Short-yardage / goal-line · enumeration
Who gets the tough yard
15/203rd/4th & short
14/22Inside-5 share
15 of 20 on 3rd/4th-and-2-or-less (75.0%). 14 of the team's 22 inside-the-5 carries (63.6%).
Dontel James
Last confirmed: Fresno State, 2016. No 2026 box-score games on record.
6′0″ · Fontana, CA · Colony
Dontel James: RB · Fresno State · #28.
Players he’s like
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Dontel James
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Two seasons at Fresno State, two different head coaches: Tim DeRuyter and Eric Kiesau. On tape: 169 rushing yards and 1 reception against Nevada, Week 6, 2016.
How he plays
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
News and fans
No outlet on our list has written about him by name this season.
Where to follow him
Career stats
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Fresno State | 208 | 697 | 3.4 | 5 |
| 2014 | Fresno State | 5 | 8 | 1.6 | 0 |
| Career | 213 | 705 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Season | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Fresno State | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Fresno State | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 |
| Career | 4 | 17 | 4.2 | 0 |
Game log
Game log · Week-by-week
2016 season · 11 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 10-43@ Nebraska | 12 | 20 | 1.7 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wk 2 | W 31-3vs Sacramento State | 27 | 121 | 4.5 | 1 | 19 | |
| Wk 3 | L 17-52@ Toledo | 13 | 40 | 3.1 | 0 | 18 | |
| Wk 4 | L 41-48vs Tulsa | 21 | 65 | 3.1 | 1 | 13 | |
| Wk 5 | L 20-45@ UNLV | 18 | 53 | 2.9 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 6 | L 22-27@ Nevada | 27 | 169 | 6.3 | 1 | 34 | Season-high 169 yds |
| Wk 7 | L 3-17vs San Diego State | 15 | 34 | 2.3 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 8 | L 20-38@ Utah State | 29 | 80 | 2.8 | 1 | 20 | |
| Wk 9 | L 21-31vs Air Force | 19 | 24 | 1.3 | 0 | 6 | |
| Wk 12 | L 13-14vs Hawai'i | 15 | 49 | 3.3 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 13 | L 14-16vs San José State | 12 | 42 | 3.5 | 1 | 17 | |
| Total | 208 | 697 | 3.4 | 5 | 34 |
Signature game
Week 2 · 2016
W 31-3
Signature plays
The plays that mattered most
- Week 5 · UNLV · 4th and 1 · Q2 · EPA −3.48Dontel James run for no gain to the UNLV 23
- Week 6 · Nevada · 1st and 10 · Q1 · EPA +2.65Dontel James run for 34 yds to the FrsSt 48 for a
- Week 2 · Sacramento State · 1st and 10 · Q4 · EPA +2.58Dontel James run for 17 yds for a TD, (Kody Kroening KICK)
- Week 4 · Tulsa · 3rd and 2 · Q1 · EPA +2.54Dontel James run for 2 yds for a TD, (Kody Kroening KICK)
- Week 6 · Nevada · 2nd and 10 · Q3 · EPA +2.12Dontel James run for 16 yds to the FrsSt 41 for a
- Week 4 · Tulsa · 3rd and 2 · Q3 · EPA +2.05Dontel James run for 12 yds to the Tulsa 44 for a
4 more plays
- Week 1 · Nebraska · 4th and 2 · Q1 · EPA +2.04Dontel James run for 3 yds to the Neb 37 for a
- Week 13 · San José State · 2nd and 1 · Q2 · EPA +1.90Dontel James run for 1 yd for a TD, (Kody Kroening KICK)
- Week 2 · Sacramento State · 3rd and 11 · Q2 · EPA +1.90Dontel James run for 19 yds to the SacSt 5 for a
- Week 6 · Nevada · 1st and 5 · Q4 · EPA +1.88Dontel James run for 5 yds for a TD, (Two-Point Conversion failed )
Rushing profile
Rush profile · Shape, efficiency, and ball security
How he gets his yards, and how often it works
208 of 208 carries matched to play-by-play
Success rate
33%208 carriesFumble rate
1.4%3 of 208 carries · 2 lostStuffed
0 or fewer yds26%of carries
55 carries
Grind
1–3 yds38%of carries
78 carries
Chunk
4–9 yds28%of carries
59 carries
Explosive
10+ yds8%of carries
16 carries
15 of 20 (75%) converted on 3rd/4th & short (≤2 to go) · 4 of 14 (29%) scored from inside the 5-yard line
3.4 yds/carry on 208 carries · 8% explosive (10+ yds) · 33% success rate.
Situational
Situational · Carry shape (PBP, full season)
Yardage DNA
26%
Stuffed (≤0)
38%
Grind (1–3)
28%
Chunk (4–9)
8%
Explosive (10+)
Teams and coaches
2014Fresno State6-8HC: Tim DeRuyter · Balanced, fast tempo
2016Fresno State1-11HC: Eric Kiesau · Balanced
Our ratings
Splits
Home and road splits, scheme and staff
Splits · Per-game
2016 season · 11 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 55.8 | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| Road5g | 72.4 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 71.7 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+4g | 48.8 | 2.7 | 0.5 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Eric Kiesau
Pass share
47.9%
405 pass / 440 run
Plays / game
70.4
12 games
Team sack rate
6.9%
448 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2016
Starter
208 carries and 3 catches in 11 games, more touches a game than nearly every FBS running back who plays every week.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Four seasons at Fresno State
- 2016 Fresno State DeRuyterYear 4 · 11 games
- 2015 Fresno State DeRuyterYear 3 · on the roster, no stat line
- 2014 Fresno State DeRuyterYear 2 · 1 game
- 2013 Fresno State DeRuyterYear 1 · on the roster, no stat line
- Before collegeSigned with Fresno State in 2013 as a 3-star recruit, No. 1,654 in the country.
His moves
- Signed with Fresno State in the 2013 class, a 3-star recruit.
How it ended
Two seasons at Fresno State, 705 rushing yards — his college career is complete.
His career
2013
- Signed with Fresno State3-star out of Colony
Coaching lineage · 2013–2016
2 coaches2013–2015
Fresno State
Coaching transition mid-career: Tim DeRuyter → Eric Kiesau. Worth noting in scheme + development context.