Over the previous couple of months, we’ve been breaking down all undrafted free brokers signed by the Jets. We proceed right now with former Toledo working again Chip Trayanum.
The 24-year previous Trayanum is listed at 5’10” and 224 kilos and frolicked at Arizona State, Ohio State and Kentucky earlier than breaking out with a thousand-yard season at Toledo final 12 months, which earned him first workforce all-MAC recognition.
Trayanam was a four-star highschool recruit who started his collegiate profession at Arizona State. He was productive as a real freshman as he racked up 290 yards and 4 touchdowns in 4 video games, however then opted to redshirt due to the pandemic-shortened schedule.
Within the following season, he began three video games however in the end noticed his enjoying time fall off after a few fumbles. He ended up with 402 yards and 6 touchdowns in 9 video games.
On the finish of that season, Trayanum opted to switch to Ohio State, who initially transformed him to linebacker. He had 13 tackles in that function, however then transformed again to working again late within the season. He in the end rushed for 92 yards, with the majority of that coming in a recreation towards Michigan the place he rushed for 83 on 14 carries.
In 2023, he was again at working again full-time and spent the 12 months in a rotational function that noticed him begin three video games. He had 373 dashing yards and three touchdowns. Having entered the season with simply six receptions, he additionally added 9 catches.
2024 noticed Trayanum head to Kentucky the place he hoped to get a chance to begin, however accidents restricted him to simply three appearances during which he rushed for 101 yards.
Nonetheless, in 2025, having made the choice to switch but once more, he lastly obtained his probability and rushed for 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns for Toledo. He additionally caught 21 passes for 212 yards and two scores.
Regardless of being invited to the East West Shrine Bowl and performing effectively at his professional day, Trayanum was not chosen in April’s draft.
Trayanum was one of many first spherical of undrafted free brokers signed by the Jets and his contract reportedly consists of $195K of assured cash. That’s a change from earlier studies that steered he didn’t have any ensures.
Let’s transfer onto some extra in-depth evaluation of what Trayanum brings to the desk, based mostly on in-depth analysis and movie research.
Trayanum has strong measurement, and put collectively a strong set of exercise numbers, highlighted by a 37-inch vertical and 27 bench press reps. He additionally ran 4.52 within the 40-yard sprint and posted strong agility numbers.
As a working again, Trayanum has primarily been in a traditional function. He hasn’t actually produced out of the slot or when lined up large.
As famous, he performed a 12 months of linebacker in faculty. He additionally performed linebacker at highschool, in addition to security and cornerback, and in youth soccer he performed fullback and nostril guard.
Trayanam was productive even when in a reserve function, averaging over 5 yards per carry in his first 5 seasons as a rotational participant after which averaging 5.6 as a starter final 12 months.
He’s extra of an influence again than a pace again, as he didn’t have a play of over 40 yards till he obtained to Toledo. Nonetheless, he flashed some breakaway pace final 12 months with a 57-yard catch and runs of 42, 63 and 75 yards. Over half of his 10-yard runs for his profession got here final season and he’s decisive when he sees a lane.
Trayanum runs with a bodily downhill model and might drag tacklers, fall ahead on the finish of a run or straight-up truck a tackler in house.
When shifting laterally, he shows good footwork, maintaining his shoulders sq. to the road of scrimmage.
His numbers usually are not all that spectacular when it comes to breaking tackles, however he has the power to interrupt by way of an arm deal with or run by way of folks and might make some good decisive cuts at instances.
As famous, he had points with fumbles in his first full season at Toledo, which noticed him benched. He appeared to have resolved them over the following few years with none in 2022, 2023 or 2024 however then he did have two extra final season.
Trayanum has proven that he can carry the load, though he hasn’t had many probabilities to take action. He rushed for 100 yards 5 instances in his profession, carrying 20 instances on 4 events. 27 was his highest variety of carries throughout a recreation in his faculty profession.
With 25 profession dashing touchdowns, together with 12 final season, Trayanum has confirmed that he has a nostril for the tip zone. He additionally had two two-point conversions in his profession.
