When Tyrone Tracy Jr. was preparing to head from Decatur Central High School to Iowa in 2018, the noise surrounding the standout wide receiver was that of a future playing on Sundays.
How could it not? Tracy racked up over 2,500 all-purpose yards and 39 touchdowns as a senior for the Hawks and was going to play for one of the top programs in the Big Ten with loads of potential.
It appeared he was well on his way to fulfilling that goal after a stellar redshirt freshman campaign, having 36 catches for 589 yards and four total touchdowns for the Hawkeyes. Little did the Indianapolis native know, the plan God had for him was different than the one he viewed as taking three years to get to the NFL, however.
"Out of high school, everyone's talking about you know, 'three and out, three and out, three and out'," Tracy said on Thursday. "But, you know, that wasn't the plan. For me personally, and looking back at it I see why. I don't think I would have had the confidence I have now if I would have went three years ago. I don't think I would be able to say I'm a complete wide receiver or complete football player three years ago."
A large part in that belief and maturity both on and off the field stems from his breakout sixth-year senior campaign for the Boilermakers in 2023. After a modest first year in West Lafayette, new head coach Ryan Walters and running backs coach Lamar Conard moved the twitchy receiver into the backfield full-time, which brought out the best in Tracy.
Tracy had a career year, rushing for 716 yards and eight touchdowns, while also having 132 receiving yards and the second most kick return yards in the Big Ten. His 6.3 yards per carry averaged also paced the conference last fall.
"It was a huge benefit coming here, especially [with] the coaching change. You know, when Coach Walt came in, he was the main one that wanted me to switch to running back, not only running back but he also wanted me to play special teams and he knew that my receiver background would help me at the end of the day," Tracy said.
That move to the backfield not only did wonders for the Boilermakers, but has now set up Tracy for a future at the next level. NFL teams have taken a closer look at the converted wide receiver, moving onto draft boards ahead of next month's NFL Draft. Tracy credits Walters and Conard with a large part of that success.
"Coach C and Coach Walt, I mean, they're honestly the main two guys that helped me be where I am today just because of the fact that they allowed me opportunities on the football field. And they also gave me confidence in myself and trust to know that I can actually be a high caliber running back," Tracy said.
Tracy only furthered the hype surrounding himself over the last week, putting together a strong NFL Combine showing in Indianapolis and continued his top tier testing numbers at Purdue's Pro Day on Thursday.
A 4.48-second mark in the 40-yard dash was the start, which caught some scouts by surprise, along with reaching a top speed of 23.01 miles per hour, which ranked fourth among all running backs at the combine. Some more numbers that stood out for Tracy: 40" vertical jump (second for running backs), 6.81 second three-cone drill (top for running backs) and a 4.06 second 20-yard shuttle (second for all running backs).
"I'd say an A," Tracy said when asked what grade he gives himself for his combine performance. "I try to be hard on myself, but like, I've been through a lot. And this is one of the moments where I want to sit back and just witness what God has done."
Tracy has been working out at running back, wide receiver and as a return specialist for NFL teams, where he offers versatility similar to one of the best offensive weapons in the league, Deebo Samuel.
"I've heard that one. But not necessarily like a comparison. They was basically saying like, "Hey, like you are kind of in a league of your own just because the versatility that you can bring to a team'," Tracy said.
The running back prospect will spend the next month and a half in his hometown of Indianapolis as he prepares to be Purdue's top candidate to be selected in April's NFL Draft. Getting drafted would mean he would become just the fourth Boilermaker running back to hear his name called since 1996, joining Mike Alstott, Eddie Watson and Zander Horvath.
