Isaac Guerendo

5.0 YPC in 84 rookie carries — 3rd among Day-3 RBs and 2nd among any Day-3 RB with 75+ carries.

Guerendo was a 4th-round pick out of Louisville. With Christian McCaffrey hurt and Jordan Mason out for stretches, he carved a real rotational role: 84 carries for 420 yards, 5.0 YPC, 4 TDs as a rookie.

Among 2024 Day-3 drafted RBs with 75+ carries, only Bucky Irving (5.42 YPC, 207 carries) outpaced him. Among the broader Day-3 class, Isaiah Davis (5.8 YPC, 30 carries) ranked first on a tiny sample. At meaningful volume, Guerendo was the second-most efficient.

2025 has been the inverse — 7 games played but zero carries. He's stayed on the roster but hasn't seen the field on offense, with McCaffrey healthy and the 49ers running a tighter backfield rotation.

Why it matters. The efficiency holds up even at meaningful volume, which separates it from small-sample flukes like Davis's 30-carry mark.

Week 6 vs Seattle: 99 rushing yards on just 10 carries — 9.9 YPC.

In Week 6 vs Seattle, Guerendo turned 10 carries into 99 yards — a near-double-digit YPC that included a 76-yard burst. Even excluding that run, the rookie tape was steady: three 75+ yard rushing games, all in different game scripts.

The most complete rookie performance: Week 14 vs Chicago, 2 rushing TDs plus 50 receiving yards — 128 scrimmage yards in a single game.

Why it matters. A 9.9 YPC game on 10 carries is top-6 in the 2024 season among all RBs with 10+ carries — the burst speed is real.

93.8% catch rate on 16 targets — one of only 3 RBs in 2024 with 75+ carries AND 90%+ catch rate.

Guerendo's 15 receptions on 16 targets (93.8%) placed him in exclusive company: only three RBs in 2024 combined 75+ carries with a 90%+ catch rate on 14+ targets. The other two — David Montgomery and Bucky Irving — were full-time starters.

For a fourth-round pick in a rotation behind CMC and Mason, maintaining that catching efficiency while also posting 5.0 YPC on the ground is the profile that earns a roster spot even when the opportunities dry up.

Why it matters. It shows Guerendo isn't just a speed-burst runner — the hands and pass-pro profile raise his floor on any team that loses a starting RB.

5.0 YPC was 2nd among Day-3 rookie RBs with real volume — Bucky Irving (5.42) was the only one ahead.

Among 2024 Day-3 rookie RBs with 75+ carries, Guerendo's 5.0 YPC ranked second — behind Bucky Irving's 5.42 on 207 carries, and well clear of the field. Irving earned a starting job in Tampa; Guerendo enters 2025 behind a healthy CMC.

The 84-carry sample is the differentiator — it's large enough to be meaningful but small enough that every blown assignment is visible. The 5.0 held up across five distinct game scripts, from a 10-carry/99-yard burst to a 16-carry grind.

Why it matters. Irving's 5.42 YPC on 207 carries is the more complete proof of concept — but Guerendo's 5.0 at 84 carries in a rotation is a realistic floor for what he'd produce with a featured role.

Year 2 has produced 0 offensive touches through 7 appearances — CMC absorbed 65% of SF's carries.

The most striking line in Guerendo's 2025: 0 carries, 0 targets across 7 games played. A healthy McCaffrey absorbed 311 of San Francisco's 481 carries (65%) in 2025, leaving Brian Robinson as the clear handcuff with 92 carries. Guerendo received none.

When players go from 84 rookie carries to zero, it's usually about the room — not the player. Guerendo is one of just 4 RBs since 2000 who produced 80+ carries in Year 1 then appeared in 3+ games the following season without a single carry. The 5.0 YPC tape still exists; the opportunity does not — yet.

Why it matters. The carry-share stat makes the ghosting concrete — it's not a depth chart mystery, it's a single-alpha-RB offense where the backup is decorative.