The Las Vegas Raiders needed an answer at the running back position. Longtime standout Josh Jacobs left in the 2024 offseason to the Green Bay Packers, leaving a hole for the Raiders to fill. However, neither Zamir White nor Alexander Mattison could fill that gap.
Instead, injuries to both brought an unexpected savior for Las Vegas in the form of Sincere McCormick. Now, as the youngster gets ready to take over the starter’s position in Week 15 on Monday Night Football, we trace his journey back in the football world.
Sincere McCormick’s College Football Career
When he came to the University of Texas at San Antonio, the returns were immediate and obvious. As a freshman, McCormick had 983 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per carry. The numbers saw him walk away with the Freshman of the Year Award for the Conference USA.
In Year 2, he was substantially better. Finishing second among all Division I FBS players, McCormick totaled 1,467 rushing yards, winning the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year Award and finding a spot on the second-team All-American. Moreover, he was even a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award before moving on to his junior season.
The following year saw similar production from McCormick, as he tallied 1,479 rushing yards this time around. The number was good for fifth-best among Division I FBS players, but the impact of his numbers was visible even more so in the standings.
The Roadrunners had a 12-1 record as they made their way to the Conference USA Football Championship Game. In his final game for UTSA, McCormick had arguably his best performance, tallying 204 yards and three touchdowns to run home with the MVP honors.
How Has McCormick Fared as the Las Vegas Raiders Running Back?
McCormick had an arduous few years in the NFL. After initially going undrafted, he was signed by the Raiders as a free agent. But just 20 days later, he was put on injured reserve, a poor sign of things to come.
Since then, the story has been anything but pleasant. Getting hurt, getting waived, getting re-signed, and then being on the practice squad for an eternity looked like all that McCormick was getting out of the league.
However, his perseverance finally paid off. After an eye-opening performance in training camp, he was fourth or fifth in line behind White, Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah as well as rookie Dylan Laube. Unfortunately, playing time was still a luxury he couldn’t afford, at least, until late in the 2024 season.
Injuries to both White and Mattison, who were averaging 2.8 and 3.3 yards per carry, respectively, led to a promotion for McCormick. Immediately, he was able to show off his incredible skillset, seeing his first offensive snaps of his career in Week 12 of the 2024 season.
After three weeks of consistent playing time, he tallied 175 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry across Weeks 12-14, a big improvement over the others.
Now, it looks like the Raiders have at least some semblance of a run game to go to. While he might not be the next Josh Jacobs, McCormick has shown in his short run that he’s a capable running back who deserves more touches. In an MNF showcase against the Atlanta Falcons, he gets just that.
