A junior college walk-on turned three-school workhorse, Dean Connors carved out an undrafted path to the Rams through Riverside City College, Rice and Houston.
Dean Connors is a rookie running back who signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent after finishing his college career at Houston. The 5-foot-11, 206-pound back built his profile over four college stops, showing he could handle both a heavy workload and a role in the passing game before making the jump to the NFL.
Path to the league
Connors starred at Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California before starting his college career at Riverside City College, where he rushed for 516 yards on 107 carries in 2021. He transferred to Rice for three seasons and then to Houston for his final year, going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft before signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2026.
Career highlights
Across three seasons at Rice (2022-2024), Connors piled up 1,679 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns while adding 105 receptions for 904 yards and five receiving scores, highlighted by a 780-yard, nine-touchdown ground season in 2024. He capped his college run at Houston in 2025 with 1,231 all-purpose yards.
2025 season recap
In his lone season at Houston, Connors rushed for six touchdowns and added three receiving touchdowns while totaling 1,231 all-purpose yards, then closed out his college career with a 126-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Texas Bowl. He now wears No. 33 for the Rams as he competes for a role in the backfield.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Dean Connors
- ESPN: Dean Connors
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Houston
- Hometown
- Kamuela, HI, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
