Royce Freeman, 2014
Photo: Athies22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Running back, Oregon, 2014–⁠17

Royce Freeman

Number
No. 21
Height
5′11″
Weight
231 lb
Hometown
Imperial, CA
Born
Feb 24, 1996

Royce Freeman played running back at Oregon (2014–⁠17). The Denver Broncos took Freeman in round 3, No. 71 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,836
Rushing yards, 2015 (Oregon, 9–⁠4)
Best game
246 yards
Vs. Washington State, week 6, 2015: No. 1 rushing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 4
In FBS in rushing yards, 2015
Drafted
No. 71
Round 3, 2018 NFL Draft (Denver Broncos)

Career highs

246rushing yards, career highvs. Washington State, 20154rushing touchdowns, career highthree times; last vs. Arizona, 20178catches, career highat Utah, 2016

Honors

Team titles: Pac-12 champions, 2014

All-America: AP third team 2015

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2014Oregon2521,3655.41838
2015Oregon2831,8366.51764
2016Oregon1689455.6985
2017Oregon2441,4756.01659
Career9475,6215.96085

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2014Oregon161589.9130
2015Oregon2634813.4236
2016Oregon231446.3124
2017Oregon1416411.7050
Career7981410.3450

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosHtWt
2014Oregon21RB
2015Oregon21RB
2016Oregon21RB
2017Oregon21RB5′11″231

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
2014Oregon2720.2891st (n=253)0.1276.524%0.37
2015Oregon3110.4198th (n=268)0.12127.431%0.34
2016Oregon1920.1145th (n=259)0.1321.723%0.16
2017Oregon2610.2685th (n=287)0.1268.330%0.19

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.

Game by game

2017 Oregon 12 games, 1,475 rushing yards, 16 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2vs.Southern UtahW 77–⁠2123150428450
Sep 9vs.NebraskaW 42–⁠352915322819
Sep 16atWyomingW 49–⁠1330157328150
Sep 23atArizona StateL 35–⁠371581120319
Sep 30vs.CaliforniaW 45–⁠24651020––
Oct 7vs.Washington StateL 10–⁠33126202618
Oct 14atStanfordL 7–⁠491814305918
Oct 21atUCLAL 14–⁠3129160025––
Oct 28vs.UtahW 41–⁠2020139038––
Nov 4atWashingtonL 3–⁠382412201910
Nov 18vs.ArizonaW 48–⁠2819135428––
Nov 25vs.Oregon StateW 69–⁠1019122223220
2016 Oregon 11 games, 945 rushing yards, 9 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3vs.UC DavisW 53–⁠28118724925
Sep 10vs.VirginiaW 44–⁠2621207285229
Sep 17atNebraskaL 32–⁠35531010––
Oct 1atWashington StateL 33–⁠5119138375113
Oct 8vs.WashingtonL 21–⁠70115002210
Oct 21atCaliforniaL 49–⁠52151007––
Oct 29vs.Arizona StateW 54–⁠35173811019
Nov 5atUSCL 20–⁠45103801029
Nov 12vs.StanfordL 27–⁠5220111137310
Nov 19atUtahW 30–⁠2820129028836
Nov 26atOregon StateL 24–⁠3419106034333
2015 Oregon 13 games, 1,836 rushing yards, 17 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 5vs.Eastern WashingtonW 61–⁠4221180335218
Sep 12atMichigan StateL 28–⁠312492117334
Sep 19vs.Georgia StateW 61–⁠281010112223
Sep 26vs.UtahL 20–⁠621477020246
Oct 3atColoradoW 41–⁠2427163229332
Oct 10vs.Washington StateL 38–⁠4527246249346
Oct 17atWashingtonW 26–⁠2027138018––
Oct 29atArizona StateW 61–⁠5515110264337
Nov 7vs.CaliforniaW 44–⁠282918003018
Nov 14atStanfordW 38–⁠3616105149––
Nov 21vs.USCW 48–⁠2820147032250
Nov 27vs.Oregon StateW 52–⁠4227167227351
Jan 2 ✦vs.TCUL 41–⁠4726130324223
2014 Oregon 15 games, 1,365 rushing yards, 18 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 30vs.South DakotaW 62–⁠131075226111
Sep 6vs.Michigan StateW 46–⁠271389238222
Sep 13vs.WyomingW 48–⁠14522112––
Sep 20atWashington StateW 38–⁠312075018––
Oct 2vs.ArizonaL 24–⁠311985014––
Oct 11atUCLAW 42–⁠3018121223––
Oct 18vs.WashingtonW 45–⁠202916943724
Oct 24atCaliforniaW 59–⁠412211222518
Nov 1vs.StanfordW 45–⁠161998019352
Nov 8atUtahW 51–⁠27159913316
Nov 22vs.ColoradoW 44–⁠101710522713
Nov 29atOregon StateW 47–⁠1922135032219
Dec 5vs.ArizonaW 51–⁠1321114023114
Jan 1 ✦vs.Florida StateW 59–⁠20124428219
Jan 12 ✦vs.Ohio StateL 20–⁠42102208––

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

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2018
Height5′11½″
Weight229 lb
Arm length32″
Hand size9½″
40-yard dash4.54 s
10-yard split1.60 sW
Vertical jump34″
Broad jump9′10″
Bench press17 reps
3-cone drill6.90 s
20-yard shuttle4.16 s

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

6 seasons, 68 games with a stat; latest team: Los Angeles Chargers.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2018Denver Broncos1413052151472
2019Denver Broncos16132496343256
2020Denver Broncos113517001281
2021Houston Texans125616901077
2022Houston Texans4411170633
2023Los Angeles Rams11773192113
NFL career684711,7921086532

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

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