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2025 Football Roster

21 Ismail Mahdi

  • Position Running Back
  • Ht./Wt. 5-9 / 184
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Murphy, Texas
  • High School Plano East HS
  • Prev School Texas State
  • Instagram iamismailmahdi
  • Twitter Ismailmahdi_6

Biography

Awards & Honors
  • 2024: All-Sun Belt First-Team Offense
  • 2024: Maxwell Award Watch List
  • 2024: Paul Hornung Awaward Watch List
  • 2024: Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
  • 2023: First Team All-American (All-purpose player; CBS Sports/247Sports)
  • 2023: Second Team All-American (All-purpose player; FWAA, The Athletic, ESPN, Phil Steele)
  • 2023: Third Team All-American (All-purpose player; Athlon Sports)
  • 2023: All-Sun Belt First Team (All-purpose)
  • 2023: All-Sun Belt Second Team (Return specialist)
  • 2023: All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
  • 2023: Paul Hornung Award National Player of the Week (9/30)
Before Arizona: Appeared in 33 collegiate games combined between Houston Christian (2022) and Texas State (2023-24)… Rushed 518 times for 2,890 yards and 16 touchdowns during his collegiate career… Led the nation in all-purpose yards in 2023 with 2,169, earning All-Sun Belt First Team honors… Earned the Jerry Rice Award, given to the nation’s top freshman in FCS football following first season with Houston Christian in 2022… In 2024, rushed 183 times for 991 yards and four touchdowns.. Averaged 5.42 yards per carry… Rushing for season-best 156 yards on 28 carries in the season opener against Lamar (8/31)... Rushed for over 100 yards four times during 2024 season... Finished season with 147 yards on 20 carries against South Alabama (11/29)...  Posted a career-high 1,331 rushing yards, 223 carries, and 10 rushing touchdowns during 2023 season... At Houston Christian (2022), Jerry Rice Award finalist … FCS STATS Perform National Freshman of the Week (Sept. 5, 2022) … Southland Conference Player of the Week (Sept. 5, 2022) … 112 rushes for 568 yards and 2 TDs in 8 games … Averaged 5.1 yards per rush … Also had 32 receptions for 333 yards and 3 TDs … 901 all-purpose yards and 5 total TDs in 8 games as a true freshman … Had 267 all-purpose yards and 2 total TDs in his collegiate debut on Sept. 3 at Northern Colorado, including 184 rushing yards on 25 attempts and 83 yards on 2 receptions … Had a 78-yard rush and a 74-yard reception against Northern Colorado … Had 79 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards (145 all-purpose yards) in his second career game against Lindenwood on Sept. 10 … Did not play in the game against Texas State on Sept. 24 … Rushed for 87 yards on 13 carries at UIW on Nov. 5 … 78 rushing yards on 16 carries against McNeese on Nov. 12.
 
High School: Two-year letterwinner at Plano East High School … In 2021 as a senior, he rushed for 1,332 yards on 178 carries and scored 14 TDs … Unanimous All-District 6A-6 running back as a senior … Landry Award Watch List in 2021, which is awarded to the top high school football player in North Texas … Ran the 100 meter dash in track, recording a personal-best 10.60 at the 6A Area 5-6 meet in April 2022 … Also ran in the 400, 4x100 Relay and 4x400 Relay.
 
Personal: Born in Kenya … Fourth-oldest of eight children … 5 brothers and 2 sisters.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

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Career Statistics

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