Telly Johnson Jr., Northern Illinois RB: the 2026 season story
Telly Johnson Jr. is a junior running back for Northern Illinois (Mountain West). He ranks 67th 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. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Telly Johnson Jr.'s strongest measure is runs of 10+ at 22%, 10th of 299 (the average is 13%). His weakest is stuffed runs at 18%, 202nd of 299 (the average is 16%).
Season production
Why it matters. Totals reward staying healthy and getting the ball; per-game numbers show how much he really carries each week. His rush yards per game, 69, ranks 55th among 299 ranked running backs.
Against every running back
Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of running back he is. Among ranked running backs he sits, on average, in the 65th percentile for volume, 47th for efficiency and 85th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 9 games, Telly Johnson Jr.'s best came in week 7 at Wyoming and his quietest in week 1 at Iowa.
When it matters
Why it matters. Plenty of players produce in easy situations; the ones who keep it up on third down and against good teams are the ones coaches trust.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.
National and conference
Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Telly Johnson Jr. is 58th of 299 FBS running backs and 2nd of 19 in the Mountain West. Next up nationally is Micah Ford of Stanford, 0.01 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. Past seasons show whether this year is a breakout, a steady climb or a step back. This is his best season by the Player Index so far, out of 3 we have.
Running backs like him
Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss.
