CFB Zeitgeist Score
82
All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by rush yards at the 92nd percentile.
J'mari Taylor
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-06-22
J'mari Taylor arrives at Virginia with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
1,062RUSH YDS14RUSH TD222CARRIES
PRODUCES ABOVE PERCEPTION · PCTL GAP
+37
perception vs production percentile · 2025
Read the story so far
AI narrative · updated 2026-06-22 · compiled from CFB Zeitgeist data
2026 Outlook
Returning to Virginia for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Virginia
Returning around him
- 28% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: +8 net (30 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Virginia · Last season: 11-3 (AP #20) · Talent rank #62 · 2026 recruiting class #58
RB · VIRGINIA · ACC
J'mari Taylor
- 4
- #3
- 5-9 | 204 lb
- Charlotte, NC
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 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Virginia
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 | North Carolina Central -> Virginia | 3-star | 0.8400 | 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 rushing yards (1062).
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.
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 J'mari Taylor
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 J'mari Taylor
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
2025 Signature · 2025 season
Rushing WEPA per carry
+0.160
EPA
P4 + Notre Dame RBs, min 80 carries
National rank #29 of 66
Percentile vs P4 + Notre Dame RBs, min 80 carries 57th
Why it matters
#29 of 66 P4 + Notre Dame RBs by rushing weighted- EPA per carry — +0.160 EPA/carry on 219 carries.
Vs cohort
This player +0.160 (57th)
HIGH · n=219 cohort 66
- Also strong
- Rushing yards (total)#12 / 69
- Yards per carry#42 / 69
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
1,062Rush yards
222Carries
14Rush TDs
Per game
81.7Rush yards
17Carries
1Rush TDs
Final
1,062Rush yards
222Carries
14Rush TDs
✓ Hit 750-yard season · finished with 1,062.
✓ Hit 1,000-yard season · finished with 1,062.
✓ Hit 10 rushing TDs · finished with 14.
Why this is more than a rushing profile
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
J'mari Taylor is not a one-lane back. The profile is interesting because the workload spills beyond pure rushing volume: 1,062 rushing yards, 43 catches, and 20 return yards for Virginia. 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
222 98th
YDS
1,062 96th
YPC
4.8 56th
TD
14 98th
Receiving
REC
43 100th
YDS
253 95th
YPR
5.9 36th
TD
1 89th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 48-7vs Coastal Carolina | 10 | 32 | 3.2 | 2 | 8 | |
| Wk 2 | L 31-35@ NC State | 17 | 150 | 8.8 | 3 | 66 | Season-high 150 yds |
| Wk 3 | W 55-16vs William & Mary | 6 | 31 | 5.2 | 1 | 10 | |
| Wk 4 | W 48-20vs Stanford | 15 | 85 | 5.7 | 0 | 15 | |
| Wk 5 | W 46-38vs Florida State | 27 | 99 | 3.7 | 1 | 26 | |
| Wk 6 | W 30-27@ Louisville | 16 | 68 | 4.3 | 1 | 13 | |
| Wk 8 | W 22-20vs Washington State | 17 | 47 | 2.8 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 9 | W 17-16@ North Carolina | 21 | 69 | 3.3 | 1 | 10 | |
| Wk 10 | W 31-21@ California | 21 | 105 | 5.0 | 2 | 25 | |
| Wk 11 | L 9-16vs Wake Forest | 19 | 98 | 5.2 | 0 | 43 | |
| Wk 12 | W 34-17@ Duke | 18 | 133 | 7.4 | 2 | 78 | |
| Wk 14 | W 27-7vs Virginia Tech | 20 | 80 | 4.0 | 1 | 13 | |
| Wk 15 | L 20-27vs Duke | 15 | 65 | 4.3 | 0 | 16 | |
| Total | 222 | 1062 | 4.8 | 14 | 78 |
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
2025Virginia11-3HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia | 222 | 1,062 | 4.8 | 14 | -- |
| Career | 1 loaded season | 222 | 1,062 | 4.8 | 14 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia | 43 | 253 | 5.9 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 1 loaded season | 43 | 253 | 5.9 | 1 | -- |
