Running back Christian Vaughn will work out for the Chicago Bears at the team’s rookie minicamp in early May.
It’ll be a reunion of sorts, as the former Hawaii running back will likely see his close friend, Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, while he’s at Halas Hall. Zack Pearson of Bear Report confirmed the tryout.
Both grew up in Las Vegas. Odunze went to Bishop Gorman and became the No. 9 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Vaughn played at Desert Oasis across town and rushed for more than 1,600 yards as a senior in 2019.
The two have called each other brothers in social media posts going back to Odunze’s college days at Washington. Odunze hauled in 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games last season before a stress fracture in his foot ended his regular season early. He’ll be looking for his first 1,000-yard season in 2026, while Vaughn is hoping for an opportunity to crack the roster and/or practice squad.
More on Rome Odunze’s Friend, RB Christian Vaughn, Getting a Tryout for the Chicago Bears
GettyRB Christian Vaughn, an old friend of WR Rome Odunze, will get a tryout for the Chicago Bears at their rookie minicamp.
Vaughn’s journey since 2019 has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He sat out the pandemic year, took a job at Target, and got back into football only after a former high school coach told him to start calling junior colleges. Butte College in Oroville, California, took him in 2021. He redshirted that fall, gained 350 yards as a backup in 2022, then broke through the next season.
In 2023 he carried 209 times for 1,456 yards and 18 touchdowns at 7.0 yards a clip, led California JUCO in rushing yards per game at 132.4, and added 12 catches for 145 yards. Two of those games topped 200 yards. Hawaii offered Vaughn a scholarship that winter.
The 5-foot-10 RB arrived weighing 235 pounds. He cut down to 225, according to Hawaii’s Pro Day measurements.
Unfortunately, Vaughn’s FBS production never quite matched his JUCO tape. He had 101 yards on 16 carries in six games in 2024, then 97 yards on 19 carries in 11 games as a senior. He’s got a shot at the team’s practice squad, but he’ll really have to impress head coach Ben Johnson and company at tryouts.
A Closer Look at the RBs Chicago Has Heading Into 2026 Season
He’s close friends with WR Rome Odunze, who is also from Las Vegas.
While the Bears have several quality backs heading into the 2026 season, they’ll still need to groom a few replacements.
Now in the final year of his contract, starter D’Andre Swift had 257 touches for 1,386 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns last year, his best season as a pro. He’ll likely be a goner after the season. Kyle Monangai, last year’s seventh-round pick, turned 187 touches into 947 yards and five rushing scores as a rookie. He’ll be around at least a few more years, but the depth behind he and Swift is still a tad iffy.
Roschon Johnson played almost entirely on special teams in 2025 and enters camp on the roster bubble. Brittain Brown spent most of last year on the practice squad, but he scored his first NFL touchdown subbing in for Swift. Brown is signed through this season, and has a chance to surpass Johnson as RB3, particularly if he improved this offseason.
Practice squad contenders include Deion Hankins, a 2025 undrafted free agent under contract through 2027, who lost his rookie year to injured reserve. There’s also former Kennesaw State product Coleman Bennett, who joined the RB room as an undrafted free agent over the weekend.
Bears Bringing Close Friend of Rome Odunze in for Tryout: Report