Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 21-17vs UAlbany | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 0 | 17 | |
| Wk 2 | L 20-33@ Florida International | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wk 3 | L 13-55@ Penn State | 20 | 80 | 4.0 | 1 | 16 | Season-high 80 yds |
| Total | 23 | 105 | 8.3 | 1 | 17 |
#24
James McNeil Jr.
Junior running back for Buffalo. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 217 lb · Buffalo, NY
The numbers
105
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 80 rush yds, 1 TD, at Penn State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior running back for Buffalo. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Buffalo in 2024.
James McNeil Jr.
James McNeil Jr. has played for two head coaches in three seasons at Buffalo. The receipt on tape: 80 rush yds, 1 rush TD against Penn State, Week 3, 2026.
105 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 23 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Buffaloout of Bishop Timon-St. Jude
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Buffalo
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Buffalo
Coaching transition mid-career: Maurice Linguist → Pete Lembo. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
James McNeil Jr.'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 21–17
vs UAlbany
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +80 rushing yards, +1 rushing TD.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Buffalo9-4HC: Maurice Linguist · Run-heavy
2025Buffalo5-7HC: Pete Lembo · Balanced
2026Buffalo1-2HC: Pete Lembo · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 17.0 | 17.0 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 44.0 | 4.0 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 35.0 | 8.3 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pete Lembo
Pass share
54.9%
113 pass / 93 run
Plays / game
68.7
3 games
Team sack rate
4.3%
117 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
The backfield · Buffalo
- #25Terrance Shelton Jr.244 rushing yards · 2025
- #24James McNeil Jr.67 rushing yards · 2025
- #4Messiah Burch41 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Devare Mathis1 game · 2025
- Nino Hill2 games · 2026
1 more on the roster · Buffalo team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology