Pac 12 Backs Born to Run
by John Berkowitz on Jul 14, 2011 6:55 AM PDT
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Who has the best stable of running backs in the Pac 12 conference this season? At first glance I have to go with Oregon but Washington and Stanford are very close in overall talent to the Ducks at these positions. LaMichael James is a true Heisman candidate heading into the season but Chris Polk is also capable of grabbing some headlines.
Oregon...LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, Lache Seastrunk represent the best backfield depth that money can buy. James is a legitimate Heisman threat in what will be his final season in Eugene. Barner is a home run threat every time he gets his hands on the ball. It will be interesting to see what Seastrunk can do this season after a year spent getting assimilated.
For the second straight offseason, an Oregon running back has been all over the news for all the wrong reasons.
A year ago, it was LaMichael James fighting charges connected with an altercation with a former girlfriend. This time, it’s the relationships between James and Lache Seastrunk and a Texas-based "street agent’’ named Will Lyles.
Washington...This group took a hit when Deontae Cooper re-injured his knee but Chris Polk, Jessie Callier, Johri Fogerson, Bishop Sankey comprise one of the best stables in college football. One point of concern is the loss of FB Zach Fogerson to injury. True frosh Desden Petty will be asked to step in immediately to fill the void.
"We'd love for Chris to have a great year for us and a big year and even improve upon over 1,400 yards from last year, but the reality of it is we can't just go in thinking Chris Polk is going to win us every ballgame," Sarkisian said. "So that development has to start from Day 1. We can't wait for a team to stop Chris Polk to say, 'OK, now we have to throw the football."
Stanford...Jim Harbaugh recruited extremely well while he was at the farm and Stepfan Taylor, Anthony Wilkerson, Tyler Gaffney, and Jeremy Stewart are proof that this program will be reloading rather than rebuilding in the immediate future.
Stepfan Taylor, a junior, rushed for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. The Cardinal, however, did lose versatile RB Owen Marecic, the tough, two-way player who was Jim Harbaugh's favorite.
USC...You can't deny the talent but Marc Tyler, Curtis McNeal, D.J. Morgan, and Dillon Baxter need to show that they can be consistent on the playing field and out of trouble off of it. Baxter is the best looking recruit I have seen in quite awhile but he spent most of last season in Kiffin's dog house for pulling off one idiotic stunt after another.
I had a chance to chat with USC running backs coach Kennedy Pola the other day about his charges. Here’s some of what he had to say - "He's a good football player. He's a good kid. Great football IQ. Just got to get him to step up. He's always been in the background. Now it's time for him to step up and lead this team."
UCLA...If you looked at last season stat sheet you might have been impressed by the numbers the Bruin running game put up. Problem was they couldn't throw the ball so this was a pretty one dimensional team from an offensive perspective. Jonathan Franklin Derrick Coleman, Malcolm Jones, Jordan James are the nucleus of a pretty good stable. Franklin ran for over a thousand yards last season.
We kicked this spring football preview off with a look through the defensive front, followed by excellent breakdowns of the linebacker corps, the defensive secondary, the special teams, the offensive line, the receiving corps, and now we get to the guys who provide the running attack: the tailbacks and F-backs.
Colorado...Rodney Stewart is a tiny powerhouse running back. He rushed for over 1300 yards and ten touchdowns last season. Not much depth behind him but Tony Jones was reported to be looking good this spring.
Rodney Stewart, Sr - Speedy, as you all know, is the man. He is our feature back, despite his size, and he will get a lion's share of the carries once again in 2011. He is pretty impressive for his size, and has improved as a RB each season. He finally began following his blocks last year, which means he'll have an excellent chance to finish his career as CU's all time leading rusher, passing his new Position Coach and Offensive Coordinator, Eric Bieniemy.
Arizona - The Wildcats won't have as much depth as you would like but Keola Antolin is a solid back. Daniel Jenkins and Ka'Deem Carey will be backing him up.
Antolin was the team's leading rusher as a junior, running for 668 yards and an average of 4.7 yards per carry. He doesn't have a lot of wiggle in his running style, but the bulldog-like back attacks the line of scrimmage and showed his straight-line speed with a 78-yard touchdown burst against Washington.
ASU - Cameron Marshall, Deantre Lewis, and Kyle Middlebrooks aren't elite backs but they will give ASU a chance to win in most games they play this season.
It's hard enough to look into the crystal ball and predict how a depth chart will break down with the season a full four months away. What makes it even more difficult is the guessing game surrounding sophomore RB Deantre Lewis: will he be back in maroon and gold in 2011? Lewis was wounded in a random shooting at a relative's home in Riverside, California back in February. The plan is for Lewis to return to the field when fall camp starts up. Hopefully that is the case, and we're going to move ahead with the depth chart assuming that Lewis will play for ASU this season
Utah...The Ute's are starting over at RB but there is some young talent on the roster. John White, Harvey Langi and Thretton Palamo will battle this fall for the starting job. Langi was highly recruited and he has the ability to be special.
