The Houston Texans are back in the Deuce Vaughn business.
“#Texans signing former #Cowboys and @KStateFB running back Deuce Vaughn to practice squad, per a league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on October 5.
“Vaughn (5-foot-6, 185 pounds) is a Round Rock native who’s a former #Cowboys sixth round pick who has rushed for 110 career yards on 40 runs with 10 catches for 58 yards and has also returned punts. Has played for the #Broncos and Orlando Storm. He’s a former consensus All-American and All-Big 12 and Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.”
Vaughn, 24, was a sixth-round pick, taken 212th overall by the Cowboys in the 2023 draft. He was with the Texans for less than one week this preseason, getting cut just days before the deadline and the start of the regular season.
The Texans’ running game has struggled, but Vaughn is unlikely to be the solution.
Instead, his ability as a returner could mean the Texans plan to reduce Jaylin Noel’s role there and use the latter more on offense at his traditional wide receiver role.
Texans’ Deuce Vaughn Made History Before Entering NFL
Vaughn measured in at 5-foot-5 at the 2023 NFL combine, the shortest in league history, and a theme of the Texans playmaker’s backstory.
“Vaughn has been the same height since his freshman year of high school and has a keen understanding of how to hide behind blockers and use his low center of gravity to his advantage. He might not have elite, top-end speed, but he rarely runs in a straight line, always drifting and creating difficult angles for tacklers,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in his scouting report on Vaughn in 2023.
“Overall, Vaughn’s size limitations show up in all phases (running, receiving, blocking) and will diminish his NFL role, but he maximizes every ounce of his talent with the playmaking sparks that will occasionally create a wildfire. He projects best as a rotational satellite back in the NFL who will be at his best in space.”
Texans Sign Former History-Making Former Cowboys Running Back