Joel Klatt: In 2033 We’ll Be Saying ‘Of Course Deuce Vaughn Was a 10-Year Player’
Count FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt as one who believes in former Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn’s ability not only to make it in the NFL, but to have longevity there.
“Someone’s gonna draft Deuce Vaughn, and he’s probably going to get taken three rounds later than he should just because of his size,” Klatt said in an interview, per KCTV5 Sports Reporter/Anchor Marleah Campbell. “And he’s gonna roll in there, and I just have the sense that we’re gonna be sitting here in 2033 and we’re gonna be like, ‘Of course Deuce Vaughn was a 10-year player. Of course he was.’ Because it makes too much sense.”
Vaughn, of course, was electric during his three seasons in Manhattan. He rushed for a total of 3,604 yards and 34 touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. During the 2022 season, he racked up a career-best 1,558 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Vaughn was also effective in catching the ball out of the backfield, as he had over 1,200 receiving yards and nine scores during his career.
Vaughn finished second in rushing yards in the Big 12 Conference only to Texas’ Bijan Robinson (1,580 rushing yards) this past season. The three-year starter was a big reason Kansas State was able to win the Big 12 Championship this season, as they beat undefeated TCU in overtime back in early December.
Simply put, when the ball was in No. 22’s hands, anything was possible for the Wildcats, and more often than not he made things break in their favor.
With his 5-foot-5, 179-pound stature that Klatt referenced, Vaughn isn’t getting the attention from NFL scouts or teams that he probably should, being graded as a mid-tier Day 3 player in most circles. But he certainly has what it takes to be a playmaker at the next level.
