The secret is out on K-State running back Deuce Vaughn. Is he ready for what’s next?
The secret is out on Deuce Vaughn.
After playing in just two games for Kansas State, the 5-foot-5 freshman running back has already entered the national spotlight as one of the country’s best newcomers.
Maybe he surprised Arkansas State and sneaked up on Oklahoma, but now that he has gained 245 all-purpose yards, scored a pair of touchdowns and earned a nickname (The Sand Blaster) from Fox announcer Gus Johnson, there’s no chance Texas Tech will sleep on the Wildcats’ top playmaker Saturday.
“He is dynamic in space,” Texas Tech coach Matt Wells said earlier this week. “He is a playmaker. It doesn’t matter what his size is. He plays big. He is a very talented player and he made big plays against Oklahoma.”
Vaughn played so well in his first two college games that he rocketed to the top of K-State’s scouting report this week.
Wells made that abundantly clear when he was asked to break down what he saw from K-State’s victory at Oklahoma.
“They got (Vaughn) out in space,” Wells said, “a couple times in empty (formations) and out of the backfield. They have got the two outside receivers and the two smaller tailbacks that are explosive and dynamic and can make you miss. That’s what they did.”
Few saw this coming from Vaughn when he began the season listed behind Harry Trotter and level with Tyler Burns on the depth chart at running back. Most expected him to be a nice change-of-pace option this season, but not much else.
Instead, he has led the Wildcats in rushing yards in each of their first two games and also reeled off huge gains as a receiver, including a 77-yard catch-and-run against the Sooners.
Things are about to change for him, though. Impressive as he has been in a K-State uniform, channeling memories of Darren Sproles rumbling for long gains back in his college heyday, he hasn’t faced a defense that has prioritized stopping him ... until now.
Texas Tech’s defense will treat Vaughn the same way K-State linebackers did a few days into preseason camp when they got sick and tired of watching him zoom through holes for big plays.
“To see him in the backfield, I know me and Elijah (Sullivan) say, ‘Deuce, Deuce, Deuce.’ We point him out every time he’s on the field,” K-State linebacker Justin Hughes said, “because we know either he’s getting the ball, or they are setting him up to get the ball.”
It remains to be seen how Vaughn will handle the extra attention. Will he keep impressing? Will his production take a nosedive?
Operating as the focal point of an offense isn’t easy. Few freshmen are tasked with the responsibility.
One thing is for sure: His approach won’t change this week. K-State coaches and teammates have praised Vaughn for his maturity level and work ethic. Vaughn says he treats every game like a ATM machine. All the hard work he puts in during practice is like money going into his account. The more he puts in, the more he can take out on game day.
He withdrew oodles of metaphorical cash against Arkansas State and Oklahoma. If he wants to do the same against Texas Tech, he will have to overcome being a marked man.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 11:29 AM with the headline "The secret is out on K-State running back Deuce Vaughn. Is he ready for what’s next?."