Tyjae Spears Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Maria Lysaker/USA Today Sports)

School: Tulane (Senior)

Position: RB

HT: 5’10

WT: 190 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #65

Tyjae Spears grew up in a big family. He is one of nine siblings. You can tell he is from a big family where he had to fight for everything he wanted and every ounce of recognition by the way he runs the football. Spears runs hard and makes it more than difficult for defenders to stop him. Coming from the state of Louisiana, Spears attended Ponchatoula High School, just outside of New Orleans. Since his high school days, Spears has put on weight and grown a few inches, but he was still just as heavy of a runner back then as he is now. Spears was a 3-star recruit in the class of 2019 but did not receive any offers from premier programs. He chose Tulane over the likes of Southern Miss and McNeese State. Spears’ first two seasons at Tulane were rough on him. He failed to see any meaningful snaps in his first season, followed that up by suffering a season ending injury four games into his second season.

It wasn’t until his 2021 season that Spears really established himself as the workhorse in that Tulane backfield, where he has shined ever since. This is that competitive toughness which is the reason his family is so instrumental to how he plays the game. Spears did not quit, he did not transfer, and he did not complain. He got better and bounced back, leading him to become one of the top running backs in the draft class. It is rare that you will see Spears get tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage. He has a slippery elusiveness to him that pairs well with his strength to make it near impossible for him to be brought down on first contact. Spears does well to read gaps and openings without taking too much time to split gaps and accelerate. He lets the blocks develop in front of him and then bursts through those gaps created by his blockers. Tyjae Spears dominated the Group of 5 and it could be worrisome that he did not play against top competition, but in his last game against USC, Spears dominated. He has fared well against any level of competition since becoming Tulane’s number one option. Spears is a hard runner, but the contact does not bother him. Spears does not put the ball on the ground, he has a firm grip on the football and attempts to punch the ball out are consistently unsuccessful.

Spears could afford to polish his receiving skills as he is not frequently looked at to contribute as a pass catcher. Becoming a more complete or three-dimensional running back will only help Spears’ value at the next level which would increase his reps. When Spears breaks into open space, he is a fast runner, but he does not have that second gear to separate himself from the defense. He has been rundown a few times by the faster defensive backs because he cannot kick into that top gear. T

yjae Spears has all the makings of a workhorse NFL running back. If he were to play in a Power 5 conference, I truly believe he would be much higher on draft boards than what he is currently projected at. His footwork and elusiveness make him a nightmare when things get muddy in the trenches. Spears will be looked at as the feature option out of the backfield as a rookie.

Scheme Fit: Zone Rushing Offense

Ideal Role: Workhorse RB

Best Team Fits: LAC, BAL, MIA

Player Comparison: Dameon Pierce

Player Grade: 77.4