Lincoln Pare is a running back and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played at Arkansas State and Texas State during his collegiate career. A native of Germantown, Tennessee, Pare enrolled at Arkansas State in the 2020 class and appeared in 21 games over his first two seasons before transferring to Texas State ahead of the 2022 campaign. He missed the entire 2023 season due to a lower-body injury suffered in summer camp but returned in 2024 as the Bobcats' lead back, rushing for 554 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games and capping the year with a 143-yard, two-touchdown First Responder Bowl MVP performance against North Texas that showcased his explosiveness and late-game reliability. He followed that with his best professional season in 2025, establishing himself as the featured back in a Sun Belt offense and rushing for 1,128 yards and 12 touchdowns on 210 carries while adding 37 receptions for 312 yards and two more scores in 13 games. A sixth-year senior and two-time Sun Belt player, Pare finished his Texas State career as one of the program's most productive offensive players.
Standing 5-9 and 200 pounds, Pare is a quick, decisive runner with good contact balance and the explosiveness to break runs to the outside or power through in tight spaces. His receiving contributions across his final two seasons, totaling more than 400 receiving yards with a genuine ability to contribute in the passing game, add to his value as a potential third-down option in a professional offense. He plays with maturity and consistent effort that his coaches have praised repeatedly, and his experience as a workhorse back in a spread system that relied heavily on his ability to carry the load gives him strong situational football awareness. His smaller frame and level of competition will raise questions during the evaluation process, but his production and versatility project him as a late-round or priority undrafted free agent candidate with the tools to contribute in a committee backfield at the next level.