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 | 1,062 | #30/735 | 96th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rush TD | 14 | #13/739 | 98th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Yards / carry | 4.8 | #326/735 | 56th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receptions | 43 | #3/552 | 100th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 253 | #29/548 | 95th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Value | Rushing WEPA | +0.16 | #111/362 | 70th pct | Opponent-adjusted rushing value | 219 weighted playsvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Role share | 27.2% | #26/738 | 97th pct | Share of team offensevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Carries | 222 | #14/739 | 98th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Rushing | Rushing LONG | 78 | #29/733 | 96th pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 25 | #166/540 | 69th pct | Metricvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 5.9 | #351/548 | 36th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 1 | #60/552 | 89th pct | Scoringvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return avg | 20.0 | #79/199 | 61st pct | Efficiencyvs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick return yards | 20 | #149/200 | 26th pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Returns | Kick returns | 1 | #139/206 | 33rd pct | Volumevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Rush share | 42.4% | #47/738 | 94th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 31.0% | #29/738 | 96th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 27.4% | #60/738 | 92nd pct | Early-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 27.4% | #30/738 | 96th pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 26.8% | #5/738 | 99th pct | Money-down loadvs FBS RB |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 18.6% | #27/738 | 96th pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS RB |
| Usage | Pass share | 11.5% | #12/738 | 99th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS RB |
| Ball Security | Fumbles lost | 1 | #78/256 | 70th pct | Turnoversvs FBS RB |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16
Why he’s here
Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.
What moves him up
What moves him down
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home8g | 67.1 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| Road5g | 105 | 5.8 | 1.8 |
Win vs Loss
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins10g | 74.9 | 4.5 | 1.1 |
| Losses3g | 104 | 6.1 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 77.5 | 5.2 | 1.3 |
| Weeks 8+7g | 85.3 | 4.6 | 0.9 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
82All-Conference
Elite: receptions (99th). Strength: rush tds (96th).
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_rushing0.16Mid (p50–p75) (n=178)
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
J'mari TaylorVirginiaKewan LacyOle Miss· 92% simLincoln PareTexas State· 89% simCam CookJacksonville State· 88% sim
Receptions
Rush TDs
Carries
Long run
Rec yards
Rush yards
Fumbles lost
Yards / carry
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Nelson Smith’s 2020 season.
Nelson Smith
84%match
#2
Emmanuel Michel
All-Mountain West
80%
#3
Juwaun Price
77%
#4
Dedrick Parson
76%
#5
Dedrick Parson
73%
Matches Nelson on
Rush TD rate
Height
Yards / carry
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Gerrid Doaks’s path through Cincinnati.
Gerrid Doaks
99%match
All-AACNFL Rd 7
#2
Christian Beal-Smith
98%
#3
Zach Evans
97%
#4
Kierre Crossley
95%
#5
Ty Son Lawton
94%
Matches Gerrid on
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Austin Jones's senior season at USC (2023).
Austin Jones
71%match
#2
Demond Claiborne
All-ACCNFL Rd 6
71%
#3
Rashod Dubinion
All-Sun Belt
70%
#4
Gavin Williams
70%
#5
Larry McCammon III
All-Conference USA
70%
Matches Austin on
Receiving share
Yards / carry
Differs from Austin on
EPA / carry (adj) (lower)
Yards / reception (lower)
Rush TD rate (lower)
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tony Elliott
Pass share
48.0%
492 pass / 534 run
Plays / game
73.3
14 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
5.0%
337 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2025
1 coach2025
Tony Elliott
Virginia
Played his entire career under Tony Elliott.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownCharlotte, NC
Height5'9"
Weight204 lb
Class4
PositionRB
Jersey3
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamVirginia
ConferenceACC
Joined2025
Career arc1 season(s)
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
No formal honors on the ledger yet
All-America, all-conference, player-of-the-week, watch-list, and postseason awards land here when they're earned. The absence is the signal: most players never collect formal honors, and that's its own kind of context.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No formal honors on the ledger yet. All-America, all-conference, weekly awards, watch lists, and postseason trophies land here when they’re earned. | ||||
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 | Virginia | ACC | RB | 4 | No. 3 | 5-9 | 204 lb | Charlotte, NC |