NFL Draft Profile: Travis Dye, Running Back, USC Trojans
In this story:
#26
Pos: RB
Ht: 5095
Wt: 201
Hand: 0928
Arm: 2878
Wing: 7028
40: 4.50
DOB: 8/24/1999
Hometown: Norco, CA
High School: Norco
Eligibility: 2023
Travis Dye
USC Trojans
One-Liner:
Smaller back with some shiftiness to his game and the potential to stick as a depth-piece on a roster.
Evaluation:
Running back in a committee who is motioned around the formation frequently. Dye possesses very good vision, consistently reading first-level leverage and making good decisions in most concepts. He is able to make poor tackling attempts miss, not being brought down by arm tackles, maintaining a wide base and low pad level. Running bigger than his size, Dye will even drive the pile. He falls forward consistently thanks to good contact balance. He is able to perform jump cuts at low speeds. On lateral runs, he makes flowing defenders miss by cutting back against their momentum. His balance is apparent when running along the sideline where he is able to keep an extra step or two in bounds. An above-average route runner, he uses his foot speed and pays attention to detail to his craft, performing sharp breaks. His hands are reliable. Dye shows good effort as a blocker for a smaller back. Possessing deficient size at the position, Dye is limited as a pass blocker and rusher as he will not run over defenders. Below-average speed prevents him from breaking away in the open field. Through the first and second level his burst is merely average. At high speeds, he struggles to change directions suddenly. Deficient sized back with below-average speed, average burst and good balance. Dye possesses very good vision and runs bigger than his size, breaking poor tackles and falling forward. Dye projects as a reliable depth piece who could end up on a practice squad early on. His effort should allow him to contribute on special teams. He lacks the size and athleticism to ever be given a high volume of touches.
Grade:
7th Round
Background:
A three-star recruit out of California, Dye followed in the footsteps of his brother Troy, who played linebacker at Oregon from 2016-2019 and was a fourth-round pick by Minnesota. Dye had an immediate impact for the Ducks, breaking the single-game rushing record with 199 yards against Oregon State. He finished second in rushing on the team with 739 yards and was one of only two players to carry the ball 100 times or more. Since then, he’s seen his carries slide a bit as Oregon continues to spread out the workload. Still, his yards-per-carry average has risen in that time, and he even earned honorable mention on the Pac-12 All-Conference Team last fall after leading the team in rushing. Dye carries himself as a role model for his teammates with his effort on the field. His play brings energy to the Ducks’ offense, whether running the ball or catching it. His size may limit his effectiveness in some areas, but his effort never wavers, and Dye is a team-first player. Transferred from Oregon to USC in 2022.
