Running Back

Vision

• Able to get skinny and fight through tight holes

• Patient to allow blocks to develop before exploding downhill

• Maneuvers and sets up blocks well downfield. Lethal on screens

• A little slow to process where the hole is opening up, too often running into the back of his line

• Will choose the wrong hole at times

• Quick to panic at early penetration, bounce the play, and lose yardage

• Misses cutback lanes. Not able to work to the back half of the formation 

Play Speed

• Elite top speed when he gets up to it

• Not a hesitant runner. Quick into the hole and to the second level

• Quick lateral movement to get to the boundary 

Elusiveness

• Smooth hips in space to shake the tackler in space 1-on-1

• Decent on cuts and change of direction in space

• Good subtle speed variance to make defenders miss

• Needs to add a jump-cut

• Struggles with changing speed and stacking moves in space 

Power

• Strong upper body

• Thick frame to bounce off poor tackle technique

• Feet freeze upon contact

• Lackluster short-yardage back. Can be stood up at the line

• Does not fall forward consistently 

Contact Balance

• Would like to see him maneuver through foot trash and low tackles. Goes down a little too easily

• Lots of slips around the line 

Ball Security

• Two hands on the ball when he meets contact

• Keeps ball in the outside hand

• Will bobble the occasional exchange 

Catching

• Good route runner out of the backfield. Good on his breaks with impressive acceleration to pull away from the defender

• Reliable hands catcher. 1 drop on 71 career targets 

Pass Protection

• Willing blocker looking to flatten the rusher

• Able to step up and stand up the free rusher

• Effective on his chips 

Production

• 2024: 12 G, 281 Rush, 1660 Yds, 5.9 Avg, 15 TDs

• 38 Rec, 373 Yds, 2 Rec TDs

• Career (3 seasons): 38 G, 622 Rush, 3565 Yds, 5.7 Avg, 36 TDs

• 73 Rec, 635 Yds, 4 Rec TDs 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Florida State, Virginia, Wake Forest, NC State (2024) Clemson (2023)

• Injury History: Broken Ankle (2021)

• ST Value: Good speed, good motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): Every down back 

Vision

• Quick to see the cutback lane

• Processes levels in advance to see the entire defense and changes his path accordingly

• Will look to bounce and miss the designed hole at times

• Impatient at times. Needs to take another beat to allow blocks to develop 

Play Speed

• Breakaway long speed

• Impressive lateral speed to beat contain

• Average burst through the hole 

Elusiveness

• Effective jumpcut at the LOS

• Able to dip tackles on occasion

• Decent shake but more of a straight-line runner who looks to run through the defender

• Unbalanced when looking to shake his man in space

• Slow to gather and change direction at the second level 

Power

• Strong upper body to shrug off arm tackles with ease

• Keeps his legs churning at all times

• Falls forward in short-yardage situations

• Able to break several tackles to break big plays. Near impossible to bring down with one tackler

• Gritty near the endzone to fight for those extra couple yards for the score 

Contact Balance

• Good balance when tacklers meet him high

• Plays with a low center of gravity, hard to cut down

• Needs to maneuver foot trash a little better 

Ball Security

• 9 fumbles lost in last two seasons

• One hand on the ball when bracing for contact 

Catching

• Able to catch away from his body

• Late adjustment to the ball

• Poor hands through contact

• No effort to extend the route 

Pass Protection

• Strong lower body for solid chips

• Weak achor when facing up 

Production

• 2024: 14 G, 374 Rush, 2601 Yds, 7.0 Avg, 29 TDs

• 23 Rec, 138 Rec Yds, 1 Rec TD

• Career (3 seasons): 40 G, 750 Rush, 4769 Yds, 50 TDs

• 80 Rec, 862 Yds, 6 Rec TDs

• Huge workload in college 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Washington State, Penn State, UNLV (Conf. Champ), Oregon (2024) Colorado State (2023)

• Injury History: Knee Strain (2024), Elbow (2024), Calf (2023)

• ST Value: Average speed, below average motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): Every down back 

