Which of the three running backs will step forward?
The position group that seems most unsettled as we leave fall camp is the running back spot where a trio of players will split time. The problem is that none of the three have proven to be full-time lead backs at the collegiate level.
Grad transfer Armand Shyne has the most career yards of the triumvirate with 885 in addition to nine touchdowns. But he’s played a full season just once (2018) after missing seven games in 2016 and all of 2017 because of injury. Can he prove capable of handling an increased workload should he prove to be Tech’s best option? He was a backup for seven games last year before taking over the lead role after an injury befell the starter ahead of him.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ta’Zhawn Henry showed some promise last year as a true freshman. With 341 yards, he was tied with Da’Leon Ward for the most yards on the ground by a Red Raider running back. He also found the endzone eight times but when you consider that nearly a third of his yards came in one game, his 111-yard performance against Houston, it’s fair to wonder if the undersized back can be a featured runner.
Many people are excited to see redshirt freshman SaRodorick Thompson in action again. The powerful 210-pound back saw action in only four games last year but he ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries (an average of 4.2 yards per rush).
He has the look of being a feature back and he was redshirted last year not because he was not ready to contribute but because the coaching staff wanted to keep his freshman status intact to give him four years of eligibility starting in 2019. He’s drawn praise from both the Kingsbury and Wells staffs and there’s quite a few who think he will be the team’s next star running back.
It will be fun to see how the carries will shake out among this group but that won’t necessarily tell us what is in store for the remainder of the season. Wells has said that each week, he plans to ride the hot hand at running back so, in some ways, each game will be a new competition for carries (unless one of these three emerges in a huge way right off the bat).
Keep an eye on these three backs. Look to see which looks most comfortable running between the tackles as well as picking up his man in pass protection. Whether or not this group is able to excel in 2019 will be a huge key for the Red Raider offense.