Running back, Houston (from Rice), 2022–⁠25

Dean Connors

Number
No. 44
Height
6′0″
Weight
206 lb
Class (2025)
Senior
Hometown
Kamuela, HI
Born
Aug 29, 2003

Dean Connors played running back at Rice (2022–⁠24) and Houston (2025).

Career highs

184rushing yards, career highat Charlotte, 20233rushing touchdowns, career hightwice; last vs. Texas Southern, 20249catches, career highvs. Sam Houston, 2024109receiving yards, career highvs. UTSA, 20242receiving touchdowns, career highat South Florida, 2023

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2022Rice271284.7022
2023Rice1217716.4757
2024Rice1597804.9971
2025Houston2009774.9654
Career5072,6565.22271

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2022Rice8243.017
2023Rice434039.4380
2024Rice614727.7269
2025Houston342547.5333
Career1461,1537.9980

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2022Rice71330
2023Rice1150
2025Houston110
Career91490

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022Rice44RBFr.
2023Rice44RBSo.
2024Rice44RBJr.
2025Houston44RBSr.6′0″206

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2022Rice35-0.18––-6.35%–
2023Rice1670.3894th (n=450)0.1763.221%0.28
2024Rice2140.1444th (n=434)0.1630.828%0.03
2025Houston248-0.0218th (n=576)0.10-4.726%0.04

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Houston39%3.000.901.3016%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2025 Houston 13 games, 977 rushing yards, 6 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 28vs.Stephen F. AustinW 27–⁠015500210
Sep 6atRiceW 35–⁠9131322230
Sep 12vs.ColoradoW 36–⁠20228912220
Sep 26atOregon StateW 27–⁠24175304330
Oct 4vs.Texas TechL 11–⁠3513310190
Oct 11atOklahoma StateW 39–⁠1715831271
Oct 18vs.ArizonaW 31–⁠282010003380
Oct 25atArizona StateW 24–⁠16204802170
Nov 1vs.West VirginiaL 35–⁠45137103270
Nov 7atUCFW 30–⁠27106802161
Nov 22vs.TCUL 14–⁠17127505471
Nov 29atBaylorW 31–⁠24145113220
Dec 27 ✦vs.LSUW 38–⁠351612613120
2024 Rice 12 games, 780 rushing yards, 9 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 31vs.Sam HoustonL 14–⁠34125219300
Sep 7vs.Texas SouthernW 69–⁠7911334340
Sep 14atHoustonL 7–⁠33113215170
Sep 21atArmyL 14–⁠3795108310
Sep 28vs.CharlotteL 20–⁠211412102140
Oct 12vs.UTSAW 29–⁠27827151091
Oct 19atTulaneL 10–⁠24117607340
Oct 26atUConnL 10–⁠17204604130
Nov 2vs.NavyW 24–⁠101810524340
Nov 8atMemphisL 20–⁠27145506220
Nov 23atUABL 14–⁠40166213430
Nov 30vs.South FloridaW 35–⁠28174004911
2023 Rice 13 games, 771 rushing yards, 7 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 2atTexasL 10–⁠378230270
Sep 9vs.HoustonW 43–⁠4184807820
Sep 16vs.Texas SouthernW 59–⁠78661170
Sep 23atSouth FloridaL 29–⁠425206982
Sep 30vs.East CarolinaW 24–⁠175−101240
Oct 7vs.UConnL 31–⁠3874207880
Oct 19atTulsaW 42–⁠10912032200
Oct 28vs.TulaneL 28–⁠3083702120
Nov 4vs.SMUL 31–⁠3677717331
Nov 11atUTSAL 14–⁠3483403130
Nov 18atCharlotteW 28–⁠7191840–––
Nov 25vs.Florida AtlanticW 24–⁠21147504110
Dec 26 ✦vs.Texas StateL 21–⁠4515642180
2022 Rice 11 games, 128 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 3atUSCL 14–⁠666280–––
Sep 10vs.McNeeseW 52–⁠1064401−20
Sep 17vs.LouisianaW 33–⁠215170130
Sep 24atHoustonL 27–⁠34160100
Oct 1vs.UABW 28–⁠24130161
Oct 15atFlorida AtlanticL 14–⁠171−20160
Oct 22atLouisiana TechW 42–⁠41170120
Oct 29vs.CharlotteL 23–⁠56–––120
Nov 3vs.UTEPW 37–⁠30110170
Nov 12atWestern KentuckyL 10–⁠455240–––
Nov 19vs.UTSAL 7–⁠41––––––

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillPro day 2026
Height5′11⅜″
Weight206 lb
Arm length29⅝″
Hand size9¼″
Wingspan71″
40-yard dash4.48 s
10-yard split1.57 s
Vertical jump39½″
Broad jump10′2″
Bench press21 reps
3-cone drill6.95 s
20-yard shuttle4.29 s

Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

1 season, 2 games with a stat; latest team: Los Angeles Rams.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2026 (so far)Los Angeles Rams200000

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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