Who is Tyjae Spears? Tulane RB looking to raise stock at NFL Combine after Senior Bowl breakout

NFL Draft supporters know that many of the league’s best running backs don’t get picked in the first round.

Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb, Miles Sanders and Dalvin Cook were all second-round picks, while Aaron Jones was a fifth-round pick and Austin Ekeler was not drafted. Mid-round running backs can make an instant impact, as Dameon Pierce did in 2022.

There is said to be at least one middle-round gem in this year’s running back class, and that player could be Tulane’s Tyjae Spears.

A rising star of the preliminary draft process, Spears was the beating heart of the Green Wave offense during the program’s historic 2022 season and shone during Senior Bowl week to add to his stocks.

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Here’s what you need to know about Spears as he prepares for the NFL Combine.

Tyjae Spears height, weight

Tulane listed Spears at 5-11 and 195 pounds last season. It’s not uncommon for listed heights to be higher than the exact figure, so Spears’ NFL Combine measurements are the definitive indicator of his height.

While Spears’ height is typical of an NFL running back, his physique could cause teams to worry. Virtually all high-profile NFL-level running backs weigh over 205 pounds, with Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb listed at just over 225, though their height is in the same range as Spears.

Pierce, Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall and Isiah Pacheco – all standouts from the 2022 draft class – are listed between 210 and 220 pounds, although three of the four are shorter than Spears.

The good news for Spears is that, unlike height, his weight can change. NFL teams will likely want him to build up and get stronger ahead of draft weekend.

It’s worth noting that the height and weight measurements are inaccurate up to the combine, so these concerns might be unnecessary.

Tyjae Spears 40 times

Spears has yet to run the 40-yard dash, but most forecasts believe he will run in the vicinity of 4.40 seconds.

The best 40-yard dash time by a year-old running back was a 4.37 (Pacheco, Pierre Strong), so a 4.40 would be a great score for Spears, whose speed is one of his greatest strengths.

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Tyjae Spears stats

season	School	Att	Yds	avg	TD
2019	Tulane	32	192	6.0	1
2020	Tulane	37	274	7.4	2
2021	Tulane	129	863	6.7	9
2022	Tulane	229	1,581	6.9	19
In total		427	2,910	6.8	31

Spears enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022, but he was efficient throughout his four-year career at Tulane. When he stepped into the role of feature back last season, he averaged nearly 7 yards per carry and was a touchdown machine for one of the nation’s most surprising teams.

Even more notable is that Spears produced so much in 2021 and 2022 despite missing most of 2020 with a cruciate ligament rupture. Teams will no doubt want to address the injury during the preliminary draft process, but the post-surgery results seem to speak for themselves.

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Spears ranked fifth among all FBS players in 2022 with 1,581 rushing yards, and his 19 rushing touchdowns trailed only Mohamed Ibrahim of Minnesota and Israel Abanikanda of Pitt.

Those numbers include a 205-yard four-touchdown performance against USC in an upset Cotton Bowl win for the Green Wave. Spears averaged 12.1 yards per carry against the Trojans’ defense. He took that momentum to Mobile for the Senior Bowl, where his week of practice drew rave reviews.

The NFL’s front offices must balance size issues with speed and efficiency. If he stays on his current trajectory, Spears could come off the board sooner than expected.