2021 Football Roster
Roster
Rivers, Ronnie
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Jersey Number 20
Ronnie Rivers
- Position:
- RB
- Height:
- 5-9
- Weight:
- 195
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Brentwood, Calif.
- High School:
- Freedom HS
Bio
Last updated on Jan. 21, 2022
2021 (SENIOR*): All-Mountain West honorable mention running back … left as the Fresno State record holder in career touchdowns scored (52), rushing touchdowns (40), receiving touchdowns by a running back (12), receiving yards by a running back (1,417) and pass receptions by a running back (150) … is third in program history with 3,417 career rushing yards … is second in program history in career rushing attempts (672) … is fourth in program history with 5,208 career all-purpose yards … played in 11 games this season, and started all 11 … finished the season with 788 rushing yards on 162 attempts … had 34 receptions for 364 yards … totaled seven touchdowns - five rushing and two receiving … totaled 1,187 all-purpose yards … averaged 4.9 yards per carry … averaged 10.7 yards per reception … had a season-best 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries at then-No. 13 UCLA (Sept. 18) … had a season-high 169 all-purpose yards against San Jose State (Nov. 25), finishing with 65 yards rushing and 91 yards receiving, while adding 13 kick return yards. Rivers had one receiving touchdown that game … had a career-long 61-yard reception on a touchdown grab against UConn (Aug. 28), that score was the reception and touchdown that gave him the record for most receptions and receiving touchdowns by a running back in program history … had a season-long 64-yard touchdown run against Nevada, the longest run by a Bulldog on the season … had five games with 100+ all-purpose yards … preseason All-Mountain West selection … Paul Hornung Award watch list … Maxwell Award watch list … Doak Walker Award watch list … first team preseason selection by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele … received an invite to the 2022 NFLPA All-Star game … 2021 team captain … invited to 2022 NFL Scouting Combine … helped Fresno State to two wins over ranked opponents, both on the road. It was the first time Fresno State defeated two Top 25 opponents in a season for the first time since 2004, and the first time both wins came on the road in the 100 year history of the program.
*Utilized the additional year of eligibility approved by the NCAA in the fall of 2020. The NCAA approved a blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes to retain a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 (SENIOR): First team All-Mountain West running back … tied the program record for most touchdowns scored in a career (44) … is tied for third all-time with 35 career rushing touchdowns … ties the program record with 116 career pass receptions by a running back … is seventh all-time with 4,025 all-purpose yards in his career … ranks seventh all-time with 2,629 career rushing yards … is sixth in program history with 510 career rushing attempts … was third in the Mountain West, averaging 84.5 rushing yards per game … led the conference and was No. 22 in the NCAA with 136.3 all-purpose yards per game this season … second in the conference with an average of nine points per game … second in the league in touchdowns (9) … No. 22 in scoring, No. 55 in rushing touchdowns and No. 49 in total touchdowns in the NCAA … was No. 42 in rushing yards per game in the FBS ... played in all six games and started five … led the team with 507 rushing yards on 100 carries … added 265 receiving yards on 27 catches … had six punt returns for 46 yards … totaled 818 all-purpose yards this season … scored nine total touchdowns - seven rushing and two receiving … had two 100-yard rushing games, at UNLV (Nov. 7) and at Utah State (Nov. 14) … scored four touchdowns at UNLV, three rushing and one receiving … he had 133 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards versus the Rebels, just one receiving yard shy of becoming the first Bulldog to surpass 100 yards in both categories since Dale Messer in 1960 … his 24 points scored at UNLV were the most by any player in the Mountain West this year … had two multi-score games … also had the third-highest mark with 18 points scored against Colorado State (Oct. 29) … was the only Mountain West player to score four touchdowns in a game this season … had an 18.5 yard punt return average in the season opener versus Hawai’i (Oct. 24) for the third-best single-game mark in the conference on the year … had the third-most all-purpose yards in the MW at UNLV (232 yds.) … helped Fresno State to the top total offense in the conference and the second-best scoring offense … was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after the Bulldogs’ win at UNLV (Nov. 7) … selected for the 2021 Shrine Bowl … Phil Steele All-Mountain West first team selection … Named to three national preseason watch lists: Maxwell Award (presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football), Doak Walker Award (celebrates the nation’s top running back) and Hornung Award (celebrates the nation’s most versatile player) ... named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team.
