Ty Chandler (American football)

Tykevius Chandler (born May 12, 1998) is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers before transferring to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Early life
Chandler grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and attended Montgomery Bell Academy. He was named Tennessee Mr. Football as a junior and as a senior.

College career
Chandler began his collegiate career at Tennessee. He played at Tennessee from 2017–2020 under head coaches Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt.

In the 2018 season, Chandler became the first running back in school history to have a receiving touchdown in three consecutive games. Chandler rushed for 2,046 yards and 13 touchdowns in four seasons at Tennessee. Following the end of his senior season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Chandler committed to transfer to the University of North Carolina and joined the team as a graduate transfer under head coach Mack Brown. He had five games on the season scoring multiple touchdowns, including a 198-yard performance against Virginia and a 213-yard performance against Wake Forest. In the Wake Forest game, he had four rushing touchdowns. In his lone season with the team, he rushed for 1,092 yards and 13 touchdowns on 182 carries and was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference.

Professional career
Chandler was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was placed on injured reserve on October 11, 2022, with a thumb injury. He was activated on December 28. In the Vikings' Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears, he recorded six carries for 20 rushing yards. He appeared in three games in his rookie season.

Chandler began the 2023 season as the second-string running back behind Alexander Mattison. In Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, he scored his first professional touchdown on a two-yard rush. In Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Chandler made his first NFL start and rushed for a career–high 132 yards on 23 carries. In the 2023 season, Chandler appeared in all 17 games and started the last four games. He recorded 102 carries for 461 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.