Deion Hankins, Texas State Football News: Draft Scout Player News

Warning: Undefined array key "TeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\news.php on line 315

Warning: Undefined array key "DSTeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\news.php on line 316

08/03/21 - RB Deion Hankins, rSr/2025, Texas State

UTEP tailback Deion Hankins enters this season in a fundamentally different position from his previous two years. The Parkland alum, who graduated as El Paso's all-time leading rusher, is technically still a freshman, but one of the upshots of the strange freebie year of 2020 is that he enters this year as the most accomplished freshman UTEP's ever had. In his second year in the program after a 2019 redshirt he averaged 4.9 yards per carry as the featured tailback and scored nine touchdowns in seven games. Now he's in his third year, part of a small four-man tailback corps that nonetheless counts as the deepest spot on the roster. It also includes Quardraiz Wadley, now in his sixth year of a UTEP career that began with him backing up Aaron Jones in 2016, fifth-year junior Ronald Awatt, who averaged 4.5 yards per carry last year, and second-year freshman Willie Eldridge, the most highly rated player of the 2020 recruiting class.

This is the spot on the offense UTEP feels best about, and also one that will provide leadership for everyone. "It feels different," Hankins said. "I've been here for a while, I'm coming up on my third year. Time flies. I need to step it up with my leadership and all around as a player. "We've got a good group and we all bring something different. I bring strength, toughness. We're all tough. I try to lead more by example than by words. I definitely have to step it up. As camp progresses, I need to be an all-around leader." - El Paso Times

rSr/2025