Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-7vs Lafayette | 7 | 46 | 6.6 | 1 | 25 | |
| Wk 2 | L 14-38vs Maryland | 9 | 17 | 1.9 | 0 | 8 | |
| Wk 3 | W 48-20@ Southern Miss | 15 | 64 | 4.3 | 0 | 9 | Season-high 64 yds |
| Total | 31 | 127 | 4.3 | 1 | 25 |
#3
Kenji Christian
Kenji Christian packed up and started over at UConn — the fit is the whole question.
6′2″ · 207 lb · Birmingham, AL · Pinson Valley HS
CFB Index 49 · #130 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceIn transfer portal — destination TBD (from Toledo)
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
127
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 46 rush yds, 1 TD, 22 rec yds, vs Lafayette
Swing playSwung Toledo from 76% to 97% to win.Toledo at Central Michigan · 21-3
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior running back for UConn. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Virginia Tech in 2021.
Kenji Christian
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-22
Kenji Christian arrives at UConn with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
127RUSH YDS1RUSH TD31CARRIES
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-22
His career
2021
- Signed with Virginia Tech3-star out of Pinson Valley
2023
- Entered the portal
202513 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Gordon Sammis
UConn
Coaching transition mid-career: Gordon Sammis → Jason Candle. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
In Portal · 2026
In transfer portal
2025Toledo
DestinationTBD
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Kenji Christian'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 56–7
vs Lafayette
46 rush yds (7 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 49-point win at home against Lafayette.
With K. Osborne — 265 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · 90 rush yds (8 car) · 2 TD · T. Warner — 43 yards per punt · 2 punts · 1 inside the 20
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Lafayette · 4&5 · Q1 · EPA +3.59(07:22) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 K.Osborne pass complete short right to #3 K.Christian caught at LF16, for 18 yards to the LF00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:15, 1ST DOWN #9 J.O'Connor kick attempt good (H: #49 T.Warner, LS: #59 D.Laganga)
- Week 1 · Lafayette · 1&19 · Q2 · EPA +3.24(02:42) Shotgun #3 K.Christian rush left for 25 yards gain to the LF00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:36, 1ST DOWN #9 J.O'Connor kick attempt good (H: #49 T.Warner, LS: #59 D.Laganga)
- Week 2 · Maryland · 3&7 · Q1 · EPA +2.39(10:06) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 K.Osborne pass complete short left to #3 K.Christian caught at UC34, for 10 yards to the UC45 (#1 D.Wingate), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Lafayette · 4&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.29(10:31) Shotgun #7 K.Osborne pass complete short left to #3 K.Christian caught at LF46, for 4 yards to the LF40 (#5 C.Watson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Southern Miss · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +2.00(03:09) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 K.Osborne pass complete short left to #3 K.Christian caught at CONN27, for 22 yards to the CONN48 (#25 L.Sylvie), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Maryland · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.96(14:47) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 K.Christian rush left for 4 yards loss to the UC49 (#11 S.Stewart; #12 J.Shipps)
- Week 3 · Southern Miss · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.70(09:01) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 K.Osborne pass complete short right to #3 K.Christian caught at CONN50, for 14 yards to the USM32 (#11 A.Wilson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Lafayette · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA -1.11(12:02) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 K.Christian rush right for 1 yard loss to the UC38, End Of Play
- Week 1 · Lafayette · 2&3 · Q1 · EPA +1.01(14:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 K.Christian rush middle for 11 yards gain to the UC43 (#7 D.LeBeouf), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Maryland · 3&2 · Q3 · EPA +0.98(07:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 K.Christian rush middle for 2 yards gain to the UC33 (#40 N.Taylor; #11 S.Stewart), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +64 rushing yards, +2 catches.
Season context · Team result + system
2025Toledo8-5HC: Robert Weiner · Run-leaning
2026UConn2-1HC: Jason Candle · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rec yards (92nd percentile). Concern: carries (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 31.5 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Road1g | 64.0 | 4.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 42.3 | 4.3 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jason Candle
Pass share
40.3%
79 pass / 117 run
Plays / game
65.3
3 games
Team sack rate
8.3%
96 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Does a little of everything without one standout trait.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kyson Brown’s 2024 season.
Matches Kyson on
Receiving share
Rush TD rate
Differs from Kyson on
Yards / reception (lower)
Class year (higher)
Height (higher)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Calvin Turner’s path through Hawai'i.
99%match
All-Mountain West
#2
Cooper Wallace
98%
Matches Calvin on
Yards per carry
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Nahree Biggins's junior season at Central Michigan (2025).
Matches Nahree on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Height
Yards / reception
Differs from Nahree on
Class year (lower)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #185
Peaked at #185 this season.
Background
Prior to UConn: Christian played for Toledo in 2025 and finished with 546 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He hauled in 17 passes for 193 yards and one receiving score. Prior to heading to Toledo, spent two seasons at North Carolina A&T. He had had 718 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 and…
The backfield · UConn
- #3Kenji Christian528 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Trey Cornist469 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Cyncir Bowers249 rushing yards · 2025
- #24Dashun Reeder222 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Jaden Hart53 rushing yards · 2025
2 more on the roster · UConn team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology