From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on North Dakota State RB Barika Kpeenu.
No. 8 BARIKA KPEENU/RUNNING BACK, NORTH DAKOTA STATE (RS SENIOR) – 5095, 215 pounds
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Barika Kpeenu 5095/215 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.56 N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Good weight to support running style
– Decent athletic ability
– Impressive vision
– Sets up blocks well
– Solid change of direction
– Can get skinny through small holes
– Good contact balance
– Good pass protection technique and skill
– Good hands, has receiving ability
THE BAD
– Average speed
– Does not have the speed to win the edge
– Average long speed
– Will struggle to create explosive plays
– Average burst
– Can be indecisive when making decisions at the line of scrimmage
– Struggles to make defenders miss with speed
– Rarely makes defenders miss in a short area
– Does not have the flexibility to make quick movements, like jukes and spins
– Struggles to break tackles with power due to weaker lower-body strength
– Already older for a running back prospect
STATS
– Started 19 games across five seasons at North Dakota State
– 2025: 191 rushes, 1005 yards, 20 touchdowns
– 20 catches, 247 yards, 1 touchdown
– Career: 434 rushes, 2283 yards, 32 touchdowns
– 35 catches, 369 yards, 2 touchdowns
INJURY HISTORY
– No known injury history
BACKGROUND
– Just turned 24 in March 2026
– Participated in the 2026 American Bowl
– Named to FCS Football Central All-America Third Team
– Named to Phil Steele FCS All-American
– Received 2025 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First Team honors
– Named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll in 2024 and 2025
– Zero-star recruit out of West Fargo Sheyenne High School in North Dakota
– Played running back and linebacker
– Two-time All-State First Team
– Part of two state runner-up teams
– Career totals include 2650 yards and 29 touchdowns on 310 rushes
– Played in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Texas
– Also competed in basketball and track
– Kpeenu’s parents, Prince and Endurance, are from Nigeria, and he praises their influence and how it shaped him as a football player
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Barik Kpeenu has had a long career at North Dakota State, which isn’t good to hear regarding a running back prospect. He has had a lot of carries in his career and has taken a lot of hits, which limits how long a running back can play. Because of his long career, Kpeenu has mastered running outside zone, setting up blocks, and winning with vision.
He will be best served in a primarily outside zone scheme because of this ability. Here, there would be multiple runs where he is not touched and climbs to the second level because of his vision. Below, he makes a great cut to get to the linebacker without being touched.
In the short area, Kpeenu can get skinny through small holes and create explosive plays. If he stays away from defenders and they cannot latch onto him, he can create explosives, which is critical for modern NFL offenses.
He severely struggles to break tackles, and this run is a perfect mix of his positives and negatives. He uses great vision to climb to the second level, but gets tackled after attempting a stiff arm.
In pass protection, Kpeenu shows great effort and technique, which speaks to his experience. He scans the line well and can adjust post-snap to second-level defenders flying to the line of scrimmage. Here, he scans and picks up the defender, leading to a touchdown.
While Kpeenu can win with vision, there are some plays where he looks indecisive when getting to the open gap. It looks like he knows where to go, but his footwork lacks detail to get him there.
He will take false steps when trying to work through the gap, which limits his already subpar speed. On this play, there is room for him to get skinny to get to the second level, but he takes a step inside with his left foot and gets tackled.
The biggest problem with Kpeenu’s game is that he struggles to make defenders miss. He rarely broke through tackles with power, and when he did, he slowed down, allowing other defenders to tackle him.
Kpeenu lacks the ankle flexibility to perform a quick juke or jump cut to make the defender whiff. He lacks sharpness with cuts in the open field, which makes it easy for a defender to make a tackle. Here, he cuts back on the outside zone and tries to change his direction and break a tackle, but this is easy for the defense.
CONCLUSION
Barika Kpeenu played well at the FCS level, but I do not think his athletic ability will translate to the NFL. He has good vision and can win on outside zone, but his lack of speed and his struggles to make defenders miss are worrisome. A lot of his successful plays came from the level of his competition, and just having good vision is not enough to consistently play in the NFL.
I think he can provide decent special-teams value and can pass-protect, so there is a chance he can carve out a role for himself, but I do not think he is athletic enough to play running back consistently.
NFL Projection: Late Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 5.8 (Fringe Roster Player)
Grade Range: 5.5-6.2
Games Watched: vs South Dakota (2025), at Illinois State (Regular Season) (2025), vs Youngstown State (2025), vs Illinois State (Playoff) (2025)
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