Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of an Minnesota Vikings helmet during the warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of an Minnesota Vikings helmet during the warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
The Minnesota Vikings have been all over the news throughout training camp, both locally (per usual) and nationally, as they attempt to crown a QB1 between Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy.
After a few disastrous practices from Murray, the competition appears more competitive than ever… though nobody has any idea what head coach Kevin O’Connell is really thinking.
Thankfully, there were other happenings out in Eagan Monday to distract us from the revolving QB coverage, despite players having the day off. According to Alec Lewis (The Athletic), the Vikings held some tryouts today at TCO Performance Center, specifically for running backs (3) and safeties (3).
The Vikings held some tryouts today for RBs and safeties:
— RB Jermar Jefferson
— S Glendon Miller
— S Wande Owens
— RB Dominic Richardson
— S D.Q. Smith
— RB Marcus Yarns
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 10, 2026
Vikings running back tryouts
RB Jermar Jefferson (26 y/o) — Jefferson is a former Detroit Lions 7th round draft pick (2021) who rushed for 2,923 yards and 27 touchdowns at Oregon State between 2018 and 2020 — winning Co-Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2020.
Jefferson has spent the majority of his NFL career (11 games) with the Lions. Last season, however, he played for the Arizona Cardinals. Mostly, Jermar has alternated between the active roster and the practice squad of whichever team he’s playing for.
Jermar Jefferson sent him flying 😳
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/LWHPL9iv7i
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 27, 2021
However, he does have 21 total NFL carries for 96 yards (4.6 YPC) and 2 touchdowns, both of which were scored during his rookie season, back in 2021. He’s also had offseason/practice squad stints with Tennessee, Arizona and San Francisco.
RB Dominic Richardson (25 y/o) — Richardson is a 2025 UDFA who signed last offseason with the Dallas Cowboys. played for three different universities as a college running back, starting with three years at Oklahoma State from 2020-2023 where he totaled 1,139 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 272 carries.
Dominic Richardson…
Really enjoyed his film pic.twitter.com/c5FuMwodrE
— (Foots The King) (@FootsDaKing) May 18, 2026
He then transferred to Baylor for the 2023 and 2024 seasons (628 yards, 1 TD, 156 CAR) before hitting the transfer portal again and landing at Tulsa, where he enjoyed his best statistical collegiate season with 1,065 yards and 5 touchdowns on 212 carries.
RB Marcus Yarns (24 y/o) — Yarns played his college football at Delaware, before signing with the New Orleans Saints as a UDFA in 2025. His speed is elite for the position.
He ran a 4.45 40-yd dash at the 2025 combine. With the Houston Gamblers (UFL) this spring, his 5.7 YPC was the best in the league, though he only carried 61 total times for 357 yards and 1 TD.
MARCUS YARNS TAKES IT 68-YARDS TO THE HOUSE 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/qzgJ9sCHbm
— Houston Gamblers (@UFLGamblers) April 17, 2026
In four seasons at Delaware between 2021 and 2024, Yarns put up 2,344 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, busting runs of at least 66 yards or more in each of his last three seasons. The 24-year-old is also a very good catcher out of the backfield.
Vikings try out three safeties
S Glendon Miller (24 y/o) — Miller played all five of his collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where he took off during his redshirt Junior season. Between his final two seasons as a Terrapin, Miller piled up 7 interceptions and wrangled 76 of his 100 total collegiate tackles.
He entered the league last year, as an undrafted free agent, but never played in a regular season game. Miller is fresh off 10 games played this offseason with the Houston Gamblers of the UFL, where he was credited for 33 total tackles and 3 pass breakups.
S Wande Owens (25 y/o) — Owens converted from a Yale cornerback to a do-it-all safety at New Hampshire in 2024. As a graduate senior at NHU, he totaled 111 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 interception (returned for a TD) and 1 forced fumble.
👀👀👀
New Hampshire's Wande Owens returns an interception for a 50-yard pick 6.#CAAFB | @CAAFootball | @UNH_Football pic.twitter.com/1xnjxChG9k
— FloCollege | Football (@FloCollegeFB) November 2, 2024
After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Owens signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent. Owens owns a 43-inch vertical, and has plenty of athletic talent. Unfortunately, he spent his entire rookie regular season on Bills injured reserve.
S DQ Smith (22 y/o) — Smith was a four-year collegiate starter for the South Carolina Gamecocks, where he successfully transitioned from high school quarterback to an stud college safety.
He snagged at least one interception in all four of his seasons at SC, totalling five on his career. He returned one for a touchdown during his freshman season. When the dust settled for DQ Smith in Columbia, he had racked up 228 career tackles in 48 games played, before receiving an invite to the 2026 Shrine Bowl.
First interception caught by a Gamecock in Knoxville since 2015 & it’s made by @SV_Athletics Alum DQ Smith.@WLTX | #Gamecocks | @DQSm1th pic.twitter.com/nrrPZNGuPQ
— Chandler Mack (@chandlerdmack) October 1, 2023