Cowboys countdown to kickoff: #43 Hunter Luepke

We’re continuing our countdown to the opening game of the Dallas Cowboys 2023 regular season. Each day we’ll present a new player whose jersey number represents the countdown to opening day. Today is number 43.

FB Hunter Luepke
Born: 28th February 2000 (23) - Spencer, Wisconsin
College: North Dakota State Bison
Draft: 2023, UDFA, Dallas Cowboys

2022 Stats: (College)
Snaps: 308
Offensive Snaps: 282
Rush Attempts: 97
Rush Yards: 628
Receptions: 14
Receiving Yards: 196
Drops: 3
Touchdowns: 13
Penalties: 0

College:

Hunter Luepke joined North Dakota State in 2018 and redshirted his first year. In his second season he played 222 snaps on offense and he scored two touchdowns as well help North Dakota win the FCS National Championship.

In 2020, Luepke rushed for 464 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns, while also making four receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown. Luepke was named first team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2020 and did so again the following year when he went for 543 yards and eight touchdowns.

Then in 2022, thanks to such a standout previous year, he had a lot of pundits declaring him the top fullback to watch. He rushed for 623 yards while scoring nine touchdowns on the ground and scored four receiving touchdowns. Each consecutive his blocking always improved.

Cowboys Outlook:
Luepke enters a running back room with some interesting questions after Ezekiel Elliott was released. Tony Pollard sits firmly as the teams RB1, but what happens beyond that is still up for debate. To make the case for Luepke, he offers a lot in versatility by being a pretty decent runner of the ball but has an underrated part of his game in his receiving skills. In this new “Texas Coast” offense, having a guy that is effective at all three main elements in the backfield makes a lot of sense, so Luepke could shoot for some rotational snaps. Add to the fact he has appeal as a special teams player, this only solidifies his case to be on the roster in the regular season.

Projected 2023 Stats:
Snaps: 339
Offensive Snaps: 106
Rush Attempts: 40
Rush Yards: 175
Receptions: 10
Receiving Yards: 75
Touchdowns: 1

The Big Question:
Will Hunter Luepke make the active roster? Answer in the comments.