EMU Football 2026 Positional Outlook: Running backs

Listed on preseason depth chart:

Also on roster:

While the depth chart has him behind a pair of returning players, Braydon Bennett’s still bound to be a feature in this offense.

Bennett, listed at 6’2”, 215 lbs., is a former teammate of QB Noah Kim’s from their short time together at Coastal Carolina (2024).

He was an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention running back as a redshirt freshman in 2021 (636 rush yards, 8.6 avg., 7 TD), and again in 2024 (781, 5.8, 11). In 2022, Bennett missed all but the final four games to an upper-body injury, then missed time again after he got hurt four games into his time at Virginia Tech.

As a seventh-year college player, Bennett has amassed 2,733 yards from scrimmage and 29 touchdowns since he first stepped onto Coastal's teal turf in 2020.

Bennett doesn't have the cleanest bill of health, but he’s shown he’s a balanced, capable back with a good mix of speed and strength. He’s the type of RB that’s so versatile that his presence on the field should keep defensive coordinators guessing and second-guessing themselves.

He may have been the position’s backup, but I don’t think EMU went out of their way to bring this kind of talent in at RB just to ride pine.

EMU has a lot that it needs to properly assemble with its transfer-heavy O-line room before it even thinks about having success with its RBs. EMU’s had some nice performances from its previous backs, but this team’s rushing attack hasn’t really scared the daylights out of its MAC foes.

Eastern likes the trajectory from its pass catchers, especially with Kim’s return, and it only made sense for the team to go and find a do-it-all sort of RB that wants its running backs to be multi-faceted and may or may not have to get some of his yards himself.

Not only will the tough, grueling yards have to come from him, but so will some of the long, explosive plays.

Let's finally talk about the two listed at the top of this group's depth chart. They're also the only two people who return from last year's roster.

Amareon Blue signed with EMU last year out of high school and did not play.

Joey Mattord, who joined the team as an in-state walk-on, has made 21 game appearances in the last two seasons and has rushed for 166 total yards with 2 touchdowns.

Behind the preliminarily listed starters and backup, EMU welcomed two transfers and two freshmen to the RB room.

Malachi James came to EMU from Syracuse, where he made more of a difference as a kick returner (168 career return yards) than as a running back (-2 rushing). XaVior Tyus, from Wayne State in Detroit (D2), had 1,009 all-purpose yards and 5 TDs in three years.

EMU had two capable RBs in 2025, and it feels safe to say that Bennett and Mattord will be plenty featured. Blue just didn’t play in 2025, so it’s going to be a wait-and-see situation with him, and see if he’s a special feature in the playbook or put into a standard rotation.