5’9” – 223 lbs.
Started three of ten games as a freshman, rushing for 84-382-2 (4.5). Became the team’s primary ballcarrier the following year, going 214-1,173-10 (5.5) and adding 29-243-0 as a receiver. Ended up sustaining a season-ending knee injury nine games into his junior year, but still finished with 179-1,096-11 (6.1). Bounced back to make his senior year his most productive – 235-1,416-15 (6.0) on the ground, and 28-388-2 through the air. Well-built running back whose height is on the lower end but who has a very thick body. Played in an offense which featured both shotgun and single-back looks. Runs decisively and with good vision to recognize cutback lanes. Makes pretty good cuts in the backfield, with solid footwork to shuffle and find space. Runs behind his pads and pounds the ball between the tackles, with good leg drive after contact to fight for additional yardage and fall forward; does a good job of getting low and delivering punishment into contact, bludgeoning defenders with shoulder charges. Pretty smooth athlete who has impressive balance and a low center of gravity, allowing him to stay upright after absorbing glancing blows; difficult to tackle in one-on-one situations. Has some ability to make defenders miss in space, whether on sweeps/tosses or when catching swing passes out of the backfield; flashes a good spin move. However, may not have the speed and explosiveness to beat defenders to the edge at the next level; overall speed and explosiveness are just adequate. Ball security is at least average; fumbled eight times over 778 career touches, but just once over 263 touches this past season. Was asked to stay in and block more often than some of the other top runners in the class. Comfortable in pass protection, making good decisions when picking up defenders and demonstrating alertness and physicality. Has good functional strength to knock opponents off-balance, although he tends to throw a shoulder into defenders instead of engaging them with his hands. Looks reliable catching the ball as a receiver and put together solid lines in his sophomore and senior seasons. One of the players it will be interesting to follow at this year’s Combine, as he has a knee injury which will require evaluation, and it will be important to see how well he tests. May not be the sexiest or most explosive back in the class, but his bruising style, power and balance, and blocking ability make him look like a good fit for pro teams looking for someone to burrow into congestion between the tackles and pinball off of defenders in space. Stands a chance of being a second-day pick.
DRAFTEXAMINER 