Kansas State University Athletics
2024 Football Roster
Giddens, DJ
Jersey Number 31
DJ Giddens
- Position:
- Running Back
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 212
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Junction City, Kan.
- High School:
- Junction City
Bio
CAREER HONORS
• 2024 Doak Walker Award semifinalist
• 2024 All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches)
• 2024 Maxwell Award watch list
• 2024 Senior Bowl watch list
• 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• 2023 Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week (UCF)
• 2023 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (UCF)
• 2022 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (Coaches)
CAREER: Played in 39 games with 25 starts over three seasons as he declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season... Finished second in school history in career rushing yards per attempt (5.97), third in rushing yards (3,087), 100-yard rushing games (13), fastest to 1,000 rushing yards (168th carry) and fastest to 2,000 rushing yards (346th carry), tied for third in consecutive 100-yard rushing games (6), ranked fourth in total scrimmage yards (3,766) and receiving yards by a running back (679), fifth in rushing yards per game (79.2), seventh in career rushing attempts (517) and eighth in career all-purpose yards (3,766)... Produced 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of his final two years, one of just four players in school history multiple 1,000-yard seasons (Darren Sproles, Daniel Thomas, Deuce Vaughn).
2024: Started all 12 regular-season games as he was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award and an All-Big 12 Second Team honoree by the league’s coaches... Became the fourth player in school history to be named a semifinalist or finalist for the Doak Walker Award, joining Darren Sproles (2003 finalist), Daniel Thomas (2010 semifinalist) and Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022 semifinalist)... Rushed for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 carries, while he hauled in 21 catches for 258 yards and a touchdown... Set the school record, finished eighth nationally and ranked second in the Big 12 by averaging 6.55 rushing yards per carry... Broke the previous K-State record of 6.49 yards per carry by Darren Sproles in 2003... It was also the sixth highest average in Big 12 history (minimum 200 carries)... Finished eighth nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in scrimmage yards per game (133.42), 10th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game (133.42), 13th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (111.92), and was 14th in the country and fourth in the Big 12 in total rushing yards... His 1,343 rushing yards ranked seventh in school history and fourth among juniors, while his 111.92 rushing yards per game also ranked seventh overall in school history... Ranked fifth in the Big 12 and tied for fifth in school history with seven 100-yard rushing games... Also finished fifth in the conference in rushing attempts (205) and 10th in rushing touchdowns (7)... Reached 1,000 rushing yards on his 167th carry of the season to rank third in school history... Had a season-high 187 rushing yards against Oklahoma State and backed that up with 182 yards at Colorado, the first Wildcat with at least 180 rushing yards in consecutive games since Alex Barnes in 2018... Those two marks ranked eighth and 10th in the Big 12 during the 2024 season, respectively... His game against Oklahoma State featured a career long of 66 yards, which resulted in a touchdown... Also excelled in receiving as he had a season-long 53-yard reception at West Virginia in addition to a 45-yard touchdown catch at Tulane, the latter being on 4th and 1... Was a driving force behind K-State setting school record for team rushing yards per carry (6.08) and offensive yards per play (6.08).
2023: Started all 13 games, rushing for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns on 223 carries, while he totaled 323 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 29 receptions as he was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick by the league’s coaches... Ranked 18th nationally in total rushing yards, while he was 27th in all-purpose yards per game (119.15)... Finished fifth in the Big 12 in total rushing yards, all-purpose yards per game and scoring (6.00 points per game), while he tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns and was seventh in rushing yards per game (94.31) and yards per rush (5.50)... Had six 100-yard rushing games to tie for fourth in the Big 12 and eighth in school history... Finished 10th in K-State history in single-season rushing yards as he produced the 19th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history... Also ranked third in rushing yards by a sophomore behind Darren Sproles (1,465 yards in 2002) and Deuce Vaughn (1,404 yards in 2021)... Ended the season with four-straight games of 100 rushing yards to tie for sixth in K-State history... His four-game streak is the longest by a Wildcat since Vaughn had an eight-game streak spanning the 2021 and 2022 seasons... Eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark during the Iowa State game on his 175th carry of the season, tied for the third-fastest player in school history to 1,000 rushing yards in terms of carries... Finished eighth in K-State history with 5.50 rushing yards per carry on the season, while he ranked fourth in school history among sophomores with 78 points scored... Led all Big 12 running backs in receiving touchdowns and yards per reception (11.1), while he ranked second in receiving yards and catches... His 11.1-yard receiving average ranked fourth among all running backs in the nation... Forced 69 missed tackles on the year to rank seventh nationally among Power 5 running backs, according to Pro Football Focus... Set career highs in rushing yards (207), carries (30), rushing touchdowns (4), receptions (8) and receiving yards (86) against UCF en route to Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors... It was the first 200-yard, four-touchdown rushing game in school history, while it was the 22nd occurrence in Big 12 history but just the second since 2015... It was one of only six games in the nation during the 2023 season with 200 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns... His 207 rushing yards against the Knights were the most in school history by a sophomore and were the fifth most by any player in the Big 12 during the 2023 season... His four rushing touchdowns against UCF tied for fourth in school history... His 293 yards from scrimmage against the Knights were the third most in school history, the fourth most nationally in a game in 2023 and the most in the Big 12... It was also the most all-purpose yards by a Big 12 player in 2023... His 38 total touches against UCF were the most by a Wildcat since Darren Sproles had 40 against Louisiana in 2004, while they were tied for the fourth most in the nation during the season and tied for the most by a Big 12 player… Had 151 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in addition to a 37-yard touchdown reception to help K-State earn a win over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl... His 28 carries tied K-State’s bowl record, while his 151 rushing yards and 188 all-purpose yards each ranked fourth... Had a 61-yard touchdown reception against TCU, the longest catch of his career.
