A two-time FCS national champion at South Dakota State, Isaiah Davis has settled in as a reliable complementary back in the Jets' backfield.
Isaiah Davis came out of South Dakota State as one of the most decorated backs in FCS history and has spent his first two NFL seasons carving out a role as a change-of-pace runner and pass-catcher for New York. He is not the Jets' lead back, but he has shown enough as a receiver out of the backfield to stay firmly in the rotation.
Path to the league
Davis starred at South Dakota State from 2020 to 2023, rushing for 4,548 yards and 50 touchdowns over 46 games and helping the Jackrabbits win back-to-back FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023. He earned First-team All-American honors as a senior and was named MVFC Co-Offensive Player of the Year. The Jets took him in the fifth round (173rd overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Davis was twice named First-team All-MVFC at South Dakota State and closed his college career with over 3,000 rushing yards combined in his final two seasons. As a rookie in 2024, he played in all 17 games for the Jets, rushing for 174 yards and a touchdown while adding 75 receiving yards and another score through the air.
2025 season recap
Davis appeared in 16 games in 2025, rushing 43 times for 236 yards and a touchdown while catching 21 passes for 186 yards, continuing his role as a pass-catching complement in New York's backfield. His season ended early when he was placed on injured reserve on January 3, 2026, due to a concussion.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Isaiah Davis
- ESPN: Isaiah Davis
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Rushing
16 games played▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | jets | 16 | 43 | 236 | 5.5 | 1 | 50 |
| 2024 | jets | 17 | 30 | 174 | 5.8 | 1 | 20 |
▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | jets | 16 | 21 | 186 | 8.9 | 0 | 26 |
| 2024 | jets | 17 | 9 | 75 | 8.3 | 1 | 24 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- South Dakota State
- Hometown
- Joplin, MO, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