2019 (JUNIOR): Second team All-Mountain West running back … started all 12 games ... was the team’s leading rusher with 899 rushing yards this season … added 348 receiving yards … totaled 1,367 all-purpose yards ... led the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and three receiving … led the Mountain West with 16 touchdowns … was fifth in rushing and fourth in all-purpose yards in the conference standings … was No. 19 in the NCAA in total touchdowns, No. 21 in rushing touchdowns and No. 49 in all-purpose yards … had six 100-yard all-purpose yardage games … had four 100-yard rushing games, with three consecutive games … had a season-best 177 rushing yards at San Jose State (Nov. 30) … had his longest rush of the season at SJSU, a 55-yard run that set him up for a touchdown in the drive … scored two or more touchdowns for four consecutive games from Oct. 18-Nov. 9 … scored three rushing touchdowns against Utah State (Nov. 9) … averaged 113.9 all-purpose yards per game … had nine punt returns for 120 yards on the season … was a Fall 2019 Academic All-Mountain West selection.
2018 (SOPHOMORE): Appeared in 11 games and made six starts … registered 1,192 all-purpose yards ... recorded 108.4 all-purpose yards per game, ranking as the fourth-most in the Mountain West … scored a team-high 13 touchdowns … led the team in rushing with 743 yards on 132 carries … logged a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns … averaged 5.6 yards per carry … ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 26, totaling 311 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns … led the team in punt returns with 14 for 138 yards … ranked second in the Mountain West and 21st in the FBS in punt return average, averaging 9.9 yards per return … ranked sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 7.1 points per game … named MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl after posting the fourth-most all-purpose yards in school history with 286 (212 rush/41 punt return/33 receiving) in the Bulldogs’ win over Arizona State on Dec. 15 – 212 rushing yards marked the 21st 200-yard rushing game in program history and tied for 14th-most rushing yards in a single game by a Bulldog … totaled a career-high 24 rushing attempts and a career-best 41-yard punt return in the bowl game on Dec. 15 … rushed for 63 yards on 17 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Boise State in the 2018 Mountain West Championship on Dec. 1 … had a single-game season-long run of 76 yards at home against Hawai’i on Oct. 27 where he rushed for a team-high 125 yards on 11 total carries … scored a career-high three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 38-7 win at New Mexico on Oct. 20 with two rushing scores and one receiving score ... named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team.
2017 (FRESHMAN): Started five of the first six games of the season at running back, as well as the last two games, as a true freshman … made seven starts while playing in 13 of the Bulldogs’ 14 games … made the most starts at running back for a Bulldog true freshman since Calvin Scruggs in 1984 (7) ... suffered an elbow injury on Oct. 14 vs. New Mexico, which led to missing Oct. 21 contest at San Diego State ... totaled 480 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries for the season ... saw double-digit carries in four games ... averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 2017 ... rushed nine times for 60 yards and a touchdown in his first start on Sept. 2 … picked up 82 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 12 carries and a season-best 24 yards receiving (2 receptions) in the conference opener vs. Nevada on Sept. 30 … recorded first-career 100-yard rushing game at San Jose State on Oct. 7, posting season highs in rushes (19), receptions (4), rushing yards (105) and rushing TDs (2) vs. the Spartans ... caught first career touchdown reception at Wyoming on Nov. 18 - the Bulldogs only TD in a 13-7 win that clinched the West division title and a berth to the Mountain West Championship game ... led the team with eight punt returns on the year, in which he gained 35 yards with a long of 13 ... named a Mountain West scholar athlete.
