Dean Connors
American football player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dean Russell Connors (born August 29, 2003) is an American football running back for the Houston Cougars. He previously played for the Rice Owls and at Riverside City College.
Bend, Oregon, U.S.
| No. 44 – Houston Cougars | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 29, 2003 Bend, Oregon, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 206 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, California) |
| College | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Early life
Connors attended Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California. Coming out of high school, he committed to play college football at Riverside City College.[1]
College career
Riverside CC
In his lone season at Riverside in 2021, he rushed for 516 yards on 107 carries, where after the conclusion of the season he decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[2]
Rice
Connors transferred to play for the Rice Owls.[3] During his first season with Rice in 2022, he ran 28 times for 128 yards and a touchdown.[4] In week two of the 2023 season, he posted 130 all purpose yards in a double overtime win over rival Houston.[5] Connors finished the 2023 season, posting 771 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while bringing in 43 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns.[6] In week three of the 2024 season, he recorded his team's lone touchdown in a loss to rival Houston.[7] In the 2024 regular season finale, Connors totaled 131 yards and a touchdown in an upset win versus South Florida.[8] He finished the 2024 season, rushing for 780 yards and nine touchdowns, while also hauling in 62 receptions for 498 yards and two touchdowns.[9] After the conclusion of the 2024 season, Connors decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[10]
Houston
Connors transferred to play for the Houston Cougars.[11] In week two of the 2025 season, he put up 132 yards and two touchdowns in a win against rival Rice.[12] Connors capped off his 2025 season with a dominant performance in the Texas Bowl. Connors completed the game with 126 yards on 16 carries and 1 rushing touchdown.[13] Connors finished the 2025 season with a total of 1,231 all purpose yards, 6 rushing touchdowns and 3 receiving touchdowns.[14]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+3⁄8 in (1.81 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | 29+5⁄8 in (0.75 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 4.48 s | 1.57 s | 2.51 s | 4.29 s | 6.95 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | 21 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[15] | ||||||||||||