Miami Hurricanes RB Travis Homer Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2019 NFL Draft

The wait is over for former Miami RB Travis Homer. It’s always bittersweet to lose a running back who rushed for 1,995 yards and averaged six yards-per-carry during his three seasons as a Miami Hurricane, but Travis Homer has officially graduated to the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks selected Homer in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Background Information

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 201 lbs.

Arm Length: 31 ½”

Hand Size: 10”

High School: Oxbridge Academy

Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida

Combine Numbers

40-yard Dash: 4.48 seconds

Bench Press: 17 reps

Vertical Jump: 39.5 inches

Broad Jump: 130 inches

3 Cone Drill: 7.07 seconds

20-yard Shuttle: 4.31 seconds

Awards and Accolades

Named a honourable mention for the 2019 All-Combine team by Chad Reuter of NFL.com

2018 All-ACC Second Team

2017 All-ACC Second Team

Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images

Grinder, workhorse, team player, student of the game — these are all terms you could use to describe running back prospect Travis Homer. The mild-mannered RB ascended into the role of vocal leader for the Hurricanes offense. However, Homer would prefer to let his game do most of the talking for him. After rushing for 985 yards, averaging 6.0 yards-per-carry, four touchdowns adding 19 receptions for 186 receiving yards, Homer displayed the versatility that’s required of today’s RBs at the NFL level.

With the vision to see the hole, paired with a burst to zip to the the second level, the Oxbridge Academy graduate has the explosiveness to break open a 20-yard run in an instance. Homer’s ability to carve out two or three yards on plays that appear doomed soon after the snap is a testament to his vision and grit as a ball-carrier. That ability to get low, keeping his feet under him even with bodies occupying his running lane, shows off his instincts as a runner when it comes to avoiding traffic. Homer’s awareness to fall forward on each run should endear him to the traditional RB coach who implores their backs to get the most yardage on each run.

In the open field, Homer displays a good set of tools for keeping ball carriers away. Often dipping a shoulder at incoming contact, Travis doesn’t mind meeting defenders facemask to facemask. Homer also works a decent stiff arm to create seperation. Although he’s not considered an elusive runner, the West Palm Beach native has enough wiggle to force a defender to hesitate so he can gain an extra three yards at the end of a run.

Travis Homer became the Hurricanes’ lead back after Mark Walton suffered a season-ending injury in the 2017 season. Homer carried the Canes through an exhilarating season. Finishing the season rushing for 966 yards, 5.9 yards-per-carry, and eight rushing TDs, to go along with 18 receptions for 186 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. With little depth behind him at the position, Homer was the majority of Miami’s running game that season.

That dependability carried over into the 2018 season, despite the influx of talent at the RB position for the Hurricanes. Although the added numbers at his position, Homer had one more rushing attempt 164 than his previous season total. With the young offense, Homer answered the call by the UM coaching staff for more leaders. Although quiet in front of the cameras, Homer became the vocal leader of the group. Standing in front of the flames after losses and answering questions after Canes’ wins, Homer became the voice of the offense. You could say that the West Palm Beach native has been the consummate pro since before he made his declaration to enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

Homer is not the perfect prospect, however. He has good speed, but gets chased down from behind more often than not. There are instances where he drops catchable passes, which raise questions about his consistency as a passing option.

That said, Travis Homer has been one of the — if not the — hardest workers for the Hurricanes. Homer made sure to keep all of his special team duties despite becoming the starting running back. While others in his position would simply go through the motions, Homer would be the first player flying down the field to make a tackle on punt coverage. It’s the reason why Travis Homer was the first offensive player to ever don the vaunted Turnover Chain in program history. Homer also became one of the Hurricanes’ most effective and willing blockers in pass protection.

The list of superlatives for Travis Homer could go on forever. While some people will be lost when he celebrates his first NFL touchdown, but true Canes fans will recognize his kamehameha motion, bringing back memories of when Homer donned No. 24 for The U. Homer is the teammate, prospect and personality type that fits with any franchise. With a balanced approach to his running style, we think that Homer best fits in a zone-blocking scheme. Regardless of where he lands, we have confidence that Travis Homer will contribute on special teams immediately and win teammates and fans over with his hard work in the forgotten phase of the game.

Pro Comparison:

Daniel Lasco - Free Agent

Lasco was pegged as an explosive and versatile running back coming out of the University of Cal. An athletic back who has the necessary traits to be a contributor for the Saints, Lasco found himself working behind Saints’ running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram his first three seasons in the league. Similarly, Travis Homer is a talented back in his own right, but it all boils down to situation and getting the opportunity to factor in any running back rotation at the next level.

State of the U and the Canes fanbase would like to congratulate Travis Homer on becoming the latest Hurricane to join the ProCane fraternity.

IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE U!