Next up in our 90-in-90 series is third-year running back Kimani Vidal!
Let’s get to know him!
The Basics
Height: 5’8
Weight: 215 pounds
College: Troy
Experience: 2
Vidal was born in Atlanta, Georgia where he attended Marietta High School and was a three-star prospect. Despite having the opportunity to play for powerhouse programs such as LSU and South Carolina, he chose to continue his athletic career at Troy University.
As a true freshman, Vidal saw 101 carries which he turned into 516 yards and four touchdowns.
He was named Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt and became the first true freshman running back in program history to rush for 100+ yards in consecutive games.
Vidal’s workload increased in his second year, going from 101 carries to 152 which he turned into 701 yards and five scores. He also pitched in 22 catches for 134 receiving yards and was once again named a Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt selection.
The stocky runner officially broke out in his third season with a new career highs of 231 carries, 1,132 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns. With another 140 receiving yards thrown in, Vidal went on to earn Second-Team All-Sun Belt honors. With a pair of performances that topped 200 yards on the ground, Vidal also became just the second player in program history to rush for 200+ yards in multiple games during a season.
Vidal saved his best season for last, rushing for 1,661 yards on a whopping 297 carries to go with 15 total touchdowns (14 rushing, one receiving). He would go on to be named a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection, the Sun Belt’s Offensive Player of the Year, and a Third-Team All-American.
In the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game, Vidal was named the MVP after rushing for five touchdowns in the Trojans’ win, becoming the first player to ever rush for five scores in a conference’s title game.
Following his collegiate career, Vidal was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chargers. His first NFL touchdown came on a nifty catch over the head of a Broncos defender for a touchdown. His rookie campaign saw him tote the rock 43 times for 155 yards while recording 62 receiving yards and the aforementioned score.
Vidal saw an increase in usage during the 2025 season after injuries hit both Najee Harris and rookie Omarion Hampton. He earned 10 starts while playing in 13 total games, rushing for a career-high 643 yards and three touchdowns. He also score once more through the air and recorded 136 receiving yards on 16 receptions. In the team’s playoff loss to the Texans, Vidal rushed for 31 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 20 yards.
The Good
Vidal went from a sixth-round pick to impact player for the Chargers by his second year. He stepped in for two talented backs and helped keep the offense afloat with several strong rushing performances.
Several of Vidal’s biggest runs from 2025 were outside the tackles which may have proved to the coaching staff that he can play and succeed in Mike McDaniel’s outside zone scheme.
The Bad
Vidal may have been a better fit for Greg Roman’s gap run system over McDaniel’s outside zone scheme on paper and there’s a chance McDaniel feels the same way given the team’s signing of speedster Keaton Mitchell.
The production from Vidal during his stretch of starts was extremely inconsistent. In between three games with over 100 rushing yards, Vidal recording single-game rushing totals of 11, 13, 20, 30, and 33. The line obviously did him no favors, but he was more down than up when given the chance to lead the backfield.
2026 Outlook
Vidal showed he was a valuable member of the backfield last season and he’s rightfully in the mix as one of the team’s top three running backs. There are no real threats to his position on the depth chart behind him and I would be shocked to see him not make the active roster as RB3, at the minimum.
As far as his production goes, he’ll likely fall between his rookie and sophomore production numbers as he jockeys his way into snaps behind Hampton and alongside Mitchell.
