Note: His HUDL profile page currently lists him at 195 pounds.

Derius comes back as the team’s top rusher. He carried the football 79 times for 647 yards and seven touchdowns while sharing carries with Aaron Foote (graduated). I previously evaluated him back in March. I’m looking forward to seeing how much he’s improved his top-end speed. One of the top returning running backs in Class 4A. Downhill runner that runs with power, has strong long leg drive, and has the ability to break off the occasional 10-15 yard run. Tough to tackle once he gets going, has proven he can run through tackles and usually finds a way to fall forward when he finishes runs. Don’t sleep on his ability to get to the outside either. Does most of his damage in between the tackles, but can also pop to the outside as well for big gains.

Denius rushed for 690 yards on 85 carries and scored 12 touchdowns last season. He has strong first-step acceleration, especially on the perimeter runs shown on his highlights. In his first several plays, there’s an impressive number of explosive plays showing multiple red-zone touchdowns and chunk gains. Denius consistently wins the edge and gets vertical quickly. The way he accelerates through the crease stands out.

His vision and patience as a runner his solid. Denius is also a tough runner for his size, consistently running through arm tackles and finishing falling forward. He’s a violent red-zone finisher and definitely runs with an attitude. Would like to see more before evaluating his true top-end speed. Definitely an all-purpose back who can be a factor both running and catching the football.