It’s been more than a decade since high school junior Chris “Deuce” Vaughn lived in Arkansas. Since those years as a child growing up on the sidelines of countless Razorback games and practices, he’s moved to live in Round Rock, Texas, under the shadow of the University of Texas.
There, he’s grown into one of the state’s best running backs in the class of 2020. The District 13-6A Offensive MVP of the 2018 season, Vaughn is a shifty 5-7, 170 jitter bug who rushed for 1,901 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on the year. (His game is similar to that of former Razorback Michael Smith, the 5’9″, 180-pound dynamo who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2008.)
Through all this, it’s clear Vaughn’s heart still belongs to the Hogs.
Vaughn recently announced that he had received a scholarship offer from the program, where his father coached Chris Vaughn Sr. coached in the 2000s.
Then “Deuce” pinned this Tweet to the top of his profile, signaling that Arkansas should be considered a frontrunner among the handful of programs (including Missouri) that have already offered him.
Soon afterward, his father Tweeted out one of the most heartwarming Razorback recruiting Tweets imaginable:
That post opened up a floodgate of memories with others who lived in Fayetteville around the same time. Matt Graves, who coached with Vaughn, Sr. in the early 2000s and now is a pastor, wrote: “Congrats man! I know you’re one proud Pops. Will continue to follow and pull for him wherever he goes…(though you KNOW he’d look fly with that Hog hat on!” ). Hope you guys are well. Give our love to Momma.”
To which Vaughn, Sr. responded: “Some great memories from our time together on the hill brother. Pretty exciting. Tell Cory hello from us and so proud of your ministry man!!! The Lord is doing a wonderful thing thru you #let’emuseyou”
Chris Vaughn, Sr.
Deuce’s dad — now a scout for the Dallas Cowboys — is an exceptionally talented catch. In fact, as recruiting reporter Trey Biddy notes, Vaughn made the quickest turnaround of any Arkansas graduate assistant into full-time coaching in the 21st century.
Biddy continues: “Vaughn spent seven of his eight years in Fayetteville as an assistant coach with linebackers and safeties with one of those years dedicated to on-campus recruiting coordinator (2006). He also served as the team’s recruiting coordinator during his time as an on-field coach. He and current Arkansas running backs coach Jeff Traylor both were together as assistant coaches for the Texas Longhorns in 2015.”
Vaughn left Arkansas with Houston Nutt and spent four seasons at Ole Miss as the defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinators. He then spent two years at Memphis before coaching the Longhorns’ defensive backs in 2014 and 2015. He left in the wake of these NCAA Level 1 violation allegations.
He is originally from Tallahassee, Fla. Vaughn played linebacker for Murray State, winning Ohio Valley Conference titles in 1995 and 1996. (Coincidentally, Marcus Brown — the West Memphis native who would go on to become the Euroleague’s all-time leading scorer in basketball — was also balling out at Murray State during the same time. I wrote his story for ESPN.com.) A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Vaughn, Sr. and his wife, Marquette have the following children: Chris II aka “Deuce,” Cienna Marquette and Camryn McNeil.