Vision

• Able to work back across the formation and find a late gap

• Will miss gaping holes to run into his linemen’s backs

• Slow processor. Slow to see and react to early penetration 

Play Speed

• Slows down considerably when changing direction

• Hesitant hitting the hole at times 

Elusiveness

• Good speed variance to win at the third level and finish with points

• Slow change of direction in tight spaces. Tight hips

• Struggles to stay balanced when making the move in space

• Straight-line runner. Not overly creative in space 

Power

• Strong stiff arm

• Good leg drive through the initial contact

• Able to put his head down and push the line in short-yardage situations

• Can be thrown around by DLs 

Contact Balance

• Churns well through traffic

• Able to bounce off defenders and run through arm tackles

• Narrow base at the point of contact

• Runs high 

Ball Security

• Two hands on the ball when bracing for contact

• Two fumbles lost in college 

Catching

• Soft hands

• Will split out wide. Solid route tree

• Elusive on choice routes. Good field awareness to find soft spots in zone coverage or when the play breaks down

Pass Protection

• Solid chips

• Good cut blocker

• Willing blocker but weak anchor. Can be pushed back into the pocket 

Production

• 2024: 16 G, 194 Rush, 1060 Yds, 5.5 Avg., 14 TDs

• 22 Rec, 161 Yds, 2 Rec TDs

• Career (3 seasons): 42 G, 739 Rush, 3785 Yds, 5.1 Avg., 45 TDs

• 59 Rec, 442 Yds, 5 Rec TDs

• Heavy workload 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Marshall, Oregon, Notre Dame, Tennessee (2024) Alabama (2023)

• Injury History: Hand (2024) Rib (2022)

• ST Value: Below average speed, average motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): COP back 

Vision

• Solid patience to wait for blocks to develop and shoot through the open lane

• Sees the cutback lane well

• Too much time spent looking for perfect lane, resulting in TFLs. Needs to take what’s in front of him. Especially in short-yardage situations

• Tries to do too much at times, resulting in embarrassing loss of yardage

• Poor setting up blocks. Too often running into the backs of his own blockers and falling down 

Play Speed

• Impressive lateral speed

• Good burst through the hole 

Elusiveness

• Good speed variance to make tacklers miss

• Straight-line runner who looks to run through his man

• Not a creative runner in space

• Slow change of direction 

Power

• Will fight through first contact well

• Does well to fall forward

• Strong through high tackles

• Needs to keep legs churning through contact

• Doesn’t push the pile very well

• Simply doesn’t break a lot of tackles despite gritty play style 

Contact Balance

• Very balanced player. Hard to bring down by just one player in space

• Good balance through low tackle attempts

• Runs a little too high 

Ball Security

• 6 fumbles lost in 3 years

• Needs to cover up when bracing for contact

• Needs to watch the extra-effort fumbles. One or two yards isn’t worth the loss of possession 

Catching

• Good turn-and-run ability to get yards after the catch

• Poor feel for space on scramble drills. Will drift into coverage

• Not a natural hands catcher. Will have inexcusable drops

• Small catch radius 

Pass Protection

• Able to step up and stuff the free rusher

• Weak on chips. Releases to his route too early

• Weak anchor

• Mistimed lunges result in bad whiffs

• Hand placement needs work for better sustain 

Production

• 2024: 12 G, 232 Att, 1577 Yds, 6.8 Avg., 22 TDs

• 20 Rec, 267 Yds, 3 Rec TDs

• Career (4 seasons): 41 G, 579 Att, 3792 Yds, 6.5 Avg., 43 TDs

• 61 Rec., 720 Yds, 4 Rec TDs 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa State, BYU (2024) Oklahoma State (2023)

• Injury History: ACL (2021)

• ST Value: Good speed, good motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): COP back 

