A four-year workhorse who ran for nearly 2,500 yards across UCLA and SMU, T.J. Harden signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of the 2026 class.
Tomarion "T.J." Harden spent three seasons carrying the load at UCLA before transferring to SMU for a productive senior year. Though he went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, his four-year body of work and pro-day testing drew interest from multiple teams before he landed with the Browns.
Path to the league
Harden starred at Inglewood High School in California before committing to UCLA, where he played from 2022 to 2024. He transferred to SMU for the 2025 season and, after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in May 2026.
Career highlights
Over four college seasons, Harden totaled 495 carries for 2,445 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, adding 82 receptions for 622 yards and three more scores through the air. His best single season came as a UCLA sophomore in 2023, when he ran for 827 yards and eight touchdowns.
2025 season recap
In his lone season at SMU, Harden led the Mustangs' backfield with 171 carries for 787 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. He met with several NFL teams, including the Jaguars, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs, during the pre-draft process before signing with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent.
Sources
- Wikipedia: TJ Harden
- ESPN: T.J. Harden player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- SMU
- Hometown
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
