Explosive UCF back Jaden Nixon bursts onto the 2026 NFL Draft scene, outpacing elite peers in key analytics. His big-play ability signals a bright future.
Jaden Nixon's explosiveness generated massive plays for the UCF Knights last season, placing him alongside some elite company amongst his running back peers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Cam Mellor, the chief analytics officer for Pro Football and Sports Network, posted the highest yards per carry and highest expected points added (EPA) on Tuesday morning on X. Nixon ranked second in both stats, finishing behind Norfolk State's Kevon King and projected top-10 pick Jeremiyah Love.
The UCF alum averaged 7.8 yards per carry (0.3 less than King) and 0.25 EPA per carry (0.1 less than Love). Despite averaging fewer yards and carries than King and Love, Nixon's speed helped him record multiple rushes of 40 yards or more four times last season.
Throughout his big plays, whether it's a designed run play or a kick return on special plays, he consistently credits his teammates for his success.
"I can't take the credit all for myself," Nixon said after defeating the North Carolina A&T Aggies. "Our O-line did a great job opening up holes, [and the] coach did a great job making the calls. And like I said, on that kick return, everybody did a great job doing their jobs, and that's something we took pride in this week."
Nixon transferred from Western Michigan and became a part of UCF's backfield duo with Myles Montgomery. Montgomery served as the workhorse, and Nixon served as the explosive playmaker.
The 5-foot-10 running back totaled 554 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 carries. Alongside his four games with rushes of 40 yards or more, he recorded two games with over 100 yards: 156 yards on four carries against NCAT and 116 yards on seven carries against West Virginia.
Coach Scott Frost said he was happy the big plays fell on Nixon against the Aggies, but focused on helping him prevent major yardage loss on a blown-up play.
"As fast as he is, he just needs to run through the smoke," Frost said. "Make sure that he's not always trying to stop and juke, and he did a really good job of that tonight on offense and on special teams."
Nixon's explosiveness placed him within elite company — other running backs projected within the top 100 picks. He is projected as a seventh-round draft pick, according to PFSN, but he was mocked in December.
For now, the UCF alum will continue training and wait for his name to be called in the 2026 NFL Draft, taking place from April 23-25 at the Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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