1. Ohio State
Quick, name the Florida running back drafted over the last five years. DeShawn Wynn went in the seventh round of the 2007 draft to Green Bay, and then there was … um … uh … does Tebow count? Chris Rainey will be drafted this year, maybe, but it’ll be as a kick returner and a third down option. Under Urban Meyer, Florida was where good running back prospects went to die, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. From Emmanuel Moody, to Rainey, to Jeff Demps, Meyer tried several different ways to get the running game going from the backs, but when Tim Tebow wasn’t taking off, the ground game wasn’t consistent. That’s good news for Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, the brilliantly slippery playmaker who’ll be a statistical superstar, but it’ll be a big question mark for the Buckeye backs throughout the offseason.
Meyer was able to generate rushing production from the quarterbacks, from Percy Harvin, and from several sources, so the bigger storyline won’t be who the top running back is, it’ll be who’s going to provide the help for Miller, no matter what position the production comes from. Jordan Hall is a running back, but he’s a better fit to do a little bit of everything as a receiver, runner, and maybe even a quarterback at times. The 238-pound Carlos Hyde and 230-pound Rod Smith are true runners, but they don’t exactly fit what Meyer likes to do. Brionte Dunn was one of the team’s top recruits this year, but the 220-pounder is also the type of top-ranked back that Meyer has been able to get, but wasn’t able to do anything with.
So who’s going to be the star running back coming out of Ohio State spring ball? Yeah, it’ll be quarterback Braxton Miller.
2. Alabama
Next. When Mark Ingram was winning the Heisman, the prevailing thought was that Trent Richardson was better. That turned out to be true. No one’s saying Eddie Lacy is better than Richardson or Ingram, but he could be even more explosive. A home-run hitter almost every time he touches the ball, averaging close to 7.1 yards per carry with 674 yards and seven scores. At 6-0 and 220 pounds, he has size, speed, and a world of talent to potentially be the next great Tide rushing star, but first he has to get healthy. Out this spring with turf toe, after missing part of last year with a foot injury, Lacy will have to wait until later this summer to establish himself as the main man. That means Jalston Fowler, the No. 3 back in the mix will get a bulk of the carries, while Dee Hart will also get plenty of carries. The 6-1, 246-pound Fowler is the pounder in the mix, while the 5-9, 187-pound Hart is a speedster who sat on the sidelines last year, but it ready to roll.
3. Iowa
What does spring ball mean for the pecking order of tailbacks? Traditionally, in a year like this when the race is up in the air, the Iowa running back depth chart means absolutely nothing. It’s possible for some walk-on type to dominate at times throughout spring ball – remember Paki O’Meara? - and then he won’t ever be heard from again. With Marcus Coker booted/transferred and Mika’il McCall also taking off, it’ll be an open casting call for new offensive coordinator Greg Davis, who wants to use running backs even more than his predecessor, Ken O’Keefe. And those running backs will be … ? Jason White got the call in the bowl game against Oklahoma, got four carries for 20 yards, and that was it. Jordan Canzeri is a quick option with tremendous speed and home-run hitting ability, but he needs to show he can produce when he gets the chance, even though he finished second on the team in rushing. The hope is for star recruit Greg Garmon to be a major factor when he arrives later this summer, but the running game has to be settled, at least a little bit, before then.
4. Florida
Will Florida ever have a running game again? The spotlight this spring will be on the quarterback situation, but the running backs have to step up and shine, too. The Gators have had talent, and they’ve had speed, but the ground attack has been stagnant over the last several years when the quarterbacks – primarily Mr. Tebow – weren’t taking off. Chris Rainey is gone and Jeff Demps is taking his talents to the Olympics, making Mike Gillislee next up to give it a shot. He doesn’t have the speed of Rainey or Demps, few do, but he’s a physical 198 pounds and should provide more of an inside rushing presence. Mack Brown, who’s mostly known for claiming he chose Florida partly because Urban Meyer said he wasn’t leaving, is a 5-11, 205-pound talent who needs to start playing up to his immense prep hype. He only has 65 career rushing yards, but he has workhorse potential and could be the star the offense revolves around if he comes up with a big spring.
5. Virginia Tech
For the second straight year, the Hokies are being forced to move on without an all-star who left school early for the NFL Draft. This time around, though, there’s no David Wilson waiting in the wings. Making matters worse, the frontrunner to become the feature back, blazing junior Tony Gregory, will need until at least the summer to recover from offseason ACL surgery. In the meantime, Tech is going to be perilously young in the backfield, with redshirt freshman Michael Holmes and true freshman J.C. Coleman jockeying for position in the spring. Holmes made a nice impression in his first fall on campus, displaying good quickness in space and vision in the hole. At just 5-7 and 170 pounds, Coleman is more of a jackrabbit than a workhorse on the ground. More options will arrive in the summer, particularly coveted four-star recruit Drew Harris out of Pennsylvania.
