Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | W 42-17vs Northern Illinois | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | 7 | Season-high 9 yds |
#21
Ismail Mahdi
5th-year running back for Arizona. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
5′9″ · 185 lb · Murphy, TX · Plano East HS
CFB Index 65 · #50 of 326 RBsHigh confidence
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
9
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
1 game into 2026 so far -- Backed by 22 car · 189 yds -- top 1% rushing yards game. -- Best game: 9 rush yds, vs Northern Illinois
The play that turned itSwung Louisiana from 12% to 79% to win.Texas State at Louisiana · 34-30
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
5th-year running back for Arizona. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed with Houston Christian in 2022.
- Transferred from Texas State to Arizona in 2025.
- Named All-America (CBS) in 2023.
- Mahdi, Harris gain eligibility via court ruling (Sep 12) Reported
Ismail Mahdi
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Two head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. He has been named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week three seasons running, most recently in 2025. The receipt: 9 rush yds against Northern Illinois — Week 3, 2026.
9 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 2 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.
2022
- Signed with Houston Christianout of Plano East
202313 games
- Entered the portal
- All-Americafirst
- All-Sun Beltfirst
202412 games
- All-Sun Beltfirst
202513 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥇
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2023)
1 selectors honored him
🥈
ALL-SUN BELT · 1ST TEAM
All-Sun Belt 1st team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Arizona
Coaching transition mid-career: Jedd Fisch → Brent Brennan. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arizona | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | -- |
| 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 | 541 | 3,184 | 5.9 | 18 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arizona | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 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 | -- |
Game log
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Texas State8-5HC: G.J. Kinne · Run-leaning
2024Texas State8-5HC: G.J. Kinne · Run-leaning
2025Arizona9-4HC: Brent Brennan · Balanced
2026Arizona2-1HC: Brent Brennan · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush 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 1 game: 9.0 YDS/g, 4.5 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Brent Brennan
Pass share
53.6%
105 pass / 91 run
Plays / game
65.3
3 games
Team sack rate
7.7%
117 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #6 of 35 Big 12 RBs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jamal Haynes’s 2023 season.
90%match
All-ACC
Matches Jamal on
EPA / carry (adj)
Yards / reception
Height
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).
74%match
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 21
Matches Devon on
Yards / carry
Rush TD rate
Yards / reception
Differs from Devon on
Class year (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Ismail Mahdi
Background
Purchase Jersey Headlines Ismail Mahdi, Max Harris return to Arizona football for final season (Arizona Daily Star) Bear Down BBQ: Arizona RB Ismail Mahdi becomes co-owner of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Tucson (Arizona Daily Star) Honors and Awards 2025: CSC Academic All-District 2025: All-Big 12…
The backfield · Arizona
- #21Ismail Mahdi853 rushing yards · 2025
- #44Antwan Roberts512 rushing yards · 2025
- #3Kedrick Reescano396 rushing yards · 2025
- #24Quincy Craig364 rushing yards · 2025
- Wesley Yarbrough77 rushing yards · 2025
3 more on the roster · Arizona team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology