Need another Derrick Henry type without all the wear and tear of a successful career in Division I?
Rhamondre Stevenson played two seasons at Cerritos College. He only rushed 68 times for 501 yards as a freshman but took over as a sophomore and turned in an eye-popping 222 carries for 2,111 yards and 16 touchdowns, plus 16 catches for 90 yards. It was a smaller community college in California, but it attracted enough attention to land with Oklahoma as a junior in 2019.
The Sooners use a committee backfield and in 2019, Stevenson rated second-best with 64 runs for 515 yards and six touchdowns. Kennedy Brooks led the team with 155 runs for 1,011 yards. As a senior, Stevenson led the offense with 101 rushes for 665 yards and seven touchdowns, plus 18 receptions for 211 yards. Again – the Sooners ended with four different backs with more than 50 rushes last year.
One of Stevenson’s notables is that he was suspended by the team for the Peach Bowl as a junior when he had a positive THC test before the game.
The ex-Sooner is a load at 6-0, 246 pounds and enters the draft as a running back though he could double as a fullback as well. In a draft with only two locks at the top (Travis Etienne and Najee Harris), Stevenson is attractive to a team looking for a bruising power runner.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 246 pounds
40 time: 4.63 seconds
While he’s expected to be a third day prospect, he doesn’t enter the draft with a ton of carries and little tread left on the tires. The entirety of his four-year college career only totals 455 rushes and most of those happened at a community college. That’s far lower than Harris (638) or Etienne (686). And with much less impact.
Rhamondre Stevenson Oklahoma stats (2019-20)
| Year | Games | Runs | Yards | Avg. | TD | Catch | Yards. | TD | Total Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 13 | 64 | 515 | 8.0 | 6 | 10 | 87 | 0 | 602 | 6 |
| 2020 | 6 | 101 | 665 | 6.6 | 7 | 18 | 211 | 0 | 876 | 7 |
Pros
- Big frame that can carry tacklers
- Rarely goes down on single contact
- Less wear and tear than most college backs
- Capable receiver
- Great agility and foot work for his size
- Highly rated at pass protection
- North and south runner that can get the tough yards
- Has good burst for his size
- Displayed good vision following his blocks
Cons
- Runs a slower 4.63/40-yard dash
- Less experience at an elite level of competition
- No heavy use in Division 1 games
- May take time to earn a role
- More likely to play in a committee role
Fantasy outlook
This year’s draft is very hard to project for running backs outside the first two, but the consensus is that Stevenson will go on Day 3, the only question is when? The NFL has more usage of big backs now than recent seasons and there is a short-yardage role at the least. Stevenson just had much less experience than most other backs in the draft and that makes him harder to quantify.
He’s been linked potentially to the Steelers, Falcons, Giants, Bengals and Jets but by Day 3, there’s no certainty with any team. To his credit, he displayed good pass protection at Oklahoma and again at the Senior Bowl, which will help him stay on the field more. But he is built like a first and second-down banger.
Stevenson won’t be considered a big fantasy factor for 2021 unless he falls into a fortuitous situation. But he carries higher dynasty value since he may take a year to learn the NFL and earn a place in a backfield rotation. His stats were limited by the Sooners offensive scheme, not from a lack of his talent. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry at Oklahoma and became their primary rusher. He could surprise and become a big value in fantasy.