6. Oregon
The Ducks have two main questions in the running game this season: How will Chip Kelly distribute the touches between Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas? And which of the young backs will get a jump start on an increased role in 2013. Even without the departed LaMichael James, Oregon will have few problems cranking out big numbers on the ground this fall. Barner has long been one of the nation’s most explosive backups, scoring 25 times, and averaging more than six yards a carry during his three-year career. He bursts into the hole, accelerates through traffic and makes defenders miss in space. Thomas is simply one of the most exciting all-purpose playmakers in America. For a debut in Eugene, the multi-dimensional threat averaged more than 10 yards a carry, caught 46 passes and scored 18 touchdowns. Tra Carson’s decision to transfer out of Eugene after just one season means former walk-on Ayele Forde or incoming freshman Byron Marshall could earn valuable reps in blowouts this fall.
7. Auburn
Can Onterio McCalebb handle more of the workload? He wasn’t exactly a forgotten man over the last two years, but the one-time super-recruit was the No. 2 option behind Michael Dyer – and No. 3 behind Cam Newton and Dyer two years ago. Dyer took off to join former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State, and McCalebb could blow up in the slightly tweaked attack. New coordinator Scot Loeffler isn’t going to ditch the spread, but he’ll use more formations and more looks with McCalebb working in a variety of ways. While it would be nice if he could establish himself as a workhorse, he’s only 5-11 and 174 pounds and built mostly to make big things happen in space.
Enter Corey Grant, a former transfer from Alabama with decent size and track star speed. He’s not a thumper, but he’s bigger than McCalebb. Tre Mason is a 5-10, 190-pound speedster who was part of the equation, and Mike Blakely is a strong 206-pounder who could provide the size the offense needs, but it’ll be McCalebb who’ll get the first look to handle the workload.
8. Notre Dame
While the quarterback derby is a concern for head coach Brian Kelly and the Irish offense this spring, the running back situation could grow into a major positive to help pick up the slack and potentially balance out the attack a bit more. Cierre Wood ran for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns, showing off the speed and flash to be used more in a variety of ways as one of the team’s top game-breakers. Theo Reddick was mediocre as a wide receiver, but he’s a terrific athlete who has shown promise as a runner. He might be better as a jack-of-all-trades running back/receiver who’s used as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Also looking to do more as a running back after spending time as a receiver is George Atkinson III, a dynamic prospect who’s a proven kickoff returner and could possibly do more for the offense. However, Atkinson could stay as a specialist if superstar recruit Davonte Neal turns out to be as good as advertised. While he might become more of a receiver than a true running back, it’ll be a shock if he doesn’t end up getting a few carries this year as a second option to Wood. No matter who’s running the ball, the Irish have more talent and more playmakers than they’ve had in a long, long time.
9. Tennessee
It’s not really about the Tennessee running backs as much as it is about the offensive line. Tauren Poole is a terrific back who went nowhere last year behind an awful line that didn’t get any sort of push, and the Vols finished last in the SEC and 116th in the nation in rushing. Poole is off to the NFL putting the spotlight on Marlin Lane, a 6-0, 205-pound runner with good size and nice speed finishing second on the team last year with 280 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman. Junior Rajion Neal has good size and nice potential, running for two scores last year, and sophomore Jaron Toney got a little work running for 74 yards, but again, none of the Vol backs are going to do much unless the line that was so good in pass protection can take a giant step forward as a run blocking unit.
10. Florida State
The Seminoles will consider a committee in the running game, the byproduct of recruiting the position so well in recent years. The program’s leading rushers from the last two seasons are back in Tallahassee. Two years ago, Chris Thompson went for 845 yards, capped by 147 yards in the Chick-fil-A Bowl win over South Carolina. However, his junior year was cut short by a broken back which has since healed. In his place, then-rookie Devonta Freeman rushed for a team-high 579 yards and eight touchdowns in his debut. Yet, he wasn’t even the most heralded of the Florida State recruits of the last couple of years. Bruising James Wilder Jr. and complete back Mario Pender were five-star finds from 2010 and 2012, respectively. While Pender is already enrolled in classes in spring classes, Wilder Jr. is currently suspended for a February arrest. If all four players are available in September, the ‘Noles will boast both depth and elite talent out of the back field.
