Going to try to get a few of these done each week since we're less than 2 months from spring camp starting!
The running back discussion is an interesting one due to the fact that this spring camp, to the best of my knowledge, there's no new faces that'll be participating. Additionally there's been departures in Lorenzo Logwood and Carl Johnson. So now we've got mostly the same guys from a group that was beat up last year and is going to be looked upon to put up some much bigger numbers this season.
Starter John Nguyen - Sr
2nd String Jeremy Calhoun - Soph
Depth Joey Counts - Sr, Treshawn Favors - Jr, Brody Martinez - Fr
Red Shirt Rey Green - Fr
John Nguyen - John, like his brother, has taken the brunt of criticism on this board yet he returns as our leading rusher by far with 855 yards from last season, and our top receiver in terms of catches (with 31). Additionally his ST contribution on punts placed him as 3rd most on the team in all-purpose yards. What I think built up the angst towards him on here was some decision making on running lanes and the lack of power in needed situations - both of which were maybe forced upon him due to lack of options in the RB corps. Nguyen is a very good pass blocker and is tough to tackle clean. He's best when he gets into the 2nd level and is a dangerous receiving option. Hopefully with improved health from all RB's this year he won't be forced into a role that he doesn't fit best at. I said it last year and I was wrong but what the hell, I'm going to project it again - I'm thinking John can get 1000 on the ground and 500 receiving.
Jeremy Calhoun - Emerged late in the season and had great success at the goal line. 9 rushing TDs! What Calhoun wasn't able to show though was the big play and long-bursts that Nguyen and Counts could do. That'll be the biggest thing I'll be looking for from Jeremy this year. His 2.9 ypc average was the lowest of all the running backs. Obviously it seems the talent is there and the staff will be looking to have Calhoun expand his role. I'm thinking he's going to start as the change of pace and power/goal line back as a handoff from what he accomplished last season.
Joey Counts - It's an interesting predicament for Joey and what it comes down to for him (IMO) is if he can stay healthy. Much like his predecessor, Dan Moore, Joey has all the hype, great size, good speed, a killer attitude, and a lot of fans expecting so much from him. Joey is a real wild-card to the depth, because if healthy he could snag the #1 role with a real strong performance. Obviously he's too good to just languish on the bench either, so it'll be interesting to see how he's worked in to the offense.
Tre Favors - Favors is kind of wedged behind the two seniors in Counts and Nguyen but should see plenty of chances himself. He dealt with injuries last season as well... like most all of our RBs did. I seemed to me, from what I saw watching some spring and fall camp, that the adjustment to the offense was taking a little more time for Tre, but he had a few great plays and flashed some good potential in limited carries this season. Favors is more of the balanced back and presents better use all across the running game.
Brody Martinez - Had to do some prior egriz post research on him bc I think he sat out the fall camp. It looks like he's coming back from an ACL tear but many people were pointing out pre-injury he was on some FBS teams radars. If that's the case, with many unknown health aspects of the guys in front of him and limited depth - he's going to see a lot of the field this spring and could start building a case to become a main role player in the years ahead. Looks like the kid had interest from Wyoming and Utah State before the injury. Since he's about 18 months removed from it I assume he'll be full speed, should be interesting to watch.
Rey Green - Won't be here until the fall and unless the RB health situation falls apart again I'll assume he's looking at a red shirt.
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The fascinating thing about this group is there's an argument, somewhat, for at least 3 if not 4 of the guys that they could be the starter. I'm thinking all 4 will be used and it should be quite the battle to watch unfold. I think Nguyen's versatility and durability compared to the others gives him a leg up from the start, but really this job could be anyone's to grab at this point.
The running back discussion is an interesting one due to the fact that this spring camp, to the best of my knowledge, there's no new faces that'll be participating. Additionally there's been departures in Lorenzo Logwood and Carl Johnson. So now we've got mostly the same guys from a group that was beat up last year and is going to be looked upon to put up some much bigger numbers this season.
Starter John Nguyen - Sr
2nd String Jeremy Calhoun - Soph
Depth Joey Counts - Sr, Treshawn Favors - Jr, Brody Martinez - Fr
Red Shirt Rey Green - Fr
John Nguyen - John, like his brother, has taken the brunt of criticism on this board yet he returns as our leading rusher by far with 855 yards from last season, and our top receiver in terms of catches (with 31). Additionally his ST contribution on punts placed him as 3rd most on the team in all-purpose yards. What I think built up the angst towards him on here was some decision making on running lanes and the lack of power in needed situations - both of which were maybe forced upon him due to lack of options in the RB corps. Nguyen is a very good pass blocker and is tough to tackle clean. He's best when he gets into the 2nd level and is a dangerous receiving option. Hopefully with improved health from all RB's this year he won't be forced into a role that he doesn't fit best at. I said it last year and I was wrong but what the hell, I'm going to project it again - I'm thinking John can get 1000 on the ground and 500 receiving.
Jeremy Calhoun - Emerged late in the season and had great success at the goal line. 9 rushing TDs! What Calhoun wasn't able to show though was the big play and long-bursts that Nguyen and Counts could do. That'll be the biggest thing I'll be looking for from Jeremy this year. His 2.9 ypc average was the lowest of all the running backs. Obviously it seems the talent is there and the staff will be looking to have Calhoun expand his role. I'm thinking he's going to start as the change of pace and power/goal line back as a handoff from what he accomplished last season.
Joey Counts - It's an interesting predicament for Joey and what it comes down to for him (IMO) is if he can stay healthy. Much like his predecessor, Dan Moore, Joey has all the hype, great size, good speed, a killer attitude, and a lot of fans expecting so much from him. Joey is a real wild-card to the depth, because if healthy he could snag the #1 role with a real strong performance. Obviously he's too good to just languish on the bench either, so it'll be interesting to see how he's worked in to the offense.
Tre Favors - Favors is kind of wedged behind the two seniors in Counts and Nguyen but should see plenty of chances himself. He dealt with injuries last season as well... like most all of our RBs did. I seemed to me, from what I saw watching some spring and fall camp, that the adjustment to the offense was taking a little more time for Tre, but he had a few great plays and flashed some good potential in limited carries this season. Favors is more of the balanced back and presents better use all across the running game.
Brody Martinez - Had to do some prior egriz post research on him bc I think he sat out the fall camp. It looks like he's coming back from an ACL tear but many people were pointing out pre-injury he was on some FBS teams radars. If that's the case, with many unknown health aspects of the guys in front of him and limited depth - he's going to see a lot of the field this spring and could start building a case to become a main role player in the years ahead. Looks like the kid had interest from Wyoming and Utah State before the injury. Since he's about 18 months removed from it I assume he'll be full speed, should be interesting to watch.
Rey Green - Won't be here until the fall and unless the RB health situation falls apart again I'll assume he's looking at a red shirt.
-------------
The fascinating thing about this group is there's an argument, somewhat, for at least 3 if not 4 of the guys that they could be the starter. I'm thinking all 4 will be used and it should be quite the battle to watch unfold. I think Nguyen's versatility and durability compared to the others gives him a leg up from the start, but really this job could be anyone's to grab at this point.