As a way of their belief in him, Ohio State went to him late in an enormous recreation towards Notre Dame and he scored the walk-off game-winning landing.
Move catching is one space the place Trayanum hasn’t actually proven a lot but, though his manufacturing within the passing recreation did enhance over the course of his profession. Mainly all of his manufacturing got here on brief passes, although, together with a dump-off that he broke for an enormous play final season to pad his averages.
The one route working he displayed got here principally on seam or V routes out of the backfield and he hasn’t precisely impressed on these up to now.
He had a 71 % catch price for his profession, which is affordable however nothing particular when they’re all brief passes. He additionally dropped 4.
Trayanum obtained loads of expertise in cross safety throughout his profession and his coaches praised his willingness to do the soiled work. Nonetheless, he did hand over three sacks.
Trayanum obtained loads of particular groups expertise in quite a lot of roles in faculty. He was on the kickoff return workforce, primarily as a blocker, however did area 4 returns, albeit that his longest runback was simply 17 yards.
As well as, he was on the offensive line for punt safety, rushed punts, frolicked on the sphere objective protection and lined kicks and punts. The one unit he didn’t see time on was the placekicking unit.
Trayanum had 9 particular groups tackles throughout his profession, most of which had been within the 12 months when he was enjoying linebacker, an expertise which is able to clearly make him a extra skilled tackler than most working backs. He additionally had two particular groups penalties.
Trayanum’s expertise as a linebacker lends itself to him having a very good perceive of defensive fronts and leverage and he has famous that he can generally inform when a protection goes to stunt.
As soon as he will get the ball, he shows good persistence and imaginative and prescient, each when hitting the correct gap and in addition within the open area.
In cross safety, there was one play at Ohio State the place he didn’t acknowledge the blitz off the sting, resulting in a sack, so which may be an space the place his consciousness is missing. Nonetheless, he confirmed a very good knack for locating an open space on this third down conversion.
He graduated faculty in 2023 and added a enterprise certificates in 2024.
Trayanum has proven loads of psychological toughness and willpower to make it to the NFL after bouncing round throughout his faculty profession and dealing with a number of setbacks and course adjustments. He stated the accidents that ruined his 2024 season at Kentucky had been significantly draining.
At Toledo he was a frontrunner and was named as a everlasting workforce captain for the 2025 season.
His on-field self-discipline is strong with simply two offensive penalties in his profession, though certainly one of these was a holding penalty that negated a landing.
As famous, Trayanum’s 2024 season was wrecked by accidents. He broke his hand in preseason, then rushed to get again into the line-up solely to final simply three video games earlier than aggravating it and requiring a second surgical procedure.
In 2023, he was knocked out of 1 recreation attributable to an damage and he missed most of his senior 12 months at highschool with undisclosed accidents.
Almost each younger again the Jets have introduced in throughout latest seasons has had a various skill-set with good skills within the passing recreation, however that’s not likely the case with Trayanum. Nonetheless, he may work on creating that facet of his recreation whereas being somebody who can probably produce when you give him just a few carries right here and there to maintain the starters recent.
He was a teammate of present Jets large receiver Gee Scott whereas with the Buckeyes.
Trayanum was a late-developing working again with a historical past on the linebacker place, which led to him drawing some comparisons to Tyler Allgeier within the scouting neighborhood. Perhaps that’s the sort of participant the Jets imagine they may attempt to mould Trayanum into.
The pair are principally the identical measurement and Trayanum’s exercise numbers are barely higher. The primary distinction is that Allgeier – who was a fifth spherical choose – had two thousand-yard seasons whereas Trayanum simply had one, however Allgeier didn’t have the identical sort of earlier historical past or success as a rotational again.
That’s positively a finest case state of affairs for Trayanum however, given his ensures, you may anticipate the Jets to maintain him round all season, if solely on the observe squad. We will then maybe begin to see if they’ve something with him from subsequent 12 months, however he’ll get a very good probability to begin making an impression on the fanbase in preseason.
