Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 31-14vs North Alabama | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 2 | L 10-43@ Utah | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 23 | Season-high 23 yds |
| Total | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | 23 |
#8
Donovan Faupel
Senior wide receiver for Arkansas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 201 lb · Riverside, CA
CFB Index 66 · #99 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceTransferred New Mexico State → Arkansas 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
32
receiving yards · 2026
2 catches · 16 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 9 rec · 78 yds · 2 TD -- top 1% catches game. -- Best game: 1 rec, 23 yds, at Utah
The play that turned itSwung New Mexico State from 23% to 61% to win.Missouri State at New Mexico State · 24-17
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 wide receiver for Arkansas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to New Mexico State in 2023.
- Transferred from New Mexico State to Arkansas in 2026.
Donovan Faupel
Wins underneath on volume and route precision. Donovan Faupel has played for three head coaches across four seasons and two programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Conference USA. One game to point at: 23 rec yds, 1 receptions against Utah — Week 2, 2026.
32 REC YDS · 2 REC · 0 REC TD
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.
The week the volume broke through — put up 97 yds at New Mexico.New Mexico · L 20-382025
20235 games
- Signed with New Mexico State2-star out of Corona Centennial
202510 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Conference USAsecond
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE USA · 2ND TEAM
All-Conference USA 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Arkansas
Coaching transition mid-career: Sam Pittman → Ryan Silverfield. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Arkansas
2025New Mexico State
2026Arkansas
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023New Mexico State10-5HC: Jerry Kill · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2024New Mexico State3-9HC: Tony Sanchez · Run-heavy
2025New Mexico State4-8HC: Tony Sanchez · Pass-leaning
2026Arkansas1-1HC: Ryan Silverfield · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 1.0 REC/g, 16.0 YDS/g, 16.0 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arkansas | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico State | 61 | 661 | 10.8 | 7 | -- |
| 2024 | New Mexico State | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | New Mexico State | 8 | 98 | 12.2 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 74 | 839 | 11.3 | 8 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arkansas | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | New Mexico State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | New Mexico State | 1 | 18 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | New Mexico State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 1 | 18 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 31–14
1 rec · 9 yds
With K. Jackson — 267 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · 27 rush yds (10 car) · G. Rush — 48 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 51 LONG
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Slot Technician
Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Devin Mccuin’s 2025 season.
82%match
All-AAC
Matches Devin on
TD rate
Yards / reception
Total EPA (college ability)
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Derick Eugene’s path through Long Island University.
Matches Derick on
Yards per reception
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Devin Mccuin's junior season at UTSA (2025).
85%match
All-AAC
Matches Devin on
TD rate
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Player DNA
Players who play like Donovan Faupel
The receiver room · Arkansas
- #8Donovan Faupel661 receiving yards · 2025
- #9Jamari Hawkins623 receiving yards · 2025
- #6Chris Marshall574 receiving yards · 2025
- #3CJ Brown319 receiving yards · 2025
- #1Courtney Crutchfield35 receiving yards · 2025
11 more on the roster · Arkansas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology