Tyrone Tracy scouting report: Exploring Purdue RB's strengths and weaknesses

One of the top 1,000 national recruits as a wide receiver back in 2018 for Iowa, Tyrone Tracy barely saw the field and took a redshirt his first year with the Hawkeyes. The following season, he hauled in 36 passes for 589 yards and scored four touchdowns, but unfortunately only had about half that production over the next two seasons combined.

For 2022, he transferred to Purdue and started his transition to running back, turning 17 receptions and 28 rush attempts into a combined 336 yards (but no touchdowns). As a redshirt senior, he turned 113 carries into 716 yards (6.3 yards per) and eight TDs, along with 19 catches for another 132 yards.

Details: 5-foot-11, 205 pounds; RS SR.

Breaking down Tyrone Tracy's scouting report

Tyrone Tracy Jr. #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts after a first down during the second half in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers

Strengths

• For someone with less than 150 career carries, Tyrone Tracy is very natural with cutting down his stride length and changing up his footwork a little bit as he deals with traffic.
• Offers the quick acceleration to win the corner against undisciplined edge defenders in a hurry.
• Showcases tremendous mobility in his lower half, to drop his hips and make sharp 90-degree transitions, whether he gets vertical on perimeter-oriented concepts or bounces around penetration when aiming vertically.
• Does well to deeply press creases and skip over a gap with an explosive jump-cut as he forces the second level to fill.
• Recognizes when defenses try to box in plays that involve pullers as they back-door guys at the line of scrimmage and they lose contain, so he can get around the edge.
• Has the loose ankles to navigate around bodies without having to chop his feet or slow down a whole lot.
• Very sudden runner and can make those slight adjustments to his path and not allow defenders in the front seven to box him in.
• Showcases outstanding curvilinear movement to not lose any speed as he bends up runs where he starts horizontally, dips around blockers and splits converging defenders.
• Rarely allows safeties to get a straight shot at him as they step down for him breaking through the second level.
• As someone with extensive kick return work, he may still do his best in the open field, making people miss and shifting gears to maneuver around bodies.
• Deceptive with his body language and how he’ll use stop-start moves in one-on-one situations in the open field.
• Has the body control to cut off the wrong foot at times or drop his body to come to a full stop and shake off defenders over-pursuing him.
• Works in highly effective contact-spins to barely lose any time as hits arrive from an angle.
• Capable of slightly redirecting his momentum and pushing forward with his legs sideways in order to slide off glancing shots.
• Looks like a sprinter when he can really stride it out and rip off explosive plays.
• Understands the concept of pacing as a route-runner, with the instant burst to create separation once he sticks his foot in the ground.
• Displayed the ability to set up linebackers with different footwork and had some nasty reps during Shrine Bowl practices, throwing in little foot-drags or making guys look silly by cleanly getting out of return routes.
• His wide receiver background definitely shows up when he makes finger-tip catches look incredibly easy.
• Seems to have no issues reaching slightly behind himself and dealing with passes put on his frame with soft hands.
• Showcases good effort and attacks the inside shoulder of blitzers to guide them past the quarterback.
• When he has to take on guys in the A-gap, he already strikes with tight hands, a flat back and a good bend in his knees.
• Flashes the ability to attack through the opposite knee and effectively get linebackers on the ground on cut-blocks.
• Was a quality blocker for his quarterback on draw plays and delayed scrambles, locating targets and getting his hands inside their frame.

Weaknesses

• Tyrone Tracy needs to become a more mature decision-maker when he comes to a stop and chooses to take a wide bounce around traffic or cutting all the way across the grain instead of driving forward for what’s there to be had.
• Doesn’t yet utilize his pullers very effectively and turns down opportunities in favor of going for early cutback opportunities.
• Lacks great contact balance and doesn’t dig his cleats into the turf to stay balanced in favor of that more light-footed running style, getting wrapped up and driven straight back in the hole at times.
• Tyrone Tracy doesn’t yet seem to fully grasp his role in protection and lacks some sand in the pants to anchor against defenders on the rush.
• Needs to show more urgency approaching hard-charging blitzers, while lacking violence in his hands and allowing them to take control of reps.

Tyrone Tracy's 2024 NFL Draft projection

Tyrone Tracy Jr. #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers runs the ball during the second half in the game against the Wisconsin Badgers

Tyrone Tracy was one of the most fun players to watch on tape. He may be fairly new to the backfield, but he’s already been a very productive player with impressive moments of finding and using his loose lower body to get to rushing lanes.

Tracy showed up bigger than I expected for the combine at 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds, yet ran a 4.49 in the 40, had a 40-inch vertical (second among all running backs), with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.87. He also looked natural during the on-field workout when it came to footwork and the way he ran routes/caught the ball.

There are certainly still things he doesn’t fully understand yet when it comes to setting up conceptually and how to present value to his team on pass plays when he isn’t part of the pattern, but it’s not due to a lack of effort and he flashes with encouraging moments.

Tyrone Tracy is one of those names I want to put my stamp on because of how quickly he’s shown the ability to learn and apply skills at the running back position after making the transition from wide receiver.

Tyrone Tracy Grade: Fourth round.

You might like other RB scout reports: MarShawn Lloyd; Trey Benson; Will Shipley; Jaylen Wright.