HIGH SCHOOL: Rivers was one of six finalists for Cal-Hi Sports’ Mr. Football State Player of the Year as a senior at Freedom High School ... named the 2016 Bay Valley League Most Valuable Player ... was named The Mercury News East Bay Offensive Player of the Year ... also named the 2016 MaxPreps All-NorCal Offensive Player of the Year ... named the Prep2Prep All-North Coast Section Player of the Year ... rushed for 2,239 yards as a senior and scored 33 touchdowns ... posted 100-yard plus rushing performances in 11 of 13 games in 2016 ... rushed for a school-record 387 yards and seven touchdowns to lift the unbeaten Freedom Falcons past Antioch 65-28 as Rivers’ seven rushing touchdowns tied a school record previously held by former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon (2014-16) ... the Freedom star rushed for 299 yards and scored six touchdowns — five on the ground — to lead his undefeated team to a 55-35 victory over Pittsburg in a North Coast Section Open Division semifinal ... led the BVAL with 38 total touchdowns in 2016 ... also threw a touchdown pass and caught two TDs in addition to his 33 rushing scores as a senior ... in addition, Rivers also returned an interception for a touchdown in a win over Liberty, and returned two kickoffs for scores, including one in the CIF Division 1 NorCal final against St. Mary’s-Stockton ... guided Freedom to an 11-2 record in 2016 as well as the Bay Valley league champions with a perfect 5-0 record … named the 2016 NCS Open Division Runner Up and the 2016 CIF Nor Cal D1AA Runner Up ... named an Impact Player by Junior Prep Sports Football Classic.
PERSONAL: Born in Castro Valley, Calif. ... son of Ron and Myla Rivers ... father Ron is Fresno State’s second-leading rusher (3,473) in school history, who played at Fresno State from 1991-93 ... sister is Malia Rivers, also a Bulldog alum, who completed her senior softball season at Fresno State in 2017 ... also has a younger brother, Devon ... lists his favorite athletic thrill as any time he rushes for a touchdown ... is a finance major at Fresno State.
2021 (SENIOR*): All-Mountain West honorable mention running back … left as the Fresno State record holder in career touchdowns scored (52), rushing touchdowns (40), receiving touchdowns by a running back (12), receiving yards by a running back (1,417) and pass receptions by a running back (150) … is third in program history with 3,417 career rushing yards … is second in program history in career rushing attempts (672) … is fourth in program history with 5,208 career all-purpose yards … played in 11 games this season, and started all 11 … finished the season with 788 rushing yards on 162 attempts … had 34 receptions for 364 yards … totaled seven touchdowns - five rushing and two receiving … totaled 1,187 all-purpose yards … averaged 4.9 yards per carry … averaged 10.7 yards per reception … had a season-best 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries at then-No. 13 UCLA (Sept. 18) … had a season-high 169 all-purpose yards against San Jose State (Nov. 25), finishing with 65 yards rushing and 91 yards receiving, while adding 13 kick return yards. Rivers had one receiving touchdown that game … had a career-long 61-yard reception on a touchdown grab against UConn (Aug. 28), that score was the reception and touchdown that gave him the record for most receptions and receiving touchdowns by a running back in program history … had a season-long 64-yard touchdown run against Nevada, the longest run by a Bulldog on the season … had five games with 100+ all-purpose yards … preseason All-Mountain West selection … Paul Hornung Award watch list … Maxwell Award watch list … Doak Walker Award watch list … first team preseason selection by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele … received an invite to the 2022 NFLPA All-Star game … 2021 team captain … invited to 2022 NFL Scouting Combine … helped Fresno State to two wins over ranked opponents, both on the road. It was the first time Fresno State defeated two Top 25 opponents in a season for the first time since 2004, and the first time both wins came on the road in the 100 year history of the program.
