Friday Night Drive’s 2023 Offensive Player of the Year: Mount Carmel’s Darrion Dupree

Darrion Dupree only needed a split second to change a game.

No matter how well-prepared a defender was or how close he came to getting Dupree within grasp, it didn’t matter. The result was nearly the same every time.

In a split second, Dupree relied on his instinct to break a tackle not supposed to be broken and turn a play that should’ve been a loss into a highlight-reel play for Mount Carmel.

“I don’t really think about it,” Dupree said. “I just have to come out fast and strong. Once I do that, the players that I’m going against they’ll be scared to tackle me. Once I come out strong, that’s when I have them.”

Dupree had them a lot. It didn’t matter if he got the ball as a running back or a wide receiver, Dupree made plays that not only made himself better but also created opportunities for his teammates.

Dupree’s impressive senior season helped him become No. 2 in all-time receiving yards in Caravan history as a running back, falling a couple hundred yards shy of earning 1,000 yards both on the ground and in the air. He also helped Mount Carmel win a second straight state championship.

For his season, Dupree is the 2023 Friday Night Drive Offensive Player of the Year.

“He’s a special player,” Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said. “Kids like him come around every 15 years or so. There’s only one player who can hold him under 100 yards in the state of Illinois and that’s myself.”

Dupree came motivated this fall after missing out on the Caravan’s playoff run with a foot injury. He wanted to be out there with his teammates to win a state championship while also rushing for 1,000 yards during the season.

It was during the season where Dupree continued to show off his talents with his ability to escape tackles in a split second and then sprint toward a touchdown. Dupree said not much thought goes into breaking tackles, he just acts.

“If it’s that way, I’m going to do it,” Dupree said. “I don’t really think about it, I just do it. If I think about it, I’ll tweak up.”

He ended the year with 1,092 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with 755 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Dupree was named the CCL/ESCC Blue Most Valuable Player.

More importantly, he was out on the field at Hancock Stadium at Illinois State at the end of November to help the Caravan repeat as Class 7A state champions. He finished with 155 total yards in a 35-10 win over Downers Grove North.

“He opened so many other things for other people,” Lynch said. “He worked his tail off and he deserves everything he gets.”

Lynch first got a glimpse of Dupree’s potential after he happened to watch Dupree catch passes after a freshman practice. Lynch still remembers how crisp he ran some of those routes, asking who that kid was.

“I don’t really think about it. I just have to come out fast and strong. Once I do that, the players that I’m going against they’ll be scared to tackle me. Once I come out strong, that’s when I have them.”

—  Darrion Dupree, Mount Carmel running back

Dupree started as a sophomore and started nine games last season before suffering his injury in Week 9 against Loyola.

Having Dupree as a threat all over the field opened things up for his teammates. Lynch said he used Dupree as a decoy many times and recalled a time when Dupree changed positions with Maurice Densmore on his own in the Class 7A quarterfinal against Quincy so that his teammate could score a touchdown.

“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Dupree said. “It’s just doing whatever for the team to win. I’ll play anywhere.”

Lynch also wanted to protect Dupree for his career after Mount Carmel. Dupree signed with Wisconsin last week and rarely touched the ball more than 30 times during a game.

The Caravan had different options in the rushing attack that allowed Lynch not to overuse his prized running back.

“We knew his future is bright,” Lynch said. “We weren’t going to give him 35 to 40 touches a game.”

Dupree’s dual-threat should transition seamlessly in Wisconsin’s air-raid offense. The Badgers like to pass the ball to set up the run under head coach Luke Fickell and Lynch thinks Dupree can make an impact right from the start.

Dupree decided to go to Mount Carmel because he wanted a new experience where he could meet new people. He left his mark with the Caravan and is ready to change more games in Madison.

“I’m pretty excited,” Dupree said. “Now I’m moving forward to the bigger goal and that’s winning the Heisman.”