Dean Connors is a running back and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who finished his collegiate career with the Houston Cougars after spending three seasons with the Rice Owls. A native of Kamuela, Hawaii, Connors attended multiple high schools before enrolling at Riverside Community College in California, where he developed into a productive JUCO runner, before earning his only scholarship offer from Rice, the program that gave him his first FBS opportunity. He played sparingly as a freshman in 2022 and broke out as a sophomore in 2023 with 121 rushing attempts for 771 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 43 receptions for 403 yards and three scores, finishing second in FBS among running backs in receptions that year. He followed that in 2024 with 780 rushing yards and nine touchdowns to accompany 62 receptions for 498 yards and two scores, ranking second among all FBS backs in receptions and earning All-Conference USA recognition for his efforts. After his senior day ceremony at Rice, Connors received an additional year of eligibility through the Diego Pavia ruling and transferred to Houston, where he rushed for 977 yards and six touchdowns on 200 carries in 2025 while adding 34 receptions for 254 yards and three receiving scores and capping his career with a dominant 126-yard Texas Bowl performance. He was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he further boosted his stock.
Standing 6-foot and 206 pounds, Connors is known for a one-cut decisive running style that allows him to attack gaps quickly and fall forward for positive yardage, exceptional receiving ability out of the backfield that has made him one of the most productive pass-catching backs in FBS over the past three years, reliable contact balance and lower-body strength that allows him to avoid arm tackles and remain on his feet after initial contact, and the football intelligence developed across four seasons at two different FBS programs. NFL evaluators see him most clearly as a third-down and pass-catching back at the professional level, where his receiving polish and versatility can translate immediately, and his carry totals suggest he enters the draft with less wear than a typical senior prospect. He projects as a Day 3 or priority free agent back with a clear role to develop as a complementary piece in a committee backfield.