Running backs are the primary focus of Utah's recruiting efforts for 2011. With the graduation of Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata, plus Sausan Shakerin's career-ending string of concussions, the Utes are in need of some immediate help at the position.
Oregon State - Ryan McCants takes over for the departed Quiz. Jovan Stevenson, Malcolm Marable, Terron Ward, and Jordan Jenkins provide some untested depth.
Oregon State typically earns plaudits for their fearless scheduling, but do the rewards exceed the risk? With one fewer Rodgers brother, problematic defensive depth and another tough slate, the Beavers might be looking at another year with a "Best (Insert Mediocre Record Here) Team In The Country" title.
California - The Bears don't seem to have a marquee running back on the roster this season. Isi Sofele will step into the starting job vacated by Shane Vereen. JUCO CJ Anderson is expected to be the back up.
While much of the attention this spring is rightly focused on the inexperience Cal has at quarterback and the competition taking place there, the Bears have similar uncertainty at tailback. In recent years, when Cal has broken in a new starter, he had proven himself in a backup role that the Bears felt comfortable with the transition. From Marshawn Lynch to Justin Forsett to Jahvid Best to Shane Vereen, each tailback stepped in with no reservations around the program.
Washington State...If Bishop Sankey has gone to WSU he would have been the starter from day one of his career. he went to UW where he has to wait his turn. The Coug's hope that Ricky Galvin is ready to go this fall. When healthy he can be a game changer. Rickey Galvin looked impressive this spring. He's the breakaway runner WSU hasn't had in a while. Logwone Mitz and Carl Winston will be relied upon if Galvin isn't 100%.
Rickey Galvin remembers the play call."It was Titan, which was a sweep," said the Washington State University running back following Thursday's spring practice, the fifth of WSU's 15 scheduled workouts."I got on the field, really excited, ready for the play to start," he said of the Cougars' opener last season at Oklahoma State, Galvin's first college game.
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Offense Oriented
Nice to see that the PAC is loaded with skill players. It should be interesting to see who ends up the top RB this year, though LMJames has to be the front runner. Hopefully Polk can step it up behind an improving line!
Benno
I'm curious about LaMike....
…he played behind a special line that is mostly gone and, on top of that, both Cal and Auburn provided blueprints on how to stop him. He’s not a tough runner in terms of breaking tackles, and he’s not a slasher. He’s a sprinter who beats defenders to corners and then breaks away. Can he have the same success he had last year? Don’t know
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Completely agree
I don’t recall LMJ breaking many tackles for YACs. He ran in space, had the break away speed off the edge and took it to the house. Cal and Auburn did provide us with a blueprint on how to stop him. With a great front four that anchors the gaps and allows LMJ less room to break from. We are recruiting very well in that direction.
All I saw was purple
Polk
For Polk to be noticed is to have great games against ranked competiton and not be stuffed by a lesser opponent.
The Tunnel is Hallowed and Sacred Ground
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Jul 14, 2011 10:49 AM PDT reply actions
2-5 is hard to judge
I think Washington would be justified at #2 had Cooper and Zach not gotten hurt. As it is, we have one serious stud in Polk, one versatile backup in Callier, and lot of question marks. It’s not clear if Johri is fully healthy; Amosa looks the part at FB but is a walk-on converted LB; Sankey and Petty are promising young prospects, but also true freshmen that have yet to take part in any practices.
I could see arguments for any of the teams ranked #2-#5 being at #2, and frankly I wouldn’t be too upset if fans from any of those other teams thought John was being a homer putting UW at #2. With Cooper and Zach, I think #2 is justified; without them, it’s more iffy. I guess it depends on how much weight you give to the top back in the stable – Polk is clearly #1a in the conference if LMJ is #1 (and I’m not convinced that Polk isn’t the better RB).
Homer?
I think Polk puts us over the top in comparison with the other schools…he is that good and reliable. Cooper and Zach will be missed but they didn’t contribute last year either. Is LMJ better than Polk…close but have to give a slight nod to LMJ at this point.
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Jul 14, 2011 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Polk is a stud for sure
More just questioning our depth. Callier looked pretty good, but if (heaven forbid) something happened to Polk, where would we be? With Cooper healthy (and to a lesser extent Zach), I would have been a lot more confident that the Huskies could overcome injury to Polk. Without him, we rely on Callier and hope that some combination of Johri, Sankey, Petty & Lewis can supplement him.
Stanford doesn’t have a back that matches Polk, but their depth is better. Same with UCLA. USC has tremendous potential in their stable of backs. So really, how you rate them depends on how much weight you put in the top back vs. the backups.
Callier
The kid is explosive and he’s only going to get better. I think teams will be forced to focus on Chris Polk when he is in the backfield. Just the time to get him and Callier both into the formation and give Callier his touches.
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
I think we'll have a better line than UO this year...
