Kimani Vidal Bio
Kimani Vidal is an American professional football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Troy Trojans and was selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. A native of Georgia, Vidal emerged as one of the most productive running backs in the Sun Belt Conference before making the jump to the professional ranks.
Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing around 216 pounds, Vidal is a compact, workhorse-style back whose college production foreshadowed a potential role in the Chargers offense. He continues to build his professional resume as a depth piece and special teams contributor in Los Angeles.
Early Life and Background
Kimani Vidal was born on August 28, 2001, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Kwame Vidal and Dayna Scott Vidal. His mother, Dayna, is the daughter of U.S. Representative David Scott, a Democrat who has represented parts of the Atlanta metro area in Congress. Vidal grew up in a family with deep roots in Georgia and a strong connection to both civic life and athletics.
Vidal is the great-nephew of Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron, making him part of one of the most storied families in American sports history. Hank Aaron’s sister, Alfredia, is Vidal’s grandmother. He also has a sister named Kaylin. This family lineage helped shape Vidal’s competitive drive and awareness of athletic legacy from an early age.
He attended Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he was rated a three-star recruit by national scouting services. Despite drawing interest from several major programs, Vidal chose to play his college football at Troy University, turning down scholarship offers from LSU, Memphis, South Alabama, South Carolina, and Syracuse.
Path to American Football
Vidal’s path to professional football began in earnest at Troy, where he joined a Trojans program looking for a feature back. He made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2020, rushing for 516 yards and four touchdowns on 101 carries while adding 26 receptions for 225 yards. His ability to contribute both on the ground and through the air gave Troy a versatile option in the backfield.
As a sophomore in 2021, Vidal continued his steady development, finishing the year with 701 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 152 carries, plus 22 receptions for 134 yards. He showed flashes of big-play ability, including a 162-yard, two-touchdown performance against Texas State in a 31-28 win, signaling that a breakout season was on the horizon.
Vidal’s profile as a prospect grew rapidly during his junior and senior campaigns at Troy, where he piled up production and postseason honors. His combination of contact balance, pass-catching ability, and durability made him an appealing late-round target for NFL teams seeking a complementary back.
Kimani Vidal Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Vidal’s first two seasons at Troy established him as a reliable every-down back. In 2020, he stepped into a meaningful role as a freshman and delivered consistent production, particularly as a receiver out of the backfield. His 26 catches in his debut year demonstrated a skill set that extended beyond traditional between-the-tackles running.
The 2021 season served as a transition year, with Vidal adjusting to a larger workload and proving he could handle the physical demands of a full college schedule. His performance against Texas State, where he carried the ball 25 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns, was an early sign of the bigger games that would follow.
Troy Trojans Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Vidal’s true breakout came in 2022, when he became the focal point of the Troy offense. He rushed for 1,132 yards and 10 touchdowns on 231 carries, adding 26 receptions for 140 yards. Highlights included a 242-yard, two-touchdown performance against Louisiana–Monroe that earned him Sun Belt Conference offensive player of the week honors, followed by a 208-yard, four-touchdown outing against Arkansas State that helped Troy advance to the Sun Belt championship game. For his efforts, Vidal was named second-team All-Sun Belt.
The 2023 season cemented Vidal’s status as one of the top running backs in the Group of Five. In the season opener against Stephen F. Austin, he set the Troy single-game rushing record with 248 yards. He followed that with a 245-yard, three-touchdown performance against Arkansas State, again earning Sun Belt offensive player of the week. Vidal was later named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, a third-team All-American, and first-team All-Sun Belt. He capped his senior year by winning the MVP award in the 2023 Sun Belt championship game, becoming the first player in FBS history to rush for five touchdowns in a conference championship game.
Los Angeles Chargers Era (2024–Present)
Vidal was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 181st overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He made his NFL debut on October 13 in a win over the Denver Broncos, scoring on his first official touch, a 38-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Justin Herbert. That play immediately announced his arrival as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
On August 26, 2025, Vidal was waived as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the Chargers practice squad the following day. He was promoted back to the active roster on October 8 after running back Omarion Hampton was placed on injured reserve. In Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, Vidal rushed 18 times for 124 yards and added three receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown, offering a glimpse of the production that defined his college career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Vidal’s most memorable moments is his record-setting MVP performance in the 2023 Sun Belt championship game, where his five rushing touchdowns set an FBS record for a conference title contest. He also set the Troy single-game rushing record with 248 yards against Stephen F. Austin earlier that same season, underscoring his capacity for explosive, game-changing outputs on the biggest stages.
Kimani Vidal Career Highlights
Vidal’s career win highlights are anchored by his dominant 2022 and 2023 college seasons at Troy, where he became the centerpiece of one of the most productive rushing attacks in the Sun Belt Conference. His ability to deliver in high-leverage moments, including conference championship games, has been a defining theme of his playing career.
Troy Trojans Highlights
During his time at Troy, Vidal piled up multiple 200-yard rushing performances and finished with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. His five-touchdown MVP effort in the 2023 Sun Belt championship game stands as the signature win of his college career, complemented by his record-setting 248-yard opener earlier that season.
NFL Highlights
In his brief NFL career, Vidal’s highlights include his debut touchdown reception against Denver and his multi-touchdown contribution against Miami in 2025. These moments have shown that his college production can translate to the professional level when given opportunity.
Kimani Vidal Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Kimani Vidal comes from a family with deep roots in Georgia and notable ties to both politics and sports. His mother, Dayna Scott Vidal, is the daughter of U.S. Representative David Scott. His father is Kwame Vidal. Through his maternal grandmother, Alfredia, Vidal is the great-nephew of Hall of Fame baseball legend Hank Aaron, connecting him to one of the most iconic families in American sports history.
Personal Life
Vidal has a sister named Kaylin. He grew up in the Atlanta area and attended Marietta High School before beginning his college career at Troy. He is unmarried, and his family remains a central support system as he continues his professional career with the Los Angeles Chargers.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a turbulent but promising stretch for Kimani Vidal with the Los Angeles Chargers. After being waived during final roster cuts in late August, he quickly returned on the practice squad and was promoted to the active roster on October 8 following Omarion Hampton’s placement on injured reserve. His reentry to the active roster gave Los Angeles another option in the backfield during the middle of the season.
Vidal responded with a strong showing in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, rushing 18 times for 124 yards while adding three receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown. That performance marked his most significant statistical contribution of the 2025 season and reaffirmed the playmaking ability that defined his time at Troy. It also positioned him as a potential long-term piece of the Chargers’ offensive rotation.
Looking ahead, Vidal will look to build on his late-2025 production and carve out a larger role in the Chargers’ offense. With continued production and consistency, he has a chance to establish himself as a dependable depth back and special teams contributor for a Los Angeles team with postseason aspirations.