CFB Zeitgeist Score
69
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by yards / carry at the 74th percentile.
Damon Bankston
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
635 RUSH YDS · 5 RUSH TD · 114 CARRIES
2026 Outlook
Returning to New Mexico for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Running back · New Mexico
Returning around him
- 12% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 1 New Mexico player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +1 net (15 in / 14 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
New Mexico · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #131 · 2026 recruiting class #138
RB · NEW MEXICO · MOUNTAIN WEST
Damon Bankston
- 4
- #1
- 5-10 | 186 lb
- Katy, TX
Heisman Heat
Awaiting
Not on the live Heisman board this week.
Fan Belief
Awaiting
Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.
Respect Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
Reality Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
ACCOLADE PROBABILITY
Heisman
—
TOP RB AWARD
Doak Walker
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
New Mexico
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| No recruiting profile is on file for this player. | ||
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Weber State -> New Mexico | 3-star | 0.8500 | Immediate |
Heisman Lens
Where the model places this player relative to the rest of the Heisman field.
Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
Achievements
- Program Benchmark 5.5% Program Benchmark Season leader for the program at the player's position across the headline volume metric (passing yards / rushing yards / receiving yards). Held by 5.5% of the 2025 pool. Team leader in receiving yards (397).
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on Damon Bankston
Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal
The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.
Cohort divergence map
Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Damon Bankston
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
Signature Story
Awaiting candidate metric
He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.
Signature Moment
No signature moment on the ledger yet.
Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the rushing totals stand
Through 13g
635Rush yards
114Carries
5Rush TDs
Per game
48.8Rush yards
9Carries
0Rush TDs
Final
635Rush yards
114Carries
5Rush TDs
Why this is more than a rushing profile
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Damon Bankston is not a one-lane back. The profile is interesting because the workload spills beyond pure rushing volume: 635 rushing yards, 31 catches, and 434 return yards for New Mexico. That kind of all-purpose footprint gives the card a much richer story than a basic carry total.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
RB season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
Workhorse | Passing-game back against FBS RB peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Rushing
CAR
114 83rd
YDS
635 86th
YPC
5.6 77th
TD
5 85th
Receiving
REC
31 95th
YDS
397 99th
YPR
12.8 90th
TD
3 99th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 17-34@ Michigan | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 2 | W 32-22vs Idaho State | 6 | 28 | 4.7 | 1 | 18 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-10@ UCLA | 15 | 154 | 10.3 | 1 | 54 | Season-high 154 yds |
| Wk 5 | W 38-20vs New Mexico State | 9 | 38 | 4.2 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 6 | L 28-35@ San José State | 9 | 51 | 5.7 | 1 | 14 | |
| Wk 7 | L 25-41@ Boise State | 9 | 18 | 2.0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Wk 8 | W 24-22vs Nevada | 6 | 19 | 3.2 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 9 | W 33-14vs Utah State | 13 | 84 | 6.5 | 1 | 41 | |
| Wk 10 | W 40-35@ UNLV | 4 | 8 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Wk 12 | W 20-17vs Colorado State | 9 | 43 | 4.8 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 13 | W 20-3@ Air Force | 10 | 61 | 6.1 | 1 | 22 | |
| Wk 14 | W 23-17vs San Diego State | 10 | 56 | 5.6 | 0 | 17 | |
| Bowl | L 17-20@ Minnesota | 10 | 57 | 5.7 | 0 | 17 | |
| Total | 114 | 635 | 5.0 | 5 | 54 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2025New Mexico9-4HC: Jason Eck · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | New Mexico | 114 | 635 | 5.6 | 5 | -- |
| Career | 1 loaded season | 114 | 635 | 5.6 | 5 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | New Mexico | 31 | 397 | 12.8 | 3 | -- |
| Career | 1 loaded season | 31 | 397 | 12.8 | 3 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
Opponent-adjusted rushing value. It helps separate empty volume from carries that actually move the scoreboard.