Vision

• Sees the cutback lane well

• Good instincts in a phone booth to make something out of nothing

• Sees run blitzes well

• Keeps legs moving while looking for daylight

• Impatience results in badly missed holes

• Too quick to abandon the play. Needs to trust the blocking in front of him 

Play Speed

• Does not possess breakaway speed

• Unimpressive acceleration. Often caught from behind 

Elusiveness

• Good jump cut to elude tacklers in tight spaces

• Able to sidestep tacklers in space. Good instincts at the second level

• Looks to move through the defender instead of eluding them

• Not a creative runner

• Not the quickest change of direction 

Power

• Punishing playstyle

• Hard to bring down with just one tackler. Strong upper body to move through high tackle attempts

• Legs churn well to push the pile. Gritty runner

• Effective stiff arm

• Need to see him put his head down and get the first in short-yardage situations 

Contact Balance

• Bounces off tacklers well. Need to wrap him up to bring him down

• Balanced runner who can work through multiple low tackle attempts

• Needs to maneuver through traffic better. Can be tripped up easily getting through the line

• Runs a little high 

Ball Security

• Covers well in traffic

• 10 fumbles in the last 3 seasons

• Wide hands on exchanges 

Catching

• Good adjustment on balls off his frame

• Struggles to get open against single-man coverage consistently

• Needs to get head turned earlier

• Poor motor to extend the route on scramble drills 

Pass Protection

• Dense frame to push rushers well out of the pocket

• Ducks head and looks to shoulder through defenders, resulting in whiffs and slip-offs

• Will have cut-block penalties

• Poor hand use 

Production

• 2024: 13 G, 293 Rush, 1711 Yds, 5.8 Avg., 21 TDs

• 45 Rec, 605 Yds, 3 Rec TDs

• Career (2 seasons): 25 G, 457 Rush, 2494 Yds, 5.5 Avg., 30 TDs

• 69 Rec, 891 Yds, 4 Rec TDs

• Heavy workload 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: BYU, Kansas State, Kansas, Texas (2024) USC (2023)

• Injury History: Shoulder (2024)

• ST Value: Poor speed, below average motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): Every down back

• Misc: Sacramento State Transfer (2023)

Vision

• Sees the cutback lane well

• Poor getting through tight holes

• Slow to process and react to early penetration

• A little impatient waiting for open seams

• Will choose wrong and miss big plays 

Play Speed

• Plays with tons of tempo. Good motor, always runs full speed

• Hits a rare gear for big play ability

• Good burst through the hole 

Elusiveness

• Maintains speed while changing direction allows him to turn a good play into a scoring play

• Impressive jump-cut to elude tacklers in tight spaces

• Unbalanced run style at times

• One-speed, single-cut playstyle. Not a very creative runner in space 

Power

• Slim frame. Not going to break many tackles

• Can be drug down easily

• Not going to push the pile much

• Poor leg drive. Does not consistently fall forward 

Contact Balance

• Strong lower body to bounce off the occasional angle tackle

• Upright run style

• Poor maneuvering through traffic. Not a balanced runner in tight spaces

• Struggles to keep the play alive after contact 

Ball Security

• Zero fumbles lost in collegiate career

• Nice, wide exchange

• One hand on the ball when meeting contact 

Catching

• Sits down well in space

• Very uncomfortable tracking the ball downfield

• Poor concentration in a crowd or through a tight window

• Not a reliable hands catcher. Will have ugly drops 

Pass Protection

• Strong strike when meeting the rusher head-on

• Tenacious blocker

• Will release too early before edge rush is secure 

Production

• 2024: 16 G, 144 Rush, 1016 Yds, 7.1 Avg., 10 TDs

• 27 Rec, 284 Yds, 1 Rec TDs

• Career (4 seasons): 47 G, 590 Rush, 3761 Yds, 6.4 Avg., 42 TDs

• 77 Rec, 853 Yds, 6 Rec TDs 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Tennessee, Iowa, Oregon (Playoff), Notre Dame (2024) Indiana (2023)

• Injury History: Undisclosed (2023), Foot (2022)

• ST Value: Elite speed, great motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): Change of Pace Back 

Vision

• Sets up blocks well at the second level

• Quick to bounce outside when the lane presents itself

• Willing and able to work against the grain in outside zone, finding cutback lanes for big plays

