Demond Claiborne
| No. 21 – Minnesota Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 9, 2003 Aylett, Virginia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 188 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | King William (King William, Virginia) |
| College | Wake Forest (2022–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: 6th round, 198th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Demond Claiborne (born October 9, 2003) is an American professional football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Claiborne was born on October 9, 2003 in Aylett, Virginia.[1] He attended King William High School in King William, Virginia. As a senior, he was named the Metro Player of the Year and Tidewater District Player of the Year and as a sophomore was the Virginia Region 2A Offensive Player of the Year.[2] He committed to Wake Forest University to play college football.[3]
College career
As a freshman at Wake Forest in 2022, Claiborne played in 10 games and had 14 carries for 57 yards. As a sophomore he started two of 10 games, rushing 137 times for 586 yards and five touchdowns.[4] He took over as Wake Forest's starter in 2024, and 1,049 yards on 228 carries and 11 touchdowns.[5] Claiborne returned to Wake Forest as the starter in 2025 where he ran for 907 yards on 179 carries (5.1 YPC), 10 touchdowns and had 140 yards receiving. Awarded the 2025 Associated Press Second Team All-ACC for his performance.[6]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9+3⁄4 in (1.77 m) |
188 lb (85 kg) |
30+1⁄8 in (0.77 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) |
4.37 s | 1.59 s | 2.59 s | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Claiborne was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round with the 198th overall pick of the 2026 NFL draft.[9]
References
- ^ Brugler, Dane (April 8, 2026). "The Beast: 2026 NFL Draft Guide". The Athletic. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ All-Metro player of the year Demond Claiborne, a King William running back, is motivated by his mother's work ethic
- ^ King William running back Demond Claiborne to play at Wake Forest
- ^ King William's Demond Claiborne becoming a complete back at Wake Forest
- ^ Country tough: Claiborne leads WF
- ^ 2025 Football Roster
- ^ "Demond Claiborne Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "Demond Claiborne College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ Kleifield, Rob (April 25, 2026). "Vikings Draft Wake Forest Running Back Demond Claiborne with 198th Pick". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved April 25, 2026.