How much of the team's offense flows through this back once rushing work and receiving work are combined.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Rushing yards | 635 | #107/735 | 86th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rush TD | 5 | #115/739 | 85th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Yards / carry | 5.6 | #172/735 | 77th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receptions | 31 | #31/552 | 95th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 397 | #5/548 | 99th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Value | Rushing WEPA | +0.13 | #156/362 | 57th pct | Opponent-adjusted rushing value | 98 weighted playsvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Role share | 16.9% | #134/738 | 82nd pct | Share of team offensevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Carries | 114 | #129/739 | 83rd pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rushing LONG | 54 | #136/733 | 82nd pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 84 | #3/540 | 100th pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 12.8 | #55/548 | 90th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 3 | #5/552 | 99th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return yards | 434 | #7/200 | 97th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return avg | 36.2 | #5/199 | 98th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick returns | 12 | #17/206 | 92nd pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return TD | 2 | #1/14 | 100th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Rush share | 24.5% | #190/738 | 74th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 20.0% | #144/738 | 81st pct | Early-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 17.7% | #174/738 | 77th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 16.1% | #146/738 | 80th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 15.1% | #67/738 | 91st pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 13.8% | #102/738 | 86th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Pass share | 9.3% | #38/738 | 95th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 3 | #250/256 | 3rd pct | Turnoversvs FBS RB |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
ALL-CONF HM
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
ALL-CONF HM · Rung 9 of 16
Why he’s here
All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started.
What moves him up
A best-at-position run lifts to 1st team.
What moves him down
A back-end conference finish drops out of the honor list.
Accolade streams
Status—Awaiting tracker
Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 13 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 44.7 | 4.8 | 0.3 |
| Road7g | 52.4 | 5.2 | 0.4 |
Win vs Loss
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins9g | 54.6 | 5.3 | 0.4 |
| Losses4g | 36.0 | 4.5 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 52.0 | 5.3 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 45.2 | 4.7 | 0.3 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
69Solid starter
Elite: rec yards (98th). Strength: receptions (90th). Concern: fumbles lost (2nd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · RB · 2025
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
wepa_rushing0.13Low (p25–p50) (n=178)
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Damon BankstonNew MexicoDaylan SmothersNC State· 86% simMichael WashingtonArkansas· 84% simAdam RandallClemson· 82% sim
Rec yards
Receptions
Yards / carry
Rush yards
Long run
Carries
Rush TDs
Fumbles lost
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Satellite Back
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to J'Koby Williams’s 2025 season.
J'Koby Williams
76%match
#2
Blake Watson
70%
#3
Jeremy Payne
69%
#4
Henry Parrish Jr.
68%
#5
Treshaun Ward
68%
Matches J'Koby on
Rush TD rate
Yards / carry
Receiving share
Differs from J'Koby on
Class year (higher)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Asim Rose’s path through Kentucky.
Asim Rose
99%match
#2
Calvin Turner
All-Mountain West
98%
#3
Girard Pringle Jr.
96%
#4
Trey Ragas
All-Sun Belt
96%
#5
Henry Parrish Jr.
All-ACC
92%
Matches Asim on
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Elijah Young's senior season at Western Kentucky (2023).
Elijah Young
64%match
#2
Noah Short
62%
#3
Ron Cook Jr.
61%
#4
Lawrance Toafili
60%
#5
Treshaun Ward
57%
Matches Elijah on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Rush TD rate
Yards / carry
Differs from Elijah on
Weight (lower)
Receiving share (higher)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jason Eck
Pass share
43.3%
350 pass / 459 run
Plays / game
62.2
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
11.3%
293 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2025
1 coach2025
Jason Eck
New Mexico
Played his entire career under Jason Eck.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownKaty, TX
Height5'10"
Weight186 lb
Class4
PositionRB
Jersey1
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNew Mexico
ConferenceMountain West
Joined2025
Career arc1 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Mountain West
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
1 all-conference honor
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-Mountain West | all_conference | New Mexico | Mountain West | RET |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This player hasn’t appeared on a Heisman ballot tracked by the model. | |||||||||
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | New Mexico | Mountain West | RB | 4 | No. 1 | 5-10 | 186 lb | Katy, TX |