*Utilized the additional year of eligibility approved by the NCAA in the fall of 2020. The NCAA approved a blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes to retain a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 (SENIOR): First team All-Mountain West running back … tied the program record for most touchdowns scored in a career (44) … is tied for third all-time with 35 career rushing touchdowns … ties the program record with 116 career pass receptions by a running back … is seventh all-time with 4,025 all-purpose yards in his career … ranks seventh all-time with 2,629 career rushing yards … is sixth in program history with 510 career rushing attempts … was third in the Mountain West, averaging 84.5 rushing yards per game … led the conference and was No. 22 in the NCAA with 136.3 all-purpose yards per game this season … second in the conference with an average of nine points per game … second in the league in touchdowns (9) … No. 22 in scoring, No. 55 in rushing touchdowns and No. 49 in total touchdowns in the NCAA … was No. 42 in rushing yards per game in the FBS ... played in all six games and started five … led the team with 507 rushing yards on 100 carries … added 265 receiving yards on 27 catches … had six punt returns for 46 yards … totaled 818 all-purpose yards this season … scored nine total touchdowns - seven rushing and two receiving … had two 100-yard rushing games, at UNLV (Nov. 7) and at Utah State (Nov. 14) … scored four touchdowns at UNLV, three rushing and one receiving … he had 133 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards versus the Rebels, just one receiving yard shy of becoming the first Bulldog to surpass 100 yards in both categories since Dale Messer in 1960 … his 24 points scored at UNLV were the most by any player in the Mountain West this year … had two multi-score games … also had the third-highest mark with 18 points scored against Colorado State (Oct. 29) … was the only Mountain West player to score four touchdowns in a game this season … had an 18.5 yard punt return average in the season opener versus Hawai’i (Oct. 24) for the third-best single-game mark in the conference on the year … had the third-most all-purpose yards in the MW at UNLV (232 yds.) … helped Fresno State to the top total offense in the conference and the second-best scoring offense … was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after the Bulldogs’ win at UNLV (Nov. 7) … selected for the 2021 Shrine Bowl … Phil Steele All-Mountain West first team selection … Named to three national preseason watch lists: Maxwell Award (presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football), Doak Walker Award (celebrates the nation’s top running back) and Hornung Award (celebrates the nation’s most versatile player) ... named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team.
2019 (JUNIOR): Second team All-Mountain West running back … started all 12 games ... was the team’s leading rusher with 899 rushing yards this season … added 348 receiving yards … totaled 1,367 all-purpose yards ... led the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and three receiving … led the Mountain West with 16 touchdowns … was fifth in rushing and fourth in all-purpose yards in the conference standings … was No. 19 in the NCAA in total touchdowns, No. 21 in rushing touchdowns and No. 49 in all-purpose yards … had six 100-yard all-purpose yardage games … had four 100-yard rushing games, with three consecutive games … had a season-best 177 rushing yards at San Jose State (Nov. 30) … had his longest rush of the season at SJSU, a 55-yard run that set him up for a touchdown in the drive … scored two or more touchdowns for four consecutive games from Oct. 18-Nov. 9 … scored three rushing touchdowns against Utah State (Nov. 9) … averaged 113.9 all-purpose yards per game … had nine punt returns for 120 yards on the season … was a Fall 2019 Academic All-Mountain West selection.
2018 (SOPHOMORE): Appeared in 11 games and made six starts … registered 1,192 all-purpose yards ... recorded 108.4 all-purpose yards per game, ranking as the fourth-most in the Mountain West … scored a team-high 13 touchdowns … led the team in rushing with 743 yards on 132 carries … logged a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns … averaged 5.6 yards per carry … ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 26, totaling 311 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns … led the team in punt returns with 14 for 138 yards … ranked second in the Mountain West and 21st in the FBS in punt return average, averaging 9.9 yards per return … ranked sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 7.1 points per game … named MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl after posting the fourth-most all-purpose yards in school history with 286 (212 rush/41 punt return/33 receiving) in the Bulldogs’ win over Arizona State on Dec. 15 – 212 rushing yards marked the 21st 200-yard rushing game in program history and tied for 14th-most rushing yards in a single game by a Bulldog … totaled a career-high 24 rushing attempts and a career-best 41-yard punt return in the bowl game on Dec. 15 … rushed for 63 yards on 17 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Boise State in the 2018 Mountain West Championship on Dec. 1 … had a single-game season-long run of 76 yards at home against Hawai’i on Oct. 27 where he rushed for a team-high 125 yards on 11 total carries … scored a career-high three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 38-7 win at New Mexico on Oct. 20 with two rushing scores and one receiving score ... named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team.