…anchored by an early round draft target (SK) and two kids with pro potential (EK / CP). how long has it been since we could say that? That’s an equalizer – but Polk will never be the breakaway threat that LMJ is.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
Polk vs. LMJ
Both are unique in the offenses they run in. Oregon is all about spacing, Washington is all about play action. Both backs are very good at what they do and compliment the perspective offenses. Now if you were judging Polk and LMJ on NFL potential, their is no doubt in my mind who wins that argument. LMJ is fast, elusive, and quick, but he doesn’t carry much “football weight”. At the next level RBs have to be able to absorb the pounding they receive and right now LMJ doesn’t have much of that. His body frame reminds me of Nap, who was also very lean. On the other hand Polk can absorb the constant pounding, he has added muscle all in the right places to be able to withstand the ball carrying punishment.
P.S. John does not have homeritis. In Polk’s first two seasons, he has rushed over a 1,000 yards both times with less then a perfect offensive line. Polk is Da MAN!
All I saw was purple
Does Callier have a break out season?
This kid is going to be good! He was a real playmaker in almost every game I watched and I watched all of them. Sure he didn’t score a TD in his freshmen season. I think not scoring all last season will make him come out of the gate hot this season. I’m visioning a “thunder and lightning” concept here with Callier and Polk. Make no mistake, Polk will still get all his touches, however I think Callier is going to be called upon more often this upcoming season early and often. When a kid is this hot and can make plays, you have to get the ball more into his hands. During the dead period of summer, I have been watching the Ucla, Cal, and Apple Cup a lot. Looking at the footage, Callier is ready for prime time!
All I saw was purple
Callier will likely play more
I’m certain the Huskies will run more this season, and I’m also certain Sark will want to avoid beating up Polk early in the season, similar to last year. That will mean more carries for Callier. Had Cooper been healthy, I wouldn’t have been surprised to actually see Callier’s carries drop, but now he’s the clear #2.
Callier
He’s a stud, mark my words, he’s going to turn some heads next season. Just from watching him practice last fall he was the most impressive back on the field. Granted the whole idea was to limit Polk to keep him healthy and fresh and Callier had something to prove. But he made some cuts on some long runs that were amazing!
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
I love it!!!
Oregon…LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, Lache Seastrunk represent the best backfield depth that money can buy.
I guess that makes us the #1 backfield that was recruited within the NCAA regulations!
"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
Put Polk behind any top-15 caliber offensive line and he wins the Heisman.
Not only has he gone for over 1,000 yards in back to back seasons, as someone else pointed out, but he has ridiculous YAC stats. There aren’t many other RB’s out there in the college game right now that can run through contact like he can. If that contact came 2-3 yards in front of the line of scrimmage instead of 1-2 behind it his yardage would be absurd. I may have a biased point of view on this but I’d take a running back that can break tackles any day over one that goes down when hit and relies on avoiding contact for most of their yards.
Last Years Apple Cup
Damn! Wasn’t Polk impressive in that game! He could have broken McElhany’s (sp?) record but why? He going to be a wealthy man next year.
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
Introducing Coug fans to Chris Polk
He was absolutely a beast that game. Agree with JB…Polk will have an exceptional year Woof, woof, woof ,woof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW9MZPzRIdc
The Tunnel is Hallowed and Sacred Ground
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Jul 17, 2011 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Antavius Sims
If Sims qualifies, any chance they may try him at running back? That dude sure looks like a play maker!
Good question....Wildcat perhaps
There has been some talk of lining him up at QB in the wildcat formation.
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Jul 15, 2011 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Another Thompson...
…(Jason) in the fold. Looks like a real solid and versatile athlete. He’s the younger brother of Everette Thompson. GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
Man that kid looks young!...
…It looks pretty obvious that this kid could have a large upside. He may end up being much bigger before his Husky career is over.
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
More info...
…this came from Dawgman.com…The Huskies are getting a great athlete in Jason Thompson. He runs a 4.57 40, jumps 36 inches in the vertical jump, and can also claim the ‘student’ in student-athlete, boasting a current 3.1 GPA and 1530 on his first try at the SAT. “I work hard and I stay focused,” he said. “I leave it on the field, and I’m a natural leader.”
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
Thompson
He coming to Washington to play Defense. 6’3’ 205 lb Safety that runs like Deer…hell yahs
The Tunnel is Hallowed and Sacred Ground
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Jul 16, 2011 11:34 PM PDT reply actions
Did you read where...
…he tried safety for the first time at the Husky Rising Stars Camp and he did very well. He must be a smart kid. That SAT score is pretty high, if I’m not mistaken. I wonder if he’ll play safety his senior year?
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
It's slightly above average.
The SAT’s out of 2400 now, with 1500 as the target average.
My graduating class was the last one to take the old one; I’ve seen people get confused about the new system.
No thanks...
…I don’t know what the levels are. I thought his was high but I stand corrected.
Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"
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