An FCS All-American who led the UFL in rushing before finally sticking on an NFL roster with the Lions.
Jacob Saylors carved out one of the most productive rushing careers in East Tennessee State history, then spent years bouncing between NFL practice squads and the UFL before Detroit gave him a real shot. He now serves as a return specialist and depth back for the Lions.
Path to the league
Saylors starred at East Tennessee State from 2018 to 2022, then went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals before being waived, then spent stretches with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns practice squads while also playing for the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks.
Career highlights
At ETSU, Saylors rushed for 3,861 yards and 33 touchdowns, ranking third all-time in program history in rushing yards and setting the school's career yards-per-carry record at 6.3. He earned second-team All-American honors in 2021 and was named to the All-UFL Team in both 2024 and 2025 after leading the league in rushing yards with the Battlehawks.
2025 season recap
Saylors signed with Detroit on July 29, 2025, made the active roster by September 6, and served as the Lions' kick returner and backup running back through the season, finishing with 897 return yards and 11 rushing yards. Detroit rewarded him with a contract extension in January 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jacob Saylors
- ETSU Athletics: Jacob Saylors signs contract with the Detroit Lions
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Rushing
16 games played▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | lions | 16 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 9 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- East Tennessee State
- Hometown
- Jasper, TN, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
