5’10” – 224 lbs. – 4.49
Rotated into the offense as a freshman, touching the ball fifty-six times before seeing his usage dramatically increase the following year (192 touches). Efficiency dipped as a junior but increased his usage to 255 touches, after which he declared for the draft. Well-built running back who has the type of frame needed to run between the tackles at the next level. Comes from a pro-style offense in which his quarterback was under center and he was grinding out yardage on inside runs against SEC defensive fronts. Proved he could handle the load from a physical standpoint by going over twenty touches in eight games this past season, including each of the final seven. No-nonsense back who runs behind his pads and can create consistent gains while minimizing negative-yardage runs. Wastes no time getting back to the line, with solid burst and the vision to find creases in congested spaces. Good balance and footwork to shuffle and slip through small spaces. Makes good cuts in the backfield, with little wasted motion. Pretty powerful runner who does a good job of running through arm tackles and minor hits and who consistently picks up a few yards after contact, finishing his attempts by falling forwards. Good leg drive after contact. Able to bully opposing defensive backs once he gets to the second level. Has a violent stiff arm which he works into his game in the open field. Effective short-yardage runner who racked up twenty-six touchdowns over the past two seasons. Good blocker who was typically retained in pass protection when the team threw the ball; also made some delayed releases into the flats. Does a good job of identifying blitzers, staying on his feet, and engaging them with his arms. Solid anchor in protection. Was also asked to lead the way on some sweeps by other ballcarriers. Seems to have reliable hands but wasn’t integrated very heavily into the offense as a receiver. Typically only lined up in the slot to carry the ball on jet sweeps or create confusion. A relatively known quantity who comes from a pro-style scheme in college football’s toughest conference and who put together a lot of tape proving that he has the vision, burst, physicality, toughness, and blocking ability to step into a pro offense and produce. Those traits are likely to make him a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
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