Link: http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bfDm8?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=college-football
Quick, name the Florida running back drafted over the last five years. DeShawn Wynn went in the seventh round of the 2007 draft to Green Bay, and then there was … um … uh … does Tebow count? Chris Rainey will be drafted this year, maybe, but it’ll be as a kick returner and a third down option. Under Urban Meyer, Florida was where good running back prospects went to die, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. From Emmanuel Moody, to Rainey, to Jeff Demps, Meyer tried several different ways to get the running game going from the backs, but when Tim Tebow wasn’t taking off, the ground game wasn’t consistent. That’s good news for Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, the brilliantly slippery playmaker who’ll be a statistical superstar, but it’ll be a big question mark for the Buckeye backs throughout the offseason.
Meyer was able to generate rushing production from the quarterbacks, from Percy Harvin, and from several sources, so the bigger storyline won’t be who the top running back is, it’ll be who’s going to provide the help for Miller, no matter what position the production comes from. Jordan Hall is a running back, but he’s a better fit to do a little bit of everything as a receiver, runner, and maybe even a quarterback at times. The 238-pound Carlos Hyde and 230-pound Rod Smith are true runners, but they don’t exactly fit what Meyer likes to do. Brionte Dunn was one of the team’s top recruits this year, but the 220-pounder is also the type of top-ranked back that Meyer has been able to get, but wasn’t able to do anything with.
So who’s going to be the star running back coming out of Ohio State spring ball? Yeah, it’ll be quarterback Braxton Miller.
2. Alabama
Next. When Mark Ingram was winning the Heisman, the prevailing thought was that Trent Richardson was better. That turned out to be true. No one’s saying Eddie Lacy is better than Richardson or Ingram, but he could be even more explosive. A home-run hitter almost every time he touches the ball, averaging close to 7.1 yards per carry with 674 yards and seven scores. At 6-0 and 220 pounds, he has size, speed, and a world of talent to potentially be the next great Tide rushing star, but first he has to get healthy. Out this spring with turf toe, after missing part of last year with a foot injury, Lacy will have to wait until later this summer to establish himself as the main man. That means Jalston Fowler, the No. 3 back in the mix will get a bulk of the carries, while Dee Hart will also get plenty of carries. The 6-1, 246-pound Fowler is the pounder in the mix, while the 5-9, 187-pound Hart is a speedster who sat on the sidelines last year, but it ready to roll.
3. Iowa
What does spring ball mean for the pecking order of tailbacks? Traditionally, in a year like this when the race is up in the air, the Iowa running back depth chart means absolutely nothing. It’s possible for some walk-on type to dominate at times throughout spring ball – remember Paki O’Meara? - and then he won’t ever be heard from again. With Marcus Coker booted/transferred and Mika’il McCall also taking off, it’ll be an open casting call for new offensive coordinator Greg Davis, who wants to use running backs even more than his predecessor, Ken O’Keefe. And those running backs will be … ? Jason White got the call in the bowl game against Oklahoma, got four carries for 20 yards, and that was it. Jordan Canzeri is a quick option with tremendous speed and home-run hitting ability, but he needs to show he can produce when he gets the chance, even though he finished second on the team in rushing. The hope is for star recruit Greg Garmon to be a major factor when he arrives later this summer, but the running game has to be settled, at least a little bit, before then.
4. Florida
Will Florida ever have a running game again? The spotlight this spring will be on the quarterback situation, but the running backs have to step up and shine, too. The Gators have had talent, and they’ve had speed, but the ground attack has been stagnant over the last several years when the quarterbacks – primarily Mr. Tebow – weren’t taking off. Chris Rainey is gone and Jeff Demps is taking his talents to the Olympics, making Mike Gillislee next up to give it a shot. He doesn’t have the speed of Rainey or Demps, few do, but he’s a physical 198 pounds and should provide more of an inside rushing presence. Mack Brown, who’s mostly known for claiming he chose Florida partly because Urban Meyer said he wasn’t leaving, is a 5-11, 205-pound talent who needs to start playing up to his immense prep hype. He only has 65 career rushing yards, but he has workhorse potential and could be the star the offense revolves around if he comes up with a big spring.
5. Virginia Tech
For the second straight year, the Hokies are being forced to move on without an all-star who left school early for the NFL Draft. This time around, though, there’s no David Wilson waiting in the wings. Making matters worse, the frontrunner to become the feature back, blazing junior Tony Gregory, will need until at least the summer to recover from offseason ACL surgery. In the meantime, Tech is going to be perilously young in the backfield, with redshirt freshman Michael Holmes and true freshman J.C. Coleman jockeying for position in the spring. Holmes made a nice impression in his first fall on campus, displaying good quickness in space and vision in the hole. At just 5-7 and 170 pounds, Coleman is more of a jackrabbit than a workhorse on the ground. More options will arrive in the summer, particularly coveted four-star recruit Drew Harris out of Pennsylvania.
