Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane is entering 2025 with big expectations. He told South Florida media recently he’s ready to take his game to the next level – and he’s not holding back on his predictions.
A Bold Prediction for 2025
When asked about his goals for the season, Achane didn’t mince words.
“This year probably – every year I want to get better – so as far as my numbers-wise, as far as in the rush game, I always want to try to hit 1,000 yards and then 500 yards (receiving),” Achane said. He later added that his ultimate goal is even higher: 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Achane looked back on last season and said that while he had success, there’s still room for improvement. “I had a lot of receptions, and me watching film, I felt like I left a lot of plays on the table,” he said. “Going back and watching the year and the cut-ups, I feel like I left a lot of yards out there.”
That desire to maximize his potential has Achane feeling confident going into 2025.
Building on Last Season’s Success
Achane’s 2024 was pretty good. The former Texas A&M product rushed for 907 yards on 203 carries , 6 touchdowns. He was a dual threat, with 78 catches for 592 yards and 6 touchdowns.
But his yards-per-carry average dropped significantly from his rookie season. In 2023, Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry , but that number fell to 4.5 in 2024.
Despite that drop, Achane said he’s healthy and that’s the key to his growth.“Just being healthy was the main thing,” Achane said. “That’s why I was in the training room even on my off days when I wasn’t hurt. Seventeen games is a long time. I learned that from my rookie year, so in my second year I wanted to make sure I was 100% for every game. And that’s the same for this year.”
Taking the Lead Role
Now that Raheem Mostert is in Las Vegas, Achane is the man in the spotlight as Miami’s top running back. Last year, he played 62 percent of snaps, and that number is going to go up big time in 2025.
“We don’t have Raheem no more, so it’s me and Alec [Ingold] now,” Achane said. “And just me being more vocal this year because I wasn’t a big talkative person last year. But I feel like as the years go by, you grow and get more comfortable.”
Achane knows what comes with being the lead dog. He plans to mentor new teammates and share the lessons he’s learned since he got into the league.
“I’m going to tell them the same thing everybody told me when I got in—trying to help them out,” he said.
New Energy in Miami
Achane thinks the Dolphins are on the cusp of something special. After missing the playoffs by a hair last year, the team is looking to prove the haters wrong.
“I just feel like we all hear it as a team,” Achane said. “We go out there and practice every day, and we’re going to show when the season comes everybody who was saying those little remarks, to just make sure they keep the same energy.”
He said the team chemistry and work ethic are way different than last year.
“I feel like as a team we’re building that energy, and we’re here every day. We’re not missing days. You can see this year’s team is way different from last year’s team.”