L.J. Phillips Jr. stats, 2026
Iowa (5–2, Big Ten). Running back. 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.
L.J. Phillips Jr. is a running back for Iowa (5–2). Among running backs this season he's 310th in explosive runs (12+ yards) (2), 335th in rushing success rate (32.0%), 339th in carries (25), in 4 games. This week: Wisconsin at Iowa.
Bio
Who is L.J. Phillips Jr.?
- Position
- Running back
- Class
- Senior
- Height
- 5-8
- Weight
- 211 pounds
- Number
- No. 21
- Hometown
- Wichita, KS
- Transfers
- South Dakota to Iowa (2026)
From the 2026 roster, the 247Sports recruiting composite and the transfer portal, all via CollegeFootballData.com.
The season
L.J. Phillips Jr.'s rushing stats
He's 339th of 428 running backs in carries (25) and 339th of 372 running backs in yards per carry (3.5).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing yards | 88 | 366th of 427 |
| Carries | 25 | 339th of 428 |
| Yards per carry | 3.5 | 339th of 372 |
The season
L.J. Phillips Jr.'s rushing efficiency and big plays
He's 310th of 393 running backs in explosive runs (12+ yards) (2) and 324th of 357 running backs in EPA per play (-0.14).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing success rate | 32.0% | 335th of 366 |
| Explosive runs (12+ yards) | 2 | 310th of 393 |
| EPA per play | -0.14 | 324th of 357 |
The season
L.J. Phillips Jr.'s receiving stats
He's 361st of 392 running backs in receiving yards (8) and 368th of 395 running backs in catches (1).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Catches | 1 | 368th of 395 |
| Receiving yards | 8 | 361st of 392 |
Ranks are among every FBS running back with the stat this season. Rates need a minimum sample (50 dropbacks for passing rates, 20 carries, 8 catches). From the play-by-play.
Charts
How does L.J. Phillips Jr. compare, in charts?
Career
L.J. Phillips Jr.'s career stats
| Season | Team | Carries | Rush yds | Yds/carry | Rush TD | Catches | Rec yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | South Dakota | 17 | 96 | 5.6 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | South Dakota | 29 | 176 | 6.1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 | South Dakota | 281 | 1,860 | 6.6 | 19 | 26 | 176 | 1 |
| 2026 | Iowa | 25 | 88 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Career | 352 | 2,220 | 6.3 | 23 | 28 | 191 | 1 |
Past seasons (back to 2022) from CollegeFootballData.com; 2026 from the play-by-play, games through Oct 24, 2026.
By school
How did L.J. Phillips Jr. do at South Dakota and Iowa?
South Dakota (2023–2025) is where he's been best: his best numbers at any school on all 4 of the rates below. That's +0.28 EPA per play (-0.17 at Iowa), a rushing success rate of 55.0% (32.0%) and 6.5 yards a carry (3.5). His weakest stretch was Iowa this season: -0.17 EPA per play and a rushing success rate of 32.0%. His biggest season for rushing yards was 2025 at South Dakota, with 1,860. The Iowa numbers are 2026 so far, through Oct 24, 2026. The rates compare fairly with his other seasons; the totals are still growing.
| School | Seasons | Carries | Rush yds | Yds/carry | Rush TD | Catches | Rec yds | Rec TD | Rush success | Explosive runs | Explosive catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 2023–2025 | 327 | 2,132 | 6.5 | 23 | 27 | 183 | 1 | 55.0% | 14.9% | 8.0% |
| Iowa | 2026 (so far) | 25 | 88 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 32.0% | 8.0% | — |
* 2026 so far, through Oct 24, 2026.
Totals for his seasons at each school; rates worked out from those totals. Success and explosive rates count every play; EPA per play leaves out garbage time. Rates need the same minimum sample as the season stats.
Advanced
L.J. Phillips Jr.'s advanced stats by season
| Season | Team | EPA/play | Pass EPA/play | Rush EPA/play | Rush success | Explosive runs | Explosive catches | Total EPA | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | South Dakota | +0.24 | — | +0.24 | — | — | — | 0.5 | 4% |
| 2024 | South Dakota | — | — | — | 57.1% | 17.9% | — | — | — |
| 2025 | South Dakota | +0.28 | -0.04 | +0.32 | 54.2% | 14.8% | 8.3% | 80.3 | 38% |
| 2026 | Iowa | -0.17 | +1.11 | -0.23 | 32.0% | 8.0% | — | -3.5 | 10% |
EPA per play is the expected points a player adds on each of his plays (0 is average; glossary). Success means the play stayed on schedule: half the yards to go on first down, 70% on second, all of them on third or fourth. Explosive means a run of 12+ yards or a completion of 16+, as a share of his throws, carries or catches. Usage is the share of his team's plays that went to him. EPA and usage leave out garbage time; success and explosive rates count every play. From CollegeFootballData.com and cfbfastR.
Game log
L.J. Phillips Jr.'s game log, 2026
| Week | Opponent | Result | Rushing yards | Carries | Rushing TDs | Explosive runs (12+ yards) | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vs. Northern Illinois | W 40–0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | vs. Ohio State | L 14–31 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | at Washington | W 41–24 | 42 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | at Minnesota | L 10–13 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
FAQ
Questions about L.J. Phillips Jr.
What position does L.J. Phillips Jr. play?
L.J. Phillips Jr. plays running back for Iowa, which is 5–2 this season.
