Breece Hall Bio
Breece Maelik Hall (born May 31, 2001) is an American professional football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones, where he was a two-time All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Hall was selected by the Jets in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft and has since developed into one of the franchise’s featured offensive weapons.
Early Life and Background
Breece Maelik Hall was born on May 31, 2001, in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita Northwest High School, where he quickly established himself as one of the most productive high school running backs in the state. Hall was named first-team All-Metro and first-team All-State after rushing for 2,082 yards and scoring 36 total touchdowns during his junior season. As a senior, he followed up with 2,127 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, earning first-team All-State honors once again along with the Wichita Metro Player of the Year award.
Hall comes from a family with deep ties to professional football. His father, Bernard Hall, played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and later suited up in the Arena Football League. His step-father, Jeff Smith, played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers across a four-year career. Hall’s cousin, Kenton Keith, had a brief stint with the Jets in 2004 and later spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and in the Canadian Football League. His third cousin, Roger Craig, was a three-time Super Bowl champion running back for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s.
Path to American Football
Hall’s path to the NFL began with a dominant high school career in Wichita, where his blend of size, speed, and scoring touch made him a priority recruit. Following the departure of Iowa State running back David Montgomery for the NFL, Hall stepped into a starting role as a true freshman for the Cyclones. He wasted little time making an impact, earning Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week after rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns in a 38–14 win over West Virginia. He repeated the honor the following week with 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns, finishing his freshman year with 897 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, and second-team All-Big 12 recognition.
By his sophomore season, Hall had become one of the most productive backs in college football. He opened the year by rushing for more than 100 yards in eight consecutive games. He finished the season as the FBS leader in rushing yards with 1,572 yards on 279 carries, adding 21 rushing touchdowns and 23 receptions for 180 yards and two scores. Those numbers earned him first-team All-Big 12 honors, the conference Offensive Player of the Year award, and the distinction of becoming the first unanimous All-American in Iowa State history. As a junior in 2021, Hall added 1,472 rushing yards, 302 receiving yards, and 23 total touchdowns before announcing he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL draft.
Breece Hall Career
Early Career (2022)
Hall was selected by the New York Jets in the second round with the 36th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, becoming the first running back taken that year. He made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens and scored his first professional touchdown on a ten-yard reception from quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. In Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, Hall produced 97 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and a touchdown in a 40–17 Jets win. The following week against the Green Bay Packers, he carried the ball 20 times for 116 yards and a rushing touchdown, earning FedEx Ground Player of the Week and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors.
Hall’s rookie campaign was cut short in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, when he rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown but tore his ACL and meniscus in the second quarter of a 16–9 win. He was placed on injured reserve on October 25, 2022, ending his season.
New York Jets Era (2022–Present)
After rehabbing his knee, Hall was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list on July 19, 2023, and was activated on August 15, 2023. He returned in strong fashion during Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, finishing with 127 yards, including an 83-yard run, in a 22–16 overtime win. He later produced 177 rushing yards with a 72-yard touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 5, and he added a 50-yard receiving touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 8. In Week 16 against the Washington Commanders, he recorded 191 scrimmage yards in a 30–28 win, and he closed the regular season with 37 carries for 178 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots. In total, Hall posted 223 carries for 994 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, plus 76 receptions for 591 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in 2023.
In 2024, Hall continued his role as a central figure in the Jets’ offense. In Week 6 against the Bills, he logged 169 scrimmage yards in a 23–20 loss, and the following week he added 141 scrimmage yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 37–15 loss. Across the 2024 season, Hall recorded 209 carries for 876 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, along with 57 receptions for 483 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hall plays with a balanced mix of power and burst, showing the ability to break tackles between the tackles while also hitting explosive home-run plays in the open field. He is a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield, capable of turning short routes into long gains, and he has demonstrated the durability to handle heavy workloads. His vision and patience allow him to set up blocks, and his acceleration through the second level makes him a constant threat on perimeter runs.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hall’s most memorable early NFL moment came in his first game back from injury in 2023, when he ripped off an 83-yard run against the Bills to set up an overtime win. His 177-yard rushing performance against the Broncos later that season underscored his big-play ceiling, and his 191 scrimmage yards against the Commanders highlighted his all-purpose value. In 2024, he logged back-to-back 140-plus scrimmage-yard games against the Bills and Steelers, reinforcing his standing as a focal point of the Jets’ offense.
Breece Hall Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hall’s family tree is filled with football experience. His father, Bernard Hall, played college football at Oklahoma and later in the Arena Football League, while his step-father, Jeff Smith, carved out a four-year NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His cousin, Kenton Keith, briefly played for the Jets in 2004 and also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and in the Canadian Football League. Hall’s third cousin, Roger Craig, was a three-time Super Bowl champion running back for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s.
Personal Life
Hall was raised primarily in Wichita, Kansas, after being born in Omaha, Nebraska. Public details about his personal relationships are limited, and he is not publicly known to be married.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Hall remains the featured running back in the Jets’ offense following back-to-back seasons of 900-plus scrimmage yards. After battling back from a torn ACL in 2022, he has strung together two full campaigns and reestablished himself as a dual-threat weapon in both the running and passing game. The Jets are expected to lean on his production as they look to climb the AFC standings and return to playoff contention.
Hall’s 2024 totals of 876 rushing yards and 483 receiving yards suggest he remains a versatile every-down back capable of contributing in all phases. Consistency and durability will be central themes, as he aims to stay healthy for a full 17-game schedule and beyond. If he can recapture the explosive form he showed in 2023, when he posted 994 rushing yards and four receiving touchdowns, he could easily set new career highs.
Beyond individual milestones, Hall’s role in the locker room and his connection with the Jets’ offensive scheme will shape his trajectory. The organization continues to build around young skill players, and Hall’s experience as a second-round pick with three NFL seasons under his belt gives him a steady foundation. A strong 2025 would further cement his status as one of the foundational pieces of the franchise’s long-term plan.