Los Angeles Chargers safety Thomas Harper grabs the facemask of Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Don’t count out dark horse RB with ties to new Cowboys coaching staff

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 3:04 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys have shuffled the deck at running back once again this season.

After letting Rico Dowdle walk in free agency, Dallas signed Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency. They then turned their attention to the NFL draft, adding Jaydon Blue in Round 5 and Phil Mafah in Round 7.

As much attention as the new players are getting, the Cowboys’ returning running backs are being overlooked. Hunter Luepke and Deuce Vaughn are the returning players and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Luepke is the only fullback on the roster, but he has a versatile skill set. As for Vaughn, he’s coming into the season with a new energy after being reunited with his collegiate coach.

Conor Riley was the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Kansas State during Vaughn’s tenure. He’s now the offensive line coach in Dallas and while he doesn’t directly work with Vaughn, his unit will be vital to the success of the ground game.

That’s why the third-year back was thrilled to see Riley head to Dallas.

"Having Coach Riles down there at Kansas State for the three years that I was there, we built a really tight relationship. He's a great man off of the field, but he is also an amazing coach on it. He came in for an interview one day and I was in the building. I got to hug him and, that next day, they ended up making the decision.”

"To see him have that star on the side of his chest, it was really, really cool. And it was really big because that's a guy that believed in me whenever I was going into K. State out of high school, so it was really big."

Vaughn believes he will have a chance to break out thanks to his understanding of the scheme that Riley employs. He was also highly complimentary of new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who also has a background as an O-line coach.

He still has a lot to prove in order to surpass some of the newcomers, but it’s safe to say Vaughn has a slight head start.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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