore on
Receiving share
Weight
Differs from Diore on
Class year (higher)
Height (lower)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like DJ McKinney
Background
CAREER NOTES: Played at New Mexico and Sam Houston prior to coming to Tulsa … Has appeared in 25 career games making seven starts … Has 945 career rushing yards on 208 carries … Has 10 rushing touchdowns … Has 260 receiving yards on 27 receptions. 2024 Conference USA Freshman of the Year PRIOR…
The backfield · Tulsa
- #20Trequan Jones792 rushing yards · 2025
- #4DJ McKinney464 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Damari Alston128 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Seth Davis47 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Kelvin Washington21 rushing yards · 2025
2 more on the roster · Tulsa team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology