A North Carolina native who spent four seasons carrying the load at Appalachian State before a big final year at Duke earned him a shot with Indianapolis.
Anderson Castle grew up in Boone, North Carolina, close enough to Appalachian State's campus that playing there felt inevitable, and he became a workhorse back for the Mountaineers before transferring to Duke for one final college season. He signed with the Colts after a rookie minicamp tryout, a longer road to the NFL than most undrafted deals.
Path to the league
Castle is a Boone, North Carolina native who starred at Watauga High School before spending four seasons at Appalachian State as a team captain. He transferred to Duke for his final year of eligibility in 2025, and after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, he earned a spot with the Indianapolis Colts through a rookie minicamp tryout rather than an immediate free-agent signing.
Career highlights
Over four seasons at Appalachian State, Castle appeared in 54 games and rushed for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns on 193 carries as a team captain. Across his full college career at Appalachian State and Duke combined, he totaled 308 carries for 1,524 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns, adding 36 receptions for 252 yards and a receiving score.
2025 season recap
In his lone season with the Blue Devils, Castle played in all 14 games and rushed 115 times for 488 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 17 receptions for 111 yards. That production, capped by a standout showing at Duke's pro day, was enough to earn him a tryout invite and eventual signing with Indianapolis.
Sources
- ESPN: Anderson Castle
- Duke Athletics: Anderson Castle
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Duke
- Hometown
- Boone, NC, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
