About

DeKalon “Trackhawk” Taylor is a 5-foot-9, 165-pound running back who transferred to the Colorado Buffaloes on April 30, 2025, after three standout seasons at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW). A senior from Longview, Texas, Taylor arrives in Boulder carrying 909 rushing yards, nine touchdowns, 22 receptions, and a punt-return score from his 2024 campaign alone. His blend of sprinter’s speed and return-game flair has already drawn praise inside Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders’ overhauled roster as a potential spark for Colorado’s ground attack.

Bios

Position:	Running Back
Weight:	165
Hometown:	Longview, Texas
Prev School:	Incarnate Word
Height:	5-9
Class:	Senior
High School:	Longview
DeKalon Taylor Net Worth	$500 Thousand

Before Fame

Growing up on the east side of Longview, Taylor split his time between the football field and the track oval. At Longview High School, he was a district sprint champion and a multi-year letter-winner for the Lobos, building the straight-line burst that later became his trademark on kickoff and punt returns. The modest frame that once made recruiters hesitate also shaped his mindset; Taylor has said that being a Lobo “builds that grit inside of you” and pushes him to prove doubters wrong.

A late surge of junior-college interest steered him to FCS power UIW, where he arrived as a slot receiver. Position coach — now head coach — Clint Killough persuaded him to switch to running back during spring 2023 so the Cardinals could tap his one-cut acceleration out of the backfield. The learning curve was steep, but Taylor’s attention to detail (Killough calls him “extremely studious”) and a near-perfect GPA helped him master pass protections and vision keys in less than a season.

Trivia

• Nickname: Teammates tagged him “Trackhawk” for the way he hawks angles in the open field and for his love of fast cars.
• Record run: His 97-yard touchdown against Northern Arizona in 2024 remains the longest rush in UIW history.
• Versatile résumé: In 2024, he logged carries, catches, punt returns, and kick returns while also running the 60- and 200-meter dashes for UIW’s track squad.
• Academic honors: Taylor earned Southland Conference All-Academic recognition in 2024, showing that his work in the classroom rivals his production on the turf.
• All-purpose star: Entering Colorado, he owns 2,300-plus career all-purpose yards and has been selected to at least one All-Conference team every college season.

Family Life

Public posts from Taylor’s relatives paint a picture of a tight-knit East Texas family that celebrates every milestone. His mother’s social-media profile proudly declares him “my son” and counts down to each fall kickoff, while younger cousins often pile into cars for road trips to games in San Antonio or, now, Boulder. Taylor thanks “Mom, my little bros, and the whole Lobo family” routinely following major games and states that the regular support keeps him humble when the limelight shines. While he holds most personal information close to his heart, he is adamant that family and faith are the two supports that shape his daily life, a lesson he is hoping younger sportsmen in Longview learn.

Associated With

Taylor’s move to Colorado instantly aligned him with several high-profile figures:

• Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders — the Hall-of-Famer turning the Buffaloes into a transfer-portal juggernaut. Sanders hand-picked Taylor to revive a ground game that lost its top two rushers in spring 2025.
• Marshall Faulk — another Pro Football Hall-of-Fame back who now mentors Colorado’s runners and vows to “turn a weakness into a strength.” Taylor often cites Faulk’s film study tips as early fuel for his own vision improvements.
• Zach Calzada — the former Texas A&M quarterback who teamed with Taylor at UIW, where their run-pass option chemistry helped the Cardinals chase a Southland title.
• Dallan Hayden and Charlie Offerdahl — carry-sharing partners in Colorado’s rebuilt backfield, a trio Faulk calls “thunder, lightning and lightning.” Taylor is expected to headline punt returns while rotating carries with Hayden.