• Will badly miss gaping holes for chunk yardage

• Not someone who is going to make something out of nothing. Needs a good line in front of him to be effective

• Quick to abandon designed hole and look for alternatives, often resulting in TFLs. Needs to take what’s in front of him 

Play Speed

• Hits a top gear to beat angles and get to the endzone

• Solid lateral quickness when getting to the boundary

• Slow and hesitant through the hole

• Not an explosive athlete 

Elusiveness

• Slow gather quickness

• Does not possess fluid hips to consistently make the defender miss at the second and third levels

• Not able to elude tacklers in tight spaces

• Poor balance making a move in space

• Not a creative runner in space. North-south 

Power

• Churns legs to push the pile in short-yardage situations

• Goes down easy around the LOS

• Poor lean into contact. Slow at the point of attack and goes down easy

• Does not consistently fall forward 

Contact Balance

• Bounces off tacklers but lacks the leg drive to finish the run

• Too easily brought down by shoestring tackles or arm tackles at the LOS 

Ball Security

• Covers well when bracing for contact

• One fumble lost in college 

Catching

• Able to make the catch away from his body, though awkward catch technique

• Good concentration to haul in contested balls

• Struggles getting open against man coverage 

Pass Protection

• Good face-up blocker. Anchors well

• Able to come across the formation and cut down the rusher

• Able to pick up the DB blitz and ride up up and out of the play

• Weak chips

• Not an aggressive blocker 

Production

• 2024: 12 G, 240 Rush, 1537 Yds, 6.4 Avg., 21 TDs

• 22 Rec, 188 Yds, 2 Rec TDs

• Career (3 seasons): 35 G, 508 Rush, 2779 Yds, 5.5 Avg., 30 TDs

• 29 Rec, 240 Yds, 2 Rec TDs 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Minnesota, Ohio State, Iowa State, Wisconsin (2024) Purdue (2023)

• Injury History: Ankle (2023, missed three games)

• ST Value: Average speed, above average motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): Every down back 

Vision

• Shows good patience for pulls and traps to develop in front of him

• Good instincts to time his burst through the hole

• Struggles to see the bounce-out lane for big yardage

• Will miss gaping holes in the line to run into the back of his linemen

• Very slow to process the blocking scheme in front of him, too often guessing where the openings will be 

Play Speed

• Solid straight-line speed

• Slow lateral speed when looking to get outside the tackle box

• Unimpressive burst when he gets space at the second level 

Elusiveness

• Flashes a good bag of spins and jump cuts to elude penetration at the LOS and make something out of nothing

• Looks to shoulder through the defender too often. Needs to use the space the scheme buys him much better

• Unbalanced when changing direction 

Power

• Small frame means he won’t muscle through many wrap-ups, limiting his effectiveness between the tackles

• Does not possess the play strength to push the pile consistently

• Weak upper body to shake high tackles. Too easily drug down

• 27.8% of his rushing yards in 2024 came against ≤ 5-man boxes (2nd highest rate in this class, according to jfosterfilm) 

Contact Balance

• Runs low and able to bounce off multiple tacklers

• Too many slips getting through the hole 

Ball Security

• 4 fumbles in 2024

• Can have the ball punched out late 

Catching

• Rarely used on passing downs

• Struggles to muscle through jams from LBs

• Poor adjustments to balls off his frame 

Pass Protection

• Willing to step up and stop the free rusher, though weak anchor limits his effectiveness

• Passive with power rushers, will move out of the way

• Weak chips 

Production

• 2024: 13 G, 258 Rush, 1491 Yds, 5.8 Avg, 22 TDs

• 20 Rec, 143 Yds, 0 Rec TDs

• Career (3 seasons): 35 G, 422 Rush, 2492 Yds, 5.9 Avg, 35 TD

• 40 Rec, 342 Yds, 1 Rec TD

• 1-year starter 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Games Watched: Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky (2024) Virginia (2023)

• Injury History: Hamstring (2024), Hamstring (2022)

• ST Value: Below average speed, average motor

• What kind of back is he? (Every down, SUB, COP): SUB back