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Durant Selected in XFL Draft; Heads to St. Louis Battlehawks
11/18/2022 12:06:00 AM | Football
DURHAM – Former Duke running back Mataeo Durant was drafted 31st overall in Wednesday's 2022 XFL Draft.
Durant is heading to the St. Louis Battlehawks under the tutelage of head coach Anthony Becht.
Duke's leading rusher in 2020 and 2021, Durant capped his Blue Devil career with 489 rushes for 2,562 yards with 18 touchdowns and caught 55 passes for 488 yards with four scores in 44 games played. The Plum Branch, S.C., native also amassed 3,050 all-purpose yards and scored 132 career points. Throughout his tenure, Durant rushed for 50-plus yards in 21 career games and topped the 100-yard plateau on the ground 10 times, including a career-best 255 yards against Charlotte in 2021. He added 19 rushing attempts of 20-plus yards, including a career-long 64-yard touchdown jaunt against Florida State in 2020.
In addition, the 2021 First Team All-ACC honoree recorded back-to-back seasons with 800-plus rushing yards to become the second Blue Devil all-time to rush for 800-plus yards in consecutive seasons, joining Steve Jones (1970- 854, 1971- 861, 1972-1,236). Durant, who accumulated 1,570 career snaps, finished third in Duke history with 10 100-yard rushing games, fourth in rushing yards, sixth in highest average per rushing attempt, eighth in rushing attempts, and tied for 13th in rushing touchdowns. He also placed tied for sixth in program history with four career touchdown receptions by a running back.
During his final campaign, Durant rushed for 1,241 yards on 255 attempts to set a single-season program record. He added a team-high nine rushing touchdowns to tie for 11th in Blue Devil history for a single season. He compiled six 100-yard rushing games to tie for the most in school history and posted a season-high 255-yard performance against Charlotte and 43 rushing attempts against Georgia Tech for the most in a single game in program lore. In the ACC, Durant finished second in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, fifth in all-purpose yards and seventh in rushing touchdowns.
He began his professional career in the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers in April.
#GoDuke
Durant is heading to the St. Louis Battlehawks under the tutelage of head coach Anthony Becht.
Duke's leading rusher in 2020 and 2021, Durant capped his Blue Devil career with 489 rushes for 2,562 yards with 18 touchdowns and caught 55 passes for 488 yards with four scores in 44 games played. The Plum Branch, S.C., native also amassed 3,050 all-purpose yards and scored 132 career points. Throughout his tenure, Durant rushed for 50-plus yards in 21 career games and topped the 100-yard plateau on the ground 10 times, including a career-best 255 yards against Charlotte in 2021. He added 19 rushing attempts of 20-plus yards, including a career-long 64-yard touchdown jaunt against Florida State in 2020.
In addition, the 2021 First Team All-ACC honoree recorded back-to-back seasons with 800-plus rushing yards to become the second Blue Devil all-time to rush for 800-plus yards in consecutive seasons, joining Steve Jones (1970- 854, 1971- 861, 1972-1,236). Durant, who accumulated 1,570 career snaps, finished third in Duke history with 10 100-yard rushing games, fourth in rushing yards, sixth in highest average per rushing attempt, eighth in rushing attempts, and tied for 13th in rushing touchdowns. He also placed tied for sixth in program history with four career touchdown receptions by a running back.
During his final campaign, Durant rushed for 1,241 yards on 255 attempts to set a single-season program record. He added a team-high nine rushing touchdowns to tie for 11th in Blue Devil history for a single season. He compiled six 100-yard rushing games to tie for the most in school history and posted a season-high 255-yard performance against Charlotte and 43 rushing attempts against Georgia Tech for the most in a single game in program lore. In the ACC, Durant finished second in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, fifth in all-purpose yards and seventh in rushing touchdowns.
He began his professional career in the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers in April.
#GoDuke
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