#25

TJ McDaniel

RB · SMU · So. · #25

SMU 2022 alumnus
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

TJ McDaniel

RB · SMU · So · #25

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#1049 national
CFB
College
SMU
2020–2022
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Not drafted

Coaching Lineage · 2020–2022

2 coaches
2020
2022era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Sonny Dykes → Rhett Lashlee. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2020SMU7-3HC: Sonny Dykes · Balanced
2022SMU7-6HC: Rhett Lashlee · Balanced, fast tempo

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2022SMU432084.84--
2020SMU602975.01--
Career1035054.95--
SeasonTeam
2022SMU8232.90--
2020SMU4112.80--
Career12342.80--

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 2022 production profile sits closest to Kyren Williams’s 2021 season.

Kyren Williams

52%match

Notre Dame · 2021

NFL Rd 5
#2

Tank Bigsby

Auburn · 2022

All-SECNFL Rd 3 · Pk 25
49%
#3

Dontae Smith

Georgia Tech · 2022

48%
#4

Sean Tucker

Syracuse · 2022

All-ACC
48%
#5

Tiyon Evans

Louisville · 2022

47%

Matches Kyren on

Yards / carry

Differs from Kyren on

Class year (lower)
Yards / reception (lower)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Based on 10 features · 2 seasons in pool · Opponent-adjusted weighted z-score distance

Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Andrew Body’s path through Alabama State.

Andrew Body

99%match

Alabama State · 2025

#2

Narii Gaither

Gardner-Webb · 2023

94%
#3

Garrett Groshek

Wisconsin · 2020

91%
#4

Larry Rountree III

Missouri · 2020

All-SECNFL Rd 6
90%
#5

Larry McCammon III

Florida Atlantic · 2023

All-Conference USA
86%

Matches Andrew on

Yards per carry
202020222023
Career-aggregate opponent-adjusted stats · physical traits

As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Christian Anderson's sophomore season at Army (2021).

Christian Anderson

64%match

Army · 2021

#2

Cam Cook

TCU · 2024

All-Conference USA
64%
#3

Garrett Greene

West Virginia · 2021

62%
#4

Justice Haynes

Alabama · 2024

All-Big Ten
61%
#5

Dylan Sampson

Tennessee · 2023

NFL Rd 4
58%

Matches Christian on

Height

Differs from Christian on

Class year (lower)
Recruiting rating (higher)
Total rush EPA (college ability) (lower)
Opponent-adjusted stats · sophomore cohort across all seasons

Development

Development Trajectory · rushing yards

2020–2022
2972020
2082022

-30%

Sharp dropoff (-30%) — career inflection point.