Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 4 | 25 | 6.3 | 0 | 10 | |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 13 | 35 | 2.7 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 3 | W 27-13vs Syracuse | 14 | 81 | 5.8 | 1 | 16 | Season-high 81 yds |
| Total | 31 | 141 | 4.9 | 1 | 16 |
#29
La'Vell Wright
6th-year running back for Pittsburgh. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 215 lb · Louisville, KY · North Hardin
CFB Index 60 · #77 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Western Kentucky → Pittsburgh for 2026
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
141
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 81 rush yds, 1 TD, 5 rec yds, vs Syracuse
Swing playSwung Western Kentucky from 30% to 54% to win.Western Kentucky at Southern Miss · 27-16
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
6th-year running back for Pittsburgh. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Kentucky in 2021.
- Transferred from Western Kentucky to Pittsburgh in 2026.
La'Vell Wright
Wears you down at the goal line. La'Vell Wright has played for three head coaches across four seasons and three programs. His first career honor landed in 2025: Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week. One game to point at: 81 rush yds, 5 rec yds against Syracuse — Week 3, 2026.
141 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 31 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2021
- Signed with Kentucky3-star out of North Hardin
2024
The snaps went the other way.
- 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
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2021–2026
1 coach2021–2022
Pittsburgh
2025–2026
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Pittsburgh
2025Western Kentucky
2026Pittsburgh
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 31 | 141 | 4.5 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 85 | 471 | 5.5 | 10 | -- |
| 2022 | Kentucky | 38 | 116 | 3.1 | 0 | -- |
| 2021 | Kentucky | 9 | 118 | 13.1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 163 | 846 | 5.2 | 12 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 10 | 88 | 8.8 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Kentucky | 6 | 28 | 4.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2021 | Kentucky | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 19 | 149 | 7.8 | 1 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
La'Vell Wright'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 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
35 rush yds (13 car)
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
With G. Russo — 40.8 yards per punt · 8 punts · 3 inside the 20 · M. Heintschel — 212 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.1 · 13 rush yds (7 car)
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +81 rushing yards, +1 rushing TD, +1 catch.
Season context · Team result + system
2021Kentucky10-3HC: Mark Stoops · Run-leaning
2022Kentucky7-6HC: Mark Stoops · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Western Kentucky9-4HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2026Pittsburgh3-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 47.0 | 4.9 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 47.0 | 4.9 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Pass share
47.5%
96 pass / 106 run
Plays / game
67.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.8%
105 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Short-yardage and goal-line specialist. Carries the load, owns the red zone.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Power Back
Short-yardage and goal-line specialist. Carries the load, owns the red zone.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kevin Perkins’s 2020 season.
70%match
Matches Kevin on
Receiving share
Weight
Class year
Differs from Kevin on
Yards / reception (higher)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Isaac Guerendo's senior season at Louisville (2023).
70%match
NFL Rd 4
Matches Isaac on
Yards / carry
Height
Receiving share
Differs from Isaac on
Rush TD rate (higher)
Background
Enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in January 2026 following his transfer from Western Kentucky. WESTERN KENTUCKY (2025): Played in all 13 games for the Hilltoppers in his first year with the program…rushed for 471 yards on 85 carries with a team-leading ten touchdowns…caught 10 passes…
The backfield · Pittsburgh
- #25Ja'Kyrian Turner747 rushing yards · 2025
- #29La'Vell Wright471 rushing yards · 2025
- #5Justin Cook31 rushing yards · 2025
- #34Ethan Shine1 game · 2025
- #27Jaylin Brown1 game · 2026
2 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology