Jamal Haynes is a running back and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his entire collegiate career with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. A native of Loganville, Georgia, Haynes attended Grayson High School and was a three-star recruit in the 2022 class who arrived at Georgia Tech as a wide receiver. He appeared in 11 games across his first two collegiate seasons without recording an offensive statistic before coaches converted him to running back ahead of the 2023 season, unlocking his explosiveness immediately. As a junior he became Georgia Tech's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2017, finishing with 1,059 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and 20 receptions for 151 yards while earning Third Team All-ACC recognition and Gasparilla Bowl MVP honors after rushing for 128 yards against UCF. He returned in 2024 and battled through multiple injuries while still posting 944 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, and 28 catches for 166 yards, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention and becoming the first Yellow Jacket to rush for 900 yards in back-to-back seasons since TaQuon Marshall. In his final season in 2025, he added 531 rushing yards and five touchdowns before declaring for the draft.
Standing 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Haynes is known for elite burst and acceleration that allows him to reach top speed in minimal space, natural vision and patience rooted in his years studying the position from the receiver perspective, reliable hands out of the backfield developed through his receiver background with 48 career receptions, and the explosive change-of-direction ability that makes him dangerous on stretch runs and screens. NFL evaluators project him as a change-of-pace back and passing-game weapon at the next level, where his combination of receiving skills, speed, and playmaking in space position him as a late-round or priority free agent candidate with the traits to carve out a specialized role in modern spread and tempo offenses.
