Lew Nichols

Former running back at Central Michigan. 2022: 601 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD, 21 catches.

RB · Central Michigan · So. · #7

5′11″ · 222 lb · Detroit, MI

CFB Index 29 · #308 of 317 RBsHigh confidenceGreen Bay — drafted 2023, Rd 7, Pick 18, #235 overall

The story

Former running back at Central Michigan. 2022: 601 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD, 21 catches.

Drafted round 7 by the Green Bay in 2023.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Central Michigan, 3,046 rushing yards — drafted at #235 overall by Green Bay.

His career

He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

2023

Drafted by Green Bayround 7, pick 235

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

Central Michigan

2019–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

R7 · #235

Green Bay · 2023

Coaching lineage · 2019–2022

1 coach

2019–2022

Jim McElwain

Central Michigan

Played his entire career under Jim McElwain.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Green BayEntering 4th NFL season

#235Rd 7 · Pick 18

Green BayEntering 4th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Jim McElwain — 24-21 over that span.

2019Central Michigan8-6HC: Jim McElwain · Balanced

2020Central Michigan3-3HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning

2021Central Michigan9-4HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2022Central Michigan4-8HC: Jim McElwain · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score percentiles

29Below cohort / limited sample #308 of 317?

High confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: carries (86th percentile). Concern: yards / carry (4th percentile).

Box-score rates (8)

Carries#49 / 346 · 86th pct

177

Receptions#64 / 338 · 80th pct

Rec yards#102 / 338 · 70th pct

128

Rush TDs#107 / 346 · 65th pct

Rush yards#125 / 346 · 64th pct

601

Long run#252 / 346 · 26th pct

Fumbles lost#195 / 244 · 13th pct

Yards / carry#331 / 346 · 4th pct

3.4

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 9 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home4g	79.5	3.4	1.0
Road5g	56.6	3.3	0.4

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	75.7	3.3	1.0
Weeks 8+3g	49.0	3.4	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Matt Drinkall

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

Part-time starter

Splitting first-team reps — starts some weeks, rotates others.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

29 · #308 of 317 RBs

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Central Michigan	177	601	3.4	6	--
2021	Central Michigan	341	1,848	5.4	16	--
2020	Central Michigan	78	508	6.5	4	--
2019	Central Michigan	19	89	4.7	0	--
Career		615	3,046	5.0	26	--

Season	Team
2022	Central Michigan	21	128	6.1	0	--
2021	Central Michigan	40	338	8.4	2	--
2020	Central Michigan	10	109	10.9	1	--
2019	Central Michigan	--	--	--	--	--
Career		71	575	8.1	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2022

W 41–0

vs Bucknell

166 rush yds (30 car) · 2 TD

Dominant 41-point win at home against Bucknell.

With J. Bauer — 44 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 99.3 · 47 rush yds (6 car) · 2 TD · D. Richardson — 198 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 26.1

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 6 · Ball State · 4&1 · Q1 · EPA -3.54Lew Nichols III run for no gain to the BalSt 22
Week 6 · Ball State · 4&3 · Q1 · EPA +2.71Lew Nichols III run for 6 yds to the BalSt 46 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Oklahoma State · 4&2 · Q4 · EPA +2.61Lew Nichols III run for 10 yds to the CMich 46 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Oklahoma State · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.56Lew Nichols III run for 15 yds for a TD, (Daniel Richardson pass to Carlos Carriere for Two-Point Conversion)
Week 3 · Bucknell · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.56Lew Nichols III run for 15 yds for a TD, (Marshall Meeder KICK)
Week 3 · Bucknell · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.35Lew Nichols III run for 14 yds to the Buckn 47 for a 1ST down
Week 6 · Ball State · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA +1.90Lew Nichols III run for 1 yd for a TD, (Josh Rolston KICK)
Week 2 · South Alabama · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.89Daniel Richardson pass complete to Lew Nichols III for 21 yds to the CMich 46 for a 1ST down
Week 2 · South Alabama · 1&5 · Q1 · EPA +1.88Lew Nichols III run for 5 yds for a TD, (Marshall Meeder KICK)
Week 3 · Bucknell · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.85Daniel Richardson pass complete to Lew Nichols III for 17 yds to the Buckn 30 for a 1ST down

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 9 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	L 44-58@ Oklahoma State	26	72	2.8	2	15
Wk 2	L 24-38vs South Alabama	15	20	1.3	1	8
Wk 3	W 41-0vs Bucknell	30	166	5.5	2	31	Season-high 166 yds
Wk 4	L 14-33@ Penn State	13	67	5.2	0	18
Wk 5	L 17-38@ Toledo	18	32	1.8	0	6
Wk 6	L 16-17vs Ball State	31	97	3.1	1	17
Wk 10	W 35-22@ Northern Illinois	28	92	3.3	0	11
Wk 12	L 10-12vs Western Michigan	10	35	3.5	0	13
Wk 13	L 19-38@ Eastern Michigan	6	20	3.3	0	6
Total		177	601	3.3	6	31

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology