Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Can Ricky Person Jr. Surprise in Talented Backfield?

A late addition to the Seahawks roster following the conclusion of their offseason program, Ricky Person Jr. has momentum coming off a strong UFL season.

Mar 30, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Birmingham Stallions running back Ricky Person (23) runs for a touchdown past Arlington Renegades linebacker Storey Jackson (16) during the second half at Choctaw Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Playing well enough in the UFL to earn a one-year deal with the Seahawks, does Ricky Person Jr. have the talent to make things interesting in a crowded backfield?

Background

Starring at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina with 3,221 rushing yards at the prep level, Person Jr. stayed in state and committed to North Carolina State, where he saw action as a true freshman rushing for 471 yards and two touchdowns. Injuries dogged him early in his college career, as he missed nine games in his first two seasons. But he bounced back in 2020, starting every game for the Wolfpack and finishing second on the team with 643 rushing yards. He finished his time in Raleigh with another solid season posting 636 yards and five touchdowns, eventually going undrafted before signing with the Ravens. He didn't last long in Baltimore, but latched on with the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL. Helping the Stallions with the UFL championship last month, he emerged as a key cog in the team's title run, rushing for 297 yards and six touchdowns in six games along with 13 catches for 150 yards as a receiver. The Seahawks signed him on June 30.

Scheme Fit

Despite being a big-bodied back at 6-1, 222 pounds, Person Jr. found most of his success at the college level creating in space rather than bulldozing through tacklers. With his vision being one of his greatest strengths, he thrived in inside/outside/mid-zone concepts at North Carolina State, rushing for the majority of his 1,976 yards on zone schemes. As evidenced in the UFL, he has developed solid hands as a receiver out of the backfield as well.

Best Case Scenario

Building off his success against pro competition in the UFL, Person Jr. impresses during training camp and the preseason as both a runner and receiver, tallying over 100 rushing yards and five receptions with a pair of touchdowns in preseason games to help secure himself a priority practice squad spot after initially being waived in roster cuts.

Worst Case Scenario

Playing catchup from the outset after not being with the team during the offseason program, Person Jr. sees limited playing time early in camp and the preseason with undrafted rookies George Holani and Kobe Lewis clearly ahead of him on the depth chart, leading to his release in mid-August.

What to Expect in 2024

Taking the long road back to the NFL, Person Jr. stood out as one of the stars of the UFL this past season, earning himself the opportunity to compete in an NFL training camp. With his size and pass catching ability, if he's able to grasp a new playbook quickly and contribute on special teams, he could have a chance to make some noise competing against Holani and Lewis for a fourth spot on the active roster or practice squad placement.

However, while Person Jr. has decent juice as a straight line runner for a back of his stature, his below-average quickness will make things far trickier rushing against NFL defenders in the preseason. Signing after the offseason program concluded also puts him behind the eight ball a bit, though learning a new system as a running back isn't near as complicated as most other positions on offense. While it's not out of the realm of possibility he could push for the fourth back slot, the odds will be stacked against him heading into camp for the Seahawks.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Buddha Jones | Devin Richardson | TaMerik Williams | Rason Williams II | Ro Torrence | Nathan Pickering | Dee Williams | Devere Levelston | Kobe Lewis | Sunny Anderson | Mike Novitsky | Max Pircher | Easton Gibbs | Hayden Hatten | Garret Greenfield | Carlton Johnson | Matt Gotel |George Holani | Cody White | Ty Okada | Drake Thomas | McClendon Curtis | Easop Winston Jr. |Nelson Ceaser | Jonathan Sutherland | Lance Boykin | Joshua Onujiogu | Patrick O'Connell |Jack Westover | Raiqwon O'Neal | Tyler Mabry | Dareke Young | Tremayne Anchrum | DJ James | Artie Burns | Kenny McIntosh | Myles Adams | Dee Eskridge | Stone Forsythe | Tyrice Knight |Jerrick Reed II | Mike Morris | Coby Bryant | Jake Bobo | Jon Rhattigan | Nick Harris | Johnathan Hankins | Derick Hall | Laviska Shenault | PJ Walker | K'Von Wallace | Sam Howell |Sataoa Laumea | Pharaoh Brown | Michael Dickson | Tre Brown | A.J. Barner | Darrell Taylor | Mike Jackson | Zach Charbonnet | Rayshawn Jenkins | Anthony Bradford | Jerome Baker | Laken Tomlinson | Jarran Reed