OJ Arnold
Buzz vs Tape
Attention percentile: 3rd · Production percentile: 90th
His production sits in the 90th percentile among qualified RBs this season, well ahead of 3rd-percentile attention — a gap of 87 points between tape and volume.
OJ Arnold
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Fourth year in the Georgia Southern backfield, same address the whole way. 2025 brought the first one: All-Sun Belt. The receipt: 267 rush yds, 73 pass yds against Coastal Carolina — Week 12, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
Career Arc
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Sun Belt
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Clay Helton.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clay Helton
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 3 · RecognizedR09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
All-Conference HM / 2nd team. Conference recognition has started.
Recognition
Production
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Sun Belt
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | 144 | 1,037 | 7.2 | 5 | -- |
| 2024 | Georgia Southern | 62 | 315 | 5.1 | 3 | -- |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | 75 | 411 | 5.5 | 4 | -- |
| 2022 | Georgia Southern | 45 | 257 | 5.7 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 326 | 2,020 | 6.2 | 13 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | 21 | 212 | 10.1 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Georgia Southern | 24 | 145 | 6.0 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Georgia Southern | 11 | 124 | 11.3 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | Georgia Southern | 10 | 58 | 5.8 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 66 | 539 | 8.2 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 4 · 2025
W 45–17
vs Maine
12 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 100.0 · 85 rush yds (13 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 28-point win at home against Maine.
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Georgia Southern
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Running back · Georgia Southern
Returning around him
- 92% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- Transfer portal: -1 net (17 in / 18 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Georgia Southern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #93 · 2026 recruiting class #89
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kelley Joiner Jr.’s 2021 season.
Matches Kelley on
Differs from Kelley on
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Brashard Smith’s path through SMU.
Jermar Jefferson
Matches Brashard on
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Eli Sanders's senior season at New Mexico (2024).
Matches Eli on
Differs from Eli on
Player DNA
Players who play like OJ Arnold
Development
Development Trajectory · rushing yards
2022–2025+304%
Up 304% from first season to most-recent.