After not showing much in his first two opportunities, running back Hunter Luepke made a case for a roster spot Saturday night. The undrafted free agent from North Dakota State had himself a game in the Cowboys’ 31-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He ended his night with 15 carries for 58 yards while also catching 5 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Just before halftime, Luepke used some nifty footwork and picked up 29 yards on a pass from quarterback Will Grier before being tackled at the 15-yard line. He scored on the ensuing play on a 15-yard out route.
Our hero Luepke pic.twitter.com/3oBEANpmai
— Burgers and Blitzes (@Not2BeTrite) August 27, 2023
Luepke has been sort of a jack-of-all-trades during training camp attempting to show his versatility to the Cowboys coaches and front office. He’s competing for the fourth running back spot behind Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, all of whom had the night off showing their security for final cuts.
Meanwhile Luepke shared carries with Malik Davis, a 2022 UDFA who saw playing time in the regular season last year, but hasn’t secured a role for 2023 yet. Ronald Jones, Jr. also shares a chance, but injuries kept him out of the entire preseason and he’s facing a two-game suspension to start the year.
While it’s anyone’s guess as to what the final roster and practice squad will look like, Luepke should have a shot at being retained on one or the other. Cuts must be completed no later than Tuesday, August 29 at 3:00 pm Central.