NFL Draft Profile: Deneric Prince, Running Back, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Deneric Prince
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
#8
Pos: RB
Ht: 5115
Wt: 216
Hand: 0928
Arm: 3128
Wing: 7500
40: 4.41
DOB: 4/11/2000
Hometown: Manvel, TX
High School: Manvel
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Deneric has a combination of size and speed that can draw attention to a team that is intrigued by the upside.
Evaluation:
Deneric Prince is a power back with the ability to break a play loose. He has great size for the running back position and uses it to his advantage when making contact with defenders, oftentimes running over smaller defensive backs and through measly arm tackles. Prince forces defenders to put their full effort into tackling him because once he is at full speed, it is difficult to bring him down. Prince is a very decisive runner; he does not spend much time behind the line waiting for blocks to develop or defensive players to shift. Instead, he hits a hole as soon as he gets the ball, for better or for worse. In the open field, Prince does not chop his feet much or move laterally. He has good acceleration when turning the corner and really good top-end speed to break plays loose. Despite being a bigger back, Prince also has reliable hands in the passing game.
Prince struggles in certain areas that will limit his upside at the next level. He does not have great vision and is very dependent on his offensive line. Most of his best plays come from the offensive line doing all the dirty work and him taking advantage. When he is not given clear lanes, he struggles to create yards and make plays for himself. He does not have great agility in the open field; his best form of evading defenders is running through soft tackles. Prince has also been dealing with injuries throughout his college career, as he has only played 26 games in the last three seasons. Prince does not have any great skills in his game that necessarily stand out, as his biggest strength is his size. Prince may not have his name called in the NFL Draft, but his combination of size and speed can be enough to garner UDFA attention from some teams.
Grade:
UDFA
Quotes:
“Deneric had a couple big explosive runs; the one late, man, what a huge play that we needed right there to extend the lead… with the amount of yards and some tough yards in there, we’re really proud.” – Former Head Coach of Tulsa Football, Philip Montgomery, on Deneric Prince’s performance vs. Temple
Background:
Buried on the depth chart at Texas A&M, he transferred to Tulsa for the 2021 season. He eventually transferred to Tulsa in 2020 and made an immediate impact on the team, averaging 60 rushing yards per game and scoring four touchdowns in eight games. Son of Eric and Deena Prince; has two siblings. He began playing football at the age of three. Grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Reggie Bush. His favorite superhero is Flash. Coached by Kirk Martin at Manvel High School, he ran for 863 yards and 10 touchdowns on 105 attempts for a 14-1 team as a senior in 2017. He also participated in track and field. He earned 2nd-team All-District honors and was a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports. Majored in organizational studies. Accolades: In two seasons at Tulsa, played in 18 games, had 226 attempts, gaining 1,253 rushing yards (5.5 average) and ten touchdowns, and had 16 catches for 151 receiving yards (9.4 average) and one touchdown. He originally began his career at Texas A&M, garnering just two carries (21 yards) in one season.
