The Seattle Seahawks enter the second week of preseason with a tryout for yet another running back, one who should be familiar to college football fans in the Pacific Northwest.
Former Oregon State star Anthony Hankerson, who was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise brutal Beavers team, worked out with the Seahawks over the weekend, per the NFL’s transaction wire.
Hankerson was recently let go by the Miami Dolphins, who signed him as an undrafted free agent. Originally a member of the Colorado Buffaloes, Hankerson transferred to Oregon State in 2024 and became the first Beavers running back since Jacquizz Rodgers to record back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. As an extra bit of trivia, Hankerson was the main Oregon State replacement for former Seahawks draft pick Damien Martinez, who’s currently on the Green Bay Packers roster.
Hankerson, who had a Pro Day but didn’t participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, did receive a minicamp invite from the Seahawks after the draft before signing with Miami.
Seattle’s running back room is considerably banged up, with neither Jadarian Price nor Emanuel Wilson featuring against the Dallas Cowboys due to their respective injuries. Jacardia Wright has also been dealing with a leg injury and sat out the preseason opener, leaving George Holani, Velus Jones Jr, T.J. Harden, and Justin Jones as the available backs on the night. It remains to be seen how soon any of Price, Wilson, or Wright will be able to return for this week’s joint practice and subsequent game against the Tennessee Titans.
At this point, Hankerson is highly likely to be camp/preseason fodder just to get through the rest of August, with the chance to impress enough for practice squad consideration. We’ll see if the Seahawks sign him ahead of Monday’s practice.