2022: Saw action in every game, ranking third on the team in rushing with 518 yards and six touchdowns on 89 carries as he earned votes from the league’s coaches for the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award... Ranked third in school history in rushing yards by a freshman... Also caught eight passes for 98 yards on the season... Totaled a season-best 78 rushing yards at West Virginia, topping his mark of 58 yards on a season-best 13 carries the previous week at Baylor... His game against the Mountaineers included a season-long rush of 49 yards, which went for a touchdown... Had a three-game streak with a rushing touchdown against West Virginia, Baylor and Kansas... Also scored in the first two games of the season against South Dakota and Missouri, as well as against Oklahoma State... Had 67 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama, a game in which he had season highs in catches (3), receiving yards (48) and long reception (36).
2021: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Junction City under head coach Randall Zimmerman... Rushed for 1,912 yards and 34 touchdowns during his career, including 1,255 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior... His rushing yardage in 2020 ranked as the fifth most in school history for a single season... Earned first team all-state honors as a senior from the Topeka Capital-Journal, while he was an honorable mention pick by the Wichita Eagle... Ranked among the program’s top 10 in career rushing touchdowns (34; tied for second), total touchdowns (34; fourth), carries (266; fifth) and rushing yards (1,912; seventh)... Scored five touchdowns in a game against Wichita East, only the third player in school history to reach that mark... Also ran for 216 yards in the Kansas Class 6A state championship game.
PERSONAL: DJ Giddens was born August 26, 2003... Son of David and Monique Giddens... Majoring in business administration.
• 2024 Doak Walker Award semifinalist
• 2024 All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches)
• 2024 Maxwell Award watch list
• 2024 Senior Bowl watch list
• 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• 2023 Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week (UCF)
• 2023 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (UCF)
• 2022 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (Coaches)
CAREER: Played in 39 games with 25 starts over three seasons as he declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season... Finished second in school history in career rushing yards per attempt (5.97), third in rushing yards (3,087), 100-yard rushing games (13), fastest to 1,000 rushing yards (168th carry) and fastest to 2,000 rushing yards (346th carry), tied for third in consecutive 100-yard rushing games (6), ranked fourth in total scrimmage yards (3,766) and receiving yards by a running back (679), fifth in rushing yards per game (79.2), seventh in career rushing attempts (517) and eighth in career all-purpose yards (3,766)... Produced 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of his final two years, one of just four players in school history multiple 1,000-yard seasons (Darren Sproles, Daniel Thomas, Deuce Vaughn).
2024: Started all 12 regular-season games as he was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award and an All-Big 12 Second Team honoree by the league’s coaches... Became the fourth player in school history to be named a semifinalist or finalist for the Doak Walker Award, joining Darren Sproles (2003 finalist), Daniel Thomas (2010 semifinalist) and Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022 semifinalist)... Rushed for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 carries, while he hauled in 21 catches for 258 yards and a touchdown... Set the school record, finished eighth nationally and ranked second in the Big 12 by averaging 6.55 rushing yards per carry... Broke the previous K-State record of 6.49 yards per carry by Darren Sproles in 2003... It was also the sixth highest average in Big 12 history (minimum 200 carries)... Finished eighth nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in scrimmage yards per game (133.42), 10th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game (133.42), 13th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (111.92), and was 14th in the country and fourth in the Big 12 in total rushing yards... His 1,343 rushing yards ranked seventh in school history and fourth among juniors, while his 111.92 rushing yards per game also ranked seventh overall in school history... Ranked fifth in the Big 12 and tied for fifth in school history with seven 100-yard rushing games... Also finished fifth in the conference in rushing attempts (205) and 10th in rushing touchdowns (7)... Reached 1,000 rushing yards on his 167th carry of the season to rank third in school history... Had a season-high 187 rushing yards against Oklahoma State and backed that up with 182 yards at Colorado, the first Wildcat with at least 180 rushing yards in consecutive games since Alex Barnes in 2018... Those two marks ranked eighth and 10th in the Big 12 during the 2024 season, respectively... His game against Oklahoma State featured a career long of 66 yards, which resulted in a touchdown... Also excelled in receiving as he had a season-long 53-yard reception at West Virginia in addition to a 45-yard touchdown catch at Tulane, the latter being on 4th and 1... Was a driving force behind K-State setting school record for team rushing yards per carry (6.08) and offensive yards per play (6.08).
