December 10, 2022. University of Pittsburgh kicker Ben Sauls boots a 47-yard field goal with four seconds left, giving the Panthers a two-point victory over the UCLA Bruins in the Sun Bowl. It was Sauls’ third field goal in the fourth quarter. And why would any fan of the Seattle Seahawks care?
Because 30 seconds earlier, a freshman running back had put the Bruins up with an eight-yard touchdown run. It capped off a stellar performance that saw the back rush for 111 yards on just eleven carries. His name was TJ Harden, and he was only playing because the Bruins' top running back, Zach Charbonnet, was skipping the Bowl game as he prepared for the upcoming NFL draft.
As Charbonnet continues to work his way back from the ACL he tore in January, the Seahawks have been looking at plenty of runners to help pick up the slack.
New Seattle Seahawks running back has an interesting past relationship with Zach Charbonnet
Rookie Jadarian Price figures to play the type of role Kenneth Walker did in 2025, showing great quickness and agility in early training camp drills. But Seattle may want more of a bruiser to get the tough yards that Charbonnet picked up last season. Enter TJ Harden.
Seattle general manager John Schneider signed Harden to the roster this week. He joins plenty of other power backs. Emanuel Wilson and Jacardia Wright are both in the 220-pound range. George Holani goes about 210, but also has a very powerful running style.
Harden currently checks in at 232 pounds, and in his college years, both at UCLA and SMU, he proved he could grind out yards with the best of them. He is not going to run away from anyone, but in almost 500 carries across four college seasons, he averaged 4.9 yards per rush. That’s pretty effective for a big back who makes his living between the tackles.
That Sun Bowl game in 2022 was a bit of a coming-out party. Chanrbonnet was a beast that season. 1,359 yards. 14 touchdowns. Seven yards per carry. It didn’t leave much room for the backs playing behind him.
But Harden had shown tantalizing glimpses. Though he carried the ball far fewer times, he actually posted an even better yards-per-carry number. 44 carries for 325 yards and a 7.4-yard average. Â
The following season, he platooned with Carson Steele, rushing for 827 yards, eight touchdowns, and a 5.3-yard average. But 2024 was a bad year for the program. New head coach DeShaun Foster and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy struggled to generate points. Harden led the team in rushing, but it was far and away his poorest season in college.
Last year, he transferred to SMU and rebounded nicely. He was again an effective power back, finding the end zone nine times on the ground and one more time as a receiver. He had added some size since his freshman season and was now considered a quality power back.
But his lack of speed and modest production as a pass catcher caused him to miss hearing his name called in last April’s draft. The Browns signed him as an undrafted free agent but released him a few days into camp.
Schneider snapped him up. His path toward making the roster won’t be easy. The Seahawks have a lot of solid backs who have been with the team all summer. Several have been with the club for a few years.
But TJ Harden has a track record of following Zach Charbonnet. Regardless of what Charbonnet does this season, he is a pending free agent in 2027 and his future with the club is uncertain. Perhaps in another year or two, TJ Harden will again succeed Zach Charbonnet as the primary power back on a football team.
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