Tre King, RB, Texas Tech: 2019 NFL Draft

2018 SEASON (SENIOR)
Appeared in six games while making two starts during his final season as a Red Raider … limited on the field due to a nagging injury that kept him sidelined for half of the year … finished with 160 yards and a touchdown on the ground off 40 attempts … was on the receiving end of eight passes for 48 yards as well … received 10 or more carries in three games on the year … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: started off his year with 13 carries for 31 yards and four catches for 23 yards in the season opener against Ole Miss (9/1) in Houston … his four receptions and 23 receiving yards both marked career highs … ran twice for 16 yards at home against West Virginia (9/29) several weeks later … had the most productive day of the year in a Thursday night road win at TCU (10/11), totaling 60 yards off 10 carries … recorded 10 carries again the following week versus Kansas (10/20), resulting in 30 yards and a touchdown … found the end zone via an 18-yard scamper early in the second quarter, marking his longest run of the season … totaled 27 all-purpose yards on Senior Night against Texas (11/10), which included a 13-yard reception, the longest of his career … carried one time for nine yards in his final appearance of the season at Kansas State (11/17).

2017 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Turned into one of Texas Tech’s top rushing options despite joining the team just prior to preseason practices … appeared in all 13 games while starting in five contests … finished second on the team with 623 rushing yards and five touchdowns … carried 131 times on the year, one shy of Justin Stockton for the team high … averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 47.9 yards per game … caught 17 passes out of the backfield for 104 yards … wrapped the year with 727 all-purpose yards … also saw time on kickoff duty with three special teams tackles … IN Big 12 RANKINGS: ranked ninth for rush yards per carry (4.76), 11th for rushing yards, 12th in rushing yards per game and 13th for rushing touchdowns … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made Red Raider debut with four rushing attempts for 17 yards and a touchdown against Eastern Washington (9/2) … also caught two passes for 16 yards and recorded a tackle … had a breakout game a few weeks later at Houston (9/23), carrying nine times for 98 yards … performance included a 73-yard scamper, the second-longest rush by a Red Raider on the season … received four carries for 12 yards in the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State (9/30) … had 10 carries the following week at Kansas (10/7), resulting in 40 yards … picked up a tackle in win over Kansas (10/14) as well as the next week at West Virginia (10/21) … averaged over six yards a carry versus the Mountaineers after eight carries for 67 yards and a touchdown … became first Red Raider to rush 20 times in a game against Iowa State (10/28) … gained 82 yards against the Cyclones and also caught two passes for nine yards … recorded first career 100-yard performance at Oklahoma (10/28) with 113 yards on the ground off a season-high 24 carries … outing also included season highs for both receptions (4) and receiving yards (22) … was one of five 100-yard performances on the season by a Red Raider … followed with 16 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown against Kansas State (11/4) … added two catches for 13 yards in that game as well … reached 20 carries for the third time against Baylor (11/11), which resulted in 67 yards and a touchdown … matched season high with 22 receiving yards off three receptions … carries dropped the next two weeks with the return of Stockton … found the end zone against USF in the Birmingham Bowl (12/23) on a four-yard run midway through the third quarter … touchdown was part of 10 carries for 35 yards as well as a reception for 15 yards.

HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Played two seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan. … became the Blue Dragon’s primary running back his sophomore season … carried 90 times for 352 yards and five touchdowns before his seasons was cut short due to injury … recorded 399 all-purpose yards in just five games … led the team in rushing yards at the time of his injury … appeared in eight games as a freshman … carried eight times for 43 yards during 2015 campaign.
 
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Heights High School in Wichita, Kan. … helped leads Heights to a state playoff appearance as both a junior and senior … rushed for over 1,000 yards with 18 touchdowns as a junior … member of the Topeka Capital-Journal’s All-Class honorable mention team that season … helped lead Heights to an 8-3 season as a senior and an appearance in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
 
PERSONAL
Tre King … son of Toma King and Martina Kinchion … one of five siblings … has two brothers, Toma King Jr. and Tahjier, and two sisters, Maresia and Zariah … a university studies major at Texas Tech. 

CAREER HIGHS
Touchdowns: 1, 4x, vs. USF (2017)*
Rush Attempts: 24, at Oklahoma (2017)
Rush Yards: 113, at Oklahoma (2017)
Rush TDs: 1, 5x, vs. Kansas (2018)*
Longest Rush: 73, at Houston (2017)
Receptions: 4, twice, vs. Ole Miss (2018)*
Receiving Yards: 23, vs. Ole Miss (2018)
Receiving Touchdowns: None
Long Reception: 17, at Baylor (2017)
All-Purpose Yards: 98, at Houston (2017)
* Indicates most recent high

Talking with King during our podcast you get the sense that being an underdog for most of his football life has helped fuel the fire to prove his doubters wrong.

He explained that he attracted very little attention in high school and his less the desirable grades didn’t help after he received zero offers to play football out of high school. King took it in stride and set his sights on playing JUCO football. It was a valuable experience that helped him become a student of the game and in the classroom.

King took his no scholarship ability from the JUCO level all the way to the BIG12. It was another step in proving to the doubters that he, in fact, can play big-time football.

Despite not having the biggest frame he runs the football with determination. Probably fair to say there is a little anger added to each carry he makes. That underdog mentality has helped him achieve way more than most thought possible, except King.

King reads his blocks well and will make the first tackler miss and punish the next. He runs angry. For as much vision and cutback ability as he possesses, he is a collision runner who seeks contact. Good burst off the snap and explodes through the line of scrimmage. He has made the most of his attempts carrying despite never getting the bulk of the teams’ workload. Shredded up sculpted frame with slasher ability.

The knock-on King is his size and history of nagging but not serious injuries. There is a limited amount of running backs who hover around 200-pounds with extensive action in the National Football League. Again, that is a knock that King has dealt with since he received zero scholarships out of high school. NFL teams have and desire players in specific way and that is out of his control.

One particular team that may see the value in King more than others is the San Francisco 49ers, who seek the skill set and size that King possesses. Matt Breida (5’11 190), Jerick McKinnon (5’9 205), Raheem Mostert (5’10 197) and Joe Williams (5’11 205) all coincide with similarities.

King is a very determined running back with a lot of heart. He could become a valuable change-of-pace back with return capabilities at the next level.