Where has L.J. Phillips Jr. played?
South Dakota (2023–2025) and Iowa (2026).
Where is L.J. Phillips Jr. from, and what year is he?
L.J. Phillips Jr. is a senior running back for Iowa, listed at 5-8 and 211 pounds, from Wichita, KS.
How tall is L.J. Phillips Jr., and how much does he weigh?
L.J. Phillips Jr. is listed at 5-8 and 211 pounds on Iowa's 2026 roster.
What year is L.J. Phillips Jr.?
L.J. Phillips Jr. is a senior.
What are L.J. Phillips Jr.'s career stats?
Over 4 seasons (2023–2026), L.J. Phillips Jr. has 2,220 rushing yards on 352 carries with 23 rushing touchdowns, plus 28 catches for 191 yards.
Who does L.J. Phillips Jr. play for?
Iowa (5–2, Big Ten), where he plays running back and wears No. 21.
How did L.J. Phillips Jr. play in his last game?
Week 8 at Minnesota: 25 rushing yards, 7 carries, 1 explosive runs (12+ yards), 1 catch. Iowa lost 10–13.
Is L.J. Phillips Jr. a transfer?
Yes. He transferred from South Dakota to Iowa (2026).
What are L.J. Phillips Jr.'s stats this season?
88 rushing yards, 25 carries, 3.5 yards per carry, 32.0% rushing success rate, 2 explosive runs (12+ yards) in 4 games, through Oct 24, 2026.
How does L.J. Phillips Jr. rank nationally?
Among FBS running backs: 310th of 393 in explosive runs (12+ yards), 335th of 366 in rushing success rate, 339th of 428 in carries.
When does L.J. Phillips Jr. play next?
Iowa hosts Wisconsin Sat, Oct 31, 12:00 PM ET on Fox. The numbers' pick: Iowa.
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Everything on this site starts with someone else's data, and we credit all of it. The projections, picks, rankings and tiers are our own math on top.
Where the data comes from
| Source | What we use | How often |
|---|---|---|
| CollegeFootballData.com, via the public cfbfastR files | Schedules, final scores, pregame Elo, play-by-play and box score stats, rosters | Usually posted Sunday or Monday morning after games |
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| us-atlas (U.S. Census Bureau boundaries) | State shapes for the map | Once |
How we turn it into projections
- Projected score. Each team's SP+ offense, plus how far the opponent's SP+ defense is from average, plus special teams. The home team gets half of a 2.5-point home edge added and the visitor half subtracted.
- Win chance. The projected margin turned into a probability, assuming games usually land within about 14 points of the projection. A 0-point margin is 50%; 14 points is about 84%.
- The three ratings. SP+ is built from every play this season. PRIME is a possession-efficiency rating. Elo uses only final scores and carries over from year to year, with 55 Elo points of home edge.
- The numbers' pick. The team at least two of the three ratings favor, with our confidence the average of their three win chances for that team. On the game cards, a pick is a lock when all three favor the same team and the average win chance is 80% or more, a coin flip when it's under 55%, and a lean otherwise. Injuries can drop the tier: each key player out counts by what he does for his team (a starting quarterback is 2 points, the feature back or top receiver half a point, doubtful counts half), the other side's injuries offset, and 1 point drops a tier, 2 points two. The game page shows it as an injury alert. Nobody overrides the numbers' pick.
- CFB Charts Top 25. SP+, PRIME and strength of record, each converted to a common scale and averaged.
- Playoff picture. The 2026-27 rules: automatic bids for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions (the current conference leader stands in until the title games) and for the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. Notre Dame is in if it ranks in the top 12. The rest are at-large teams by the chosen rating, and all 12 are seeded straight by that rating, so the top four get the byes. Once the committee's rankings are out (first release Tuesday, Nov. 3), they become the default ranking.
- Missing data. When a team's play-by-play is clearly incomplete (fewer than 45 offensive plays a game), we hide its offense stats instead of showing bad numbers.
Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of the 138 FBS teams.
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- 12 teams, under the 2026-27 rules. Automatic bids go to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, and to the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. Until the title games, each conference's current leader stands in as its champion.
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SP+ vs. payroll is the average, across a conference's teams with an NIL valuation (positive means its teams play better than their payrolls predict). Blue-chip ratio is the share of all its rostered players who were 4- or 5-star recruits.
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Projected bracket
Seeds 1–4 get first-round byes. Seeds 5–8 host the first round.
The field and the bubble
The columns on the right show where each team would be seeded under the other ratings. A dash means out.
How the field is built
- 12 teams. Five get in automatically: the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, plus the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt (champion or not).
- Notre Dame is in if it ranks in the top 12.
- At-large. The remaining spots go to the highest-ranked teams left. If an automatic qualifier ranks outside the top 12, it takes the last at-large spot.
- Seeding follows the ranking, as it has since 2025. A conference champion isn't guaranteed a bye.
- Champions mid-season. "Current conference leader" uses the best conference record so far, with ties broken by the chosen rating. "Highest-rated team" picks the best-rated team in each conference instead.
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- This is a projection from today's numbers. The real field is chosen by a committee on Dec. 6, after conference title games.
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Statuses come from the conference availability reports and team news, as of the date shown. "Hasn't played" means a regular (the main passer, a quarter of the carries or 15% of the catches) with no pass, carry or catch in his team's last two games, from the play-by-play. That can be an injury, a benching or a suspension. Linemen and defenders don't show up in that check.
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Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.