Ismail Mahdi
Ismail Mahdi
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Two head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. He has been named All-Sun Belt two seasons running, most recently in 2024. The receipt: 189 rush yds, 32 rec yds against Kansas State — Week 3, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
Career Arc
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2023)
1 selectors honored him
ALL-CONFERENCE · 1ST TEAM
All-Conf 1st team (2024)
All-Sun Belt
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jedd Fisch → Brent Brennan. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Brent Brennan
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 3 · RecognizedR09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
All-Conference HM / 2nd team. Conference recognition has started.
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2023)
1 selectors honored him
ALL-CONFERENCE · 1ST TEAM
All-Conf 1st team (2024)
All-Sun Belt
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Arizona | 133 | 853 | 6.4 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | Texas State | 183 | 991 | 5.4 | 4 | -- |
| 2023 | Texas State | 223 | 1,331 | 6.0 | 10 | -- |
| Career | 539 | 3,175 | 5.9 | 18 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Arizona | 17 | 119 | 7.0 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Texas State | 24 | 195 | 8.1 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Texas State | 20 | 275 | 13.8 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 61 | 589 | 9.7 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025
W 23–17
vs Kansas State
189 rush yds (22 car)
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 6 at home.
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Arizona
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Arizona
Returning around him
- 56% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 4 Arizona players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (22 in / 20 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Arizona · Last season: 9-4 (AP #21) · Talent rank #67 · 2026 recruiting class #42
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jamal Haynes’s 2023 season.
Matches Jamal on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Devon Achane's junior season at Texas A&M (2022).
Matches Devon on
Differs from Devon on
Player DNA
Players who play like Ismail Mahdi
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2025
Peak #107
Peaked at #107 this season.
Development
Development Trajectory · rushing yards
2023–2025-36%
Sharp dropoff (-36%) — career inflection point.