2023: Started all 13 games, rushing for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns on 223 carries, while he totaled 323 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 29 receptions as he was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick by the league’s coaches... Ranked 18th nationally in total rushing yards, while he was 27th in all-purpose yards per game (119.15)... Finished fifth in the Big 12 in total rushing yards, all-purpose yards per game and scoring (6.00 points per game), while he tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns and was seventh in rushing yards per game (94.31) and yards per rush (5.50)... Had six 100-yard rushing games to tie for fourth in the Big 12 and eighth in school history... Finished 10th in K-State history in single-season rushing yards as he produced the 19th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history... Also ranked third in rushing yards by a sophomore behind Darren Sproles (1,465 yards in 2002) and Deuce Vaughn (1,404 yards in 2021)... Ended the season with four-straight games of 100 rushing yards to tie for sixth in K-State history... His four-game streak is the longest by a Wildcat since Vaughn had an eight-game streak spanning the 2021 and 2022 seasons... Eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark during the Iowa State game on his 175th carry of the season, tied for the third-fastest player in school history to 1,000 rushing yards in terms of carries... Finished eighth in K-State history with 5.50 rushing yards per carry on the season, while he ranked fourth in school history among sophomores with 78 points scored... Led all Big 12 running backs in receiving touchdowns and yards per reception (11.1), while he ranked second in receiving yards and catches... His 11.1-yard receiving average ranked fourth among all running backs in the nation... Forced 69 missed tackles on the year to rank seventh nationally among Power 5 running backs, according to Pro Football Focus... Set career highs in rushing yards (207), carries (30), rushing touchdowns (4), receptions (8) and receiving yards (86) against UCF en route to Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors... It was the first 200-yard, four-touchdown rushing game in school history, while it was the 22nd occurrence in Big 12 history but just the second since 2015... It was one of only six games in the nation during the 2023 season with 200 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns... His 207 rushing yards against the Knights were the most in school history by a sophomore and were the fifth most by any player in the Big 12 during the 2023 season... His four rushing touchdowns against UCF tied for fourth in school history... His 293 yards from scrimmage against the Knights were the third most in school history, the fourth most nationally in a game in 2023 and the most in the Big 12... It was also the most all-purpose yards by a Big 12 player in 2023... His 38 total touches against UCF were the most by a Wildcat since Darren Sproles had 40 against Louisiana in 2004, while they were tied for the fourth most in the nation during the season and tied for the most by a Big 12 player… Had 151 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in addition to a 37-yard touchdown reception to help K-State earn a win over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl... His 28 carries tied K-State’s bowl record, while his 151 rushing yards and 188 all-purpose yards each ranked fourth... Had a 61-yard touchdown reception against TCU, the longest catch of his career.
2022: Saw action in every game, ranking third on the team in rushing with 518 yards and six touchdowns on 89 carries as he earned votes from the league’s coaches for the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award... Ranked third in school history in rushing yards by a freshman... Also caught eight passes for 98 yards on the season... Totaled a season-best 78 rushing yards at West Virginia, topping his mark of 58 yards on a season-best 13 carries the previous week at Baylor... His game against the Mountaineers included a season-long rush of 49 yards, which went for a touchdown... Had a three-game streak with a rushing touchdown against West Virginia, Baylor and Kansas... Also scored in the first two games of the season against South Dakota and Missouri, as well as against Oklahoma State... Had 67 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama, a game in which he had season highs in catches (3), receiving yards (48) and long reception (36).
2021: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Junction City under head coach Randall Zimmerman... Rushed for 1,912 yards and 34 touchdowns during his career, including 1,255 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior... His rushing yardage in 2020 ranked as the fifth most in school history for a single season... Earned first team all-state honors as a senior from the Topeka Capital-Journal, while he was an honorable mention pick by the Wichita Eagle... Ranked among the program’s top 10 in career rushing touchdowns (34; tied for second), total touchdowns (34; fourth), carries (266; fifth) and rushing yards (1,912; seventh)... Scored five touchdowns in a game against Wichita East, only the third player in school history to reach that mark... Also ran for 216 yards in the Kansas Class 6A state championship game.
PERSONAL: DJ Giddens was born August 26, 2003... Son of David and Monique Giddens... Majoring in business administration.
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