The Seattle Seahawks have tapped into the UFL to bolster their roster, reportedly agreeing to a deal with Birmingham Stallions running back Ricky Person Jr.
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Person, 24, went undrafted after totaling nearly 2,000 rushing yards in four college seasons at NC State, but he got his shot in the UFL this season and helped the Stallions claim the league championship.
Could Person factor into the Seahawks’ backfield in 2024? Former NFL quarterback and FOX football analyst Brock Huard delved into that Wednesday during Blue 88 on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
One of the first things that stood out to Huard was an impressive run person had to set up Birmingham’s first touchdown in the title game.
“Probably of all UFL games and all the highlights, if you were to find the singular best run, it was Ricky Person in that championship game kind of putting on a beast-mode-like stiff-arm and jukes and running through tackles,” Huard said.
😤 @RickyPersonJr with a BIG GAIN for the @USFLStallions pic.twitter.com/zXoRrkb9Rj
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 16, 2024
Size and desire
When it comes to the eye test, Person passes with ease. At 6 foot 1 and 222 pounds, the Wake Forest, N.C., native has a build similar that stacks up well next to other power backs in the NFL.
“The dude is a physical, locked-up ball of muscle,” Huard said.
What also stands out to Huard is the drive Person will bring to the team as he tries to carve out a spot on the roster, especially considering he’s had this chance once before after signing with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
“These UFL guys, they are hungry,” said Huard, who covered the UFL this season including the league’s championship game. “They’ve had a cup of coffee (in the NFL) like he did in Baltimore, and he’s a physical, physical dude. The want-to factor is going to be off the charts and he is just in that line of, ‘Woo, this guy is gonna his head down and he is gonna run through you.’”
As Huard pointed out, Person’s addition should create some competition behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet for the No. 3 spot on the Seahawks’ depth chart.
“This is gonna be a competitive deal now,” Huard said. “You’ve added to your running back room, and for (2023 seventh-round pick) Kenny McIntosh in particular, you better play special teams, you better do everything that’s asked, you better strap up that chin strap and get ready to go every day of training camp. Because I’m going to tell you, this guy and the juice and the energy and the motivation that he brings, I felt it on that sideline.
“This guy loves to play, and he can catch it and he can run it. There’s a reason he picked Seattle. He looked at it and went, ‘OK, there’s Charbonnet, Walker, then what? Oh, I’m gonna take that man’s job.’ That’s the mindset he will have a month from now when he comes to training camp.”
Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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