2017 (FRESHMAN): Started five of the first six games of the season at running back, as well as the last two games, as a true freshman … made seven starts while playing in 13 of the Bulldogs’ 14 games … made the most starts at running back for a Bulldog true freshman since Calvin Scruggs in 1984 (7) ... suffered an elbow injury on Oct. 14 vs. New Mexico, which led to missing Oct. 21 contest at San Diego State ... totaled 480 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries for the season ... saw double-digit carries in four games ... averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 2017 ... rushed nine times for 60 yards and a touchdown in his first start on Sept. 2 … picked up 82 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 12 carries and a season-best 24 yards receiving (2 receptions) in the conference opener vs. Nevada on Sept. 30 … recorded first-career 100-yard rushing game at San Jose State on Oct. 7, posting season highs in rushes (19), receptions (4), rushing yards (105) and rushing TDs (2) vs. the Spartans ... caught first career touchdown reception at Wyoming on Nov. 18 - the Bulldogs only TD in a 13-7 win that clinched the West division title and a berth to the Mountain West Championship game ... led the team with eight punt returns on the year, in which he gained 35 yards with a long of 13 ... named a Mountain West scholar athlete.
HIGH SCHOOL: Rivers was one of six finalists for Cal-Hi Sports’ Mr. Football State Player of the Year as a senior at Freedom High School ... named the 2016 Bay Valley League Most Valuable Player ... was named The Mercury News East Bay Offensive Player of the Year ... also named the 2016 MaxPreps All-NorCal Offensive Player of the Year ... named the Prep2Prep All-North Coast Section Player of the Year ... rushed for 2,239 yards as a senior and scored 33 touchdowns ... posted 100-yard plus rushing performances in 11 of 13 games in 2016 ... rushed for a school-record 387 yards and seven touchdowns to lift the unbeaten Freedom Falcons past Antioch 65-28 as Rivers’ seven rushing touchdowns tied a school record previously held by former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon (2014-16) ... the Freedom star rushed for 299 yards and scored six touchdowns — five on the ground — to lead his undefeated team to a 55-35 victory over Pittsburg in a North Coast Section Open Division semifinal ... led the BVAL with 38 total touchdowns in 2016 ... also threw a touchdown pass and caught two TDs in addition to his 33 rushing scores as a senior ... in addition, Rivers also returned an interception for a touchdown in a win over Liberty, and returned two kickoffs for scores, including one in the CIF Division 1 NorCal final against St. Mary’s-Stockton ... guided Freedom to an 11-2 record in 2016 as well as the Bay Valley league champions with a perfect 5-0 record … named the 2016 NCS Open Division Runner Up and the 2016 CIF Nor Cal D1AA Runner Up ... named an Impact Player by Junior Prep Sports Football Classic.
PERSONAL: Born in Castro Valley, Calif. ... son of Ron and Myla Rivers ... father Ron is Fresno State’s second-leading rusher (3,473) in school history, who played at Fresno State from 1991-93 ... sister is Malia Rivers, also a Bulldog alum, who completed her senior softball season at Fresno State in 2017 ... also has a younger brother, Devon ... lists his favorite athletic thrill as any time he rushes for a touchdown ... is a finance major at Fresno State.
FB Media Availability [9/2]: QB E.J. Warner
Tuesday, September 02
FB Weekly Press Conference [9/1]
Monday, September 01
FB highlight vs Georgia Southern [8/30/25]
Monday, September 01
Post-Game Press Conference [8/30]
Saturday, August 30
