Marcus Yarns
Marcus Yarns is an American professional football running back for the Houston Gamblers of the United [Football League (2024)|United Football League]. He played college football for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.
Yarns is from Salisbury, Maryland. He attended Parkside High School in Salisbury where he played football, basketball and lacrosse, being a two-year captain in both football and basketball. In football, he played as a running back and safety and was a two-time all-conference performer. He ran for over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior but then suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss much of his senior season. Although he had offers to play college football for NCAA [Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|NCAA Division I FBS]-level teams, he committed to the NCAA Division I [Football Championship Subdivision|FCS]-level Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.
College career
As a freshman at Delaware in the spring 2021 season, Yarns played in one game. However, he missed most of the season due to a broken leg. He saw limited playing time as a sophomore in the fall 2021 season, totaling 23 rushes for 80 yards in eight games. The following year, he ran 73 times for 481 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards-per-carry which placed first on the team. In 2023, he posted a team-leading 939 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, recording an average of 6.9 yards-per-carry which placed fourth in the FCS. He was a third-team FCS All-American selection and a second-team All-Coastal Athletic Association pick that year. Yarns returned for a final season in 2024. He appeared in nine games and ran 133 times for 844 yards and six touchdowns, also catching 17 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns while being selected first-team All-CAA. He concluded his collegiate career with over 3,000 total yards.
Professional career
Yarns was invited to the 2025 East–West Shrine Bowl, the 2025 [Senior Bowl], and to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. On April 27, Yarns went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts.
On January 13, 2026, Yarns was selected by the Houston Gamblers in the 2026 UFL Draft.