Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 16-17@ Auburn | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 4 | |
| Wk 2 | W 44-3vs Prairie View A&M | 5 | 41 | 8.2 | 0 | 16 | Season-high 41 yds |
| Total | 9 | 47 | 4.8 | 0 | 16 |
#23
Michael Turner
Sophomore running back for Baylor. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 215 lb · North Richland Hills, TX · Richland HS
Returning to Baylor for 2026
The numbers
47
rushing yards · 2026
5.2 per carry · 1 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 41 rush yds, 7 rec yds, vs Prairie View A&M
Swing playSwung Baylor from 60% to 80% to win.Kansas State at Baylor · 35-34
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 running back for Baylor. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Baylor in 2025.
Buzz vs Tape
Country hotter than the fans
The wider college football conversation reads him warmer than his own fans do — a gap of 19.1 points in belief.
20.9own fans
40national conversation
In Their Words
83 windows · 2026 fan posts
knighten×2063.8pendergrass×1289.9fielded×305.8michael×45.7practice×33.5
“Presser: Coach Khenon Hall, Runnnig Backs Answer Fall Camp Questions The Baylor Football running backs coach, as well as Dawson Pendergrass, Caden Knighten, and Michael Turner, fielded questions after Tuesday's practice.”
board/Baylor University Football · fan post, verbatim
Michael Turner
Just keeps getting the ball, series after series. This is his second year in the same backfield at Baylor. One game to point at: 41 rush yds, 7 rec yds against Prairie View A&M — Week 2, 2026.
47 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 9 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2016
- Signed with UAB2-star out of Hartnell College
20257 games
- Signed with Baylor4-star out of Richland
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
Baylor
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Dave Aranda — 6-8 over that span.
2025Baylor5-7HC: Dave Aranda · Pass-leaning, fast tempo
2026Baylor1-1HC: Dave Aranda · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: rush yards (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 splits
Through 2 games: 23.5 YDS/g, 4.8 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dave Aranda
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 44–3
41 rush yds (5 car)
Dominant 41-point win at home against Prairie View A&M.
With N. Bennett — 301 yds · 2 TD · 2 INT · QBR 29.6 · 13 rush yds (2 car) · 1 TD · C. Knighten — 66 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 3&6 · Q2 · EPA +2.24(00:31) No Huddle-Shotgun #12 N.Bennett pass complete short right to #23 M.Turner caught at BAYLOR45, for 7 yards to the PVAMU47 (#19 T.Morehead), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.50(05:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 16 yards gain to the BAYLOR50 (#11 N.Harris), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Auburn · 3&7 · Q2 · EPA -1.08(10:30) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 1 yard loss to the AUB48 (#41 J.Smith; #3 A.Fegans)
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.97(06:15) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 11 yards gain to the PVAMU48 (#11 N.Harris), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Auburn · 2&7 · Q2 · EPA -0.19(06:49) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush left for 0 yards to the BAY05 (#16 B.Deas; #5 E.Winters)
- Week 1 · Auburn · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.10(07:12) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 3 yards gain to the BAY05 (#16 B.Deas)
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.09(13:51) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 5 yards gain to the PVAMU39 (#24 K.Canterbury), out of bounds
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.09(06:51) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 4 yards gain to the BAYLOR24 (#10 M.Moore; #24 K.Canterbury)
- Week 1 · Auburn · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.08(08:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush right for 4 yards gain to the AUB33 (#9 E.Melendez)
- Week 2 · Prairie View A&M · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.04(02:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #23 M.Turner rush middle for 5 yards gain to the PVAMU13 (#24 K.Canterbury; #25 R.Carter)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Baylor
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Baylor
Returning around him
- 60% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 2 Baylor players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -1 net (31 in / 32 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Baylor · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #43 · 2026 recruiting class #57
DNA match
Player DNA
Workhorse
Built to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Donald Chaney Jr.’s 2023 season.
78%match
Matches Donald on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Receiving share
Height
Differs from Donald on
Recruiting rating (lower)
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Trey Smith’s path through Wyoming.
Matches Trey on
Height
Yards per carry
Weight
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Salahadin Allah's freshman season at Oregon State (2024).
75%match
Matches Salahadin on
EPA / carry (adj)
Height
Differs from Salahadin on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Class year (lower)
Receiving share (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Michael Turner
Background
2025 (Freshman): Played in eight games as a valuable reserve at tailback … Missed the first two games due to injury and also missed games vs. UCF and Houston due to injury … Finished with 65 carries for 320 yards and a TD and caught six balls for 21 yards … Made collegiate debut with six carries...
The backfield · Baylor
- #11Caden Knighten469 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Michael Turner320 rushing yards · 2025
- #27Joseph Dodds104 rushing yards · 2025
- #20Jacorey Watson1 game · 2025
- #35Dawson Pendergrass2 games · 2026
3 more on the roster · Baylor team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology