Nick Laughlin, Maine RB: the 2026 season story
Nick Laughlin is a junior running back for Maine (Coastal Athletic). He ranks 490th of 575 running backs in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every running back on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Every measure is set against every ranked running back, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Nick Laughlin's strongest measure is receiving yards per game at 29, 8th of 299 (the average is 9). His weakest is yards per carry at 2.5, 300th of 299 (the average is 5.1).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His rush yards per game, 19, ranks 295th among 299 ranked running backs.
Against every running back
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked running backs he sits, on average, in the 50th percentile for volume, 13th for efficiency and 30th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 9 games, Nick Laughlin's best came in week 3 at Boston College and his quietest in week 2 against Merrimack.
When it matters
Why it matters. Third downs, the red zone and games against good teams are where drives and seasons are decided.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every running back on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Nick Laughlin is 198th of 276 FCS running backs and 25th of 31 in the Coastal Athletic. Next up nationally is Caleb Naumann of Colgate, 0.01 ahead on the index.
Running backs like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Zay Davis of Northwestern State.