6. Oregon
The Ducks have two main questions in the running game this season: How will Chip Kelly distribute the touches between Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas? And which of the young backs will get a jump start on an increased role in 2013. Even without the departed LaMichael James, Oregon will have few problems cranking out big numbers on the ground this fall. Barner has long been one of the nation’s most explosive backups, scoring 25 times, and averaging more than six yards a carry during his three-year career. He bursts into the hole, accelerates through traffic and makes defenders miss in space. Thomas is simply one of the most exciting all-purpose playmakers in America. For a debut in Eugene, the multi-dimensional threat averaged more than 10 yards a carry, caught 46 passes and scored 18 touchdowns. Tra Carson’s decision to transfer out of Eugene after just one season means former walk-on Ayele Forde or incoming freshman Byron Marshall could earn valuable reps in blowouts this fall.
7. Auburn
Can Onterio McCalebb handle more of the workload? He wasn’t exactly a forgotten man over the last two years, but the one-time super-recruit was the No. 2 option behind Michael Dyer – and No. 3 behind Cam Newton and Dyer two years ago. Dyer took off to join former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State, and McCalebb could blow up in the slightly tweaked attack. New coordinator Scot Loeffler isn’t going to ditch the spread, but he’ll use more formations and more looks with McCalebb working in a variety of ways. While it would be nice if he could establish himself as a workhorse, he’s only 5-11 and 174 pounds and built mostly to make big things happen in space.
Enter Corey Grant, a former transfer from Alabama with decent size and track star speed. He’s not a thumper, but he’s bigger than McCalebb. Tre Mason is a 5-10, 190-pound speedster who was part of the equation, and Mike Blakely is a strong 206-pounder who could provide the size the offense needs, but it’ll be McCalebb who’ll get the first look to handle the workload.
8. Notre Dame
While the quarterback derby is a concern for head coach Brian Kelly and the Irish offense this spring, the running back situation could grow into a major positive to help pick up the slack and potentially balance out the attack a bit more. Cierre Wood ran for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns, showing off the speed and flash to be used more in a variety of ways as one of the team’s top game-breakers. Theo Reddick was mediocre as a wide receiver, but he’s a terrific athlete who has shown promise as a runner. He might be better as a jack-of-all-trades running back/receiver who’s used as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Also looking to do more as a running back after spending time as a receiver is George Atkinson III, a dynamic prospect who’s a proven kickoff returner and could possibly do more for the offense. However, Atkinson could stay as a specialist if superstar recruit Davonte Neal turns out to be as good as advertised. While he might become more of a receiver than a true running back, it’ll be a shock if he doesn’t end up getting a few carries this year as a second option to Wood. No matter who’s running the ball, the Irish have more talent and more playmakers than they’ve had in a long, long time.
9. Tennessee
It’s not really about the Tennessee running backs as much as it is about the offensive line. Tauren Poole is a terrific back who went nowhere last year behind an awful line that didn’t get any sort of push, and the Vols finished last in the SEC and 116th in the nation in rushing. Poole is off to the NFL putting the spotlight on Marlin Lane, a 6-0, 205-pound runner with good size and nice speed finishing second on the team last year with 280 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman. Junior Rajion Neal has good size and nice potential, running for two scores last year, and sophomore Jaron Toney got a little work running for 74 yards, but again, none of the Vol backs are going to do much unless the line that was so good in pass protection can take a giant step forward as a run blocking unit.
10. Florida State
The Seminoles will consider a committee in the running game, the byproduct of recruiting the position so well in recent years. The program’s leading rushers from the last two seasons are back in Tallahassee. Two years ago, Chris Thompson went for 845 yards, capped by 147 yards in the Chick-fil-A Bowl win over South Carolina. However, his junior year was cut short by a broken back which has since healed. In his place, then-rookie Devonta Freeman rushed for a team-high 579 yards and eight touchdowns in his debut. Yet, he wasn’t even the most heralded of the Florida State recruits of the last couple of years. Bruising James Wilder Jr. and complete back Mario Pender were five-star finds from 2010 and 2012, respectively. While Pender is already enrolled in classes in spring classes, Wilder Jr. is currently suspended for a February arrest. If all four players are available in September, the ‘Noles will boast both depth and elite talent out of the back field.
Link: http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bfDm8?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=college-football