E.J. Barthel talks RBs and what will make Anthony Grant better in 2023
E.J. Barthel has learned a lot from his current boss, Matt Rhule. Learning to hold players — and at times other coaches — accountable has proved to be a big one.
But over the years, Barthel, now in his first season as Nebraska's running backs coach, has learned being honest and transparent in his own room is a crucial part of being a good coach, too. That helps a player truly develop. And building a close-knit room where teammates become brothers is important, too.
When all those traits are clicking at the same time, it can allow someone like Barthel to coach his guys hard, and the players will be better for it.
Rhule spoke about that very aspect of his coaching staff this past spring.
"We are a caring not coddling environment. I say that to guys all the time — caring not coddling," Rhule said in early April.
“The kids have to understand that the criticism comes from a place of care,” Barthel said during a recent appearance on Huskers Radio Network. “I think over time, through action, they start to see that — you care. It’s not just words. I think that’s what really creates the friendships, the bonds and trust. It’s a matter of putting the time in to know each other, know how each individual learns, why each individual is motivated to do what he does. I think when you’re an aggressive coach like I am on the field, they know it’s coming from a good place.”
Barthel inherits a solid and veteran running back room at Nebraska for the 2023 season. Three of the top four rushers return, including Anthony Grant, Gabe Ervin Jr. and Rahmir Johnson. Grant led the team with 915 yards and six touchdowns in 2022 while Ervin totaled 95 yards and Johnson 85.
Ajay Allen, who rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman in four games before a season-ending collarbone injury, transferred to Miami after spring ball.
Emmett Johnson, who’s entering his second season at Nebraska and redshirted in 2022, returns to the program as well. Kwinten Ives, a true freshman from New Jersey, also joins Barthel’s room this season.
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Barthel briefly touched on those members of his room and others during his interview. Here are the highlights:
>> No one in the running backs room had a better spring than Ervin, who has grown into his frame and is now a physical specimen at 6 feet and over 215 pounds. Rhule didn’t hide his feelings about what he thought Ervin could be for this team during the spring.
“He can hopefully be that battering ram that puts games away,” Rhule said earlier this spring of Ervin.
After the spring game, Barthel challenged Ervin to “approach the day like a veteran.” Ervin has seen the field during his career — he played in four games in 2021 and eight in 2022 — but in each season he’s dealt with injuries that slowed his development. As a true freshman in 2021, it was a season-ending patellar tendon injury against Oklahoma. Last year, it was a turf toe that kept him off the field for multiple games.
“He’s an older player, but has to grow up pretty quickly this spring. Now he’s kind of turning into a leader this offseason and this summer,” Barthel said of Ervin. “Learning how to become a leader, not just the vocal leader but by action. When he makes a mistake, it’s about getting right back and correcting that mistake himself in front of the guys. There’s no pouting, or, ‘Oh, I messed up.’”
Barthel said Ervin is improving his practice habits and body recovery. When he was coaching with the Carolina Panthers, Barthel learned quite a bit about daily recovery from Christian McCaffrey, who took the process very seriously.
“I’m always using examples of Christian, how you take care of your body,” Barthel said. “I want those guys to take that type of care on their bodies.”
>> There’s a lot to like about Grant. Barthel mentioned Grant's burst as being something special. But what Barthel wanted to work with Grant on this spring and offseason was understanding the blocking schemes in front of him.
Too often last year Grant would redirect his running path outside, even when the play and its blocking scheme is designed to have the ball go inside.
“As a running back, from Pop Warner to high school, even at some colleges, you usually rely on your athleticism or your speed or power,” Barthel said. “But this level, you can’t win every battle that way. You have to have a really good understanding of where the ball is trying to insert, what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to accomplish and, ‘Here’s where you should be using your natural God-given abilities,’ and, ‘Here’s where you need to use timing and patience and vision.’ So we’ve been focused on that this offseason and he’s coming along really well.”
>> To Husker fans, Rahmir Johnson can be a do-it-all back. He has speed, good hands to make him a receiving threat and the blocking skills to pick up blitzes on third down. Barthel sees all that, too, but there’s another of Johnson's traits the coach has seen.
“What I’ve noticed working with him is he’s a really good inside runner,” Barthel said. “Rahmir has a good understanding of where the ball is supposed to insert and how to hit it, and timing and getting vertical inside. He’s actually powerful. He’s a smaller-type back, but he has some power behind his pads. He’s another guy who kind of stepped up into a leadership role in the room, especially for the younger guys.”
>> Emmett Johnson saw action in four games in 2022, all of which came on special teams. Barthel likes Johnson’s competitiveness and said he has “some good explosiveness and natural gifts.”
Barthel has seen a shift in Johnson’s mindset, too.
“He’s really become a mature young man the last few months,” Barthel said. “He’s focused on one thing, getting better at one thing, every week. He’s been challenged to get better at one thing, whether it be a route or a run. He’s really improved in all aspects of the game. He’s very coachable and responds well. The sky's the limit for him, his career will go as far as he wants it to go.”
>> Ives is the lone new scholarship back in the room. Listed at 6-2 and 185 pounds, Ives is built differently than others in the room. It’s early in the process — Ives hasn’t been in town long and is just getting his feet wet — but from the little Barthel did get to see of Ives in a workout setting, the coach was impressed.
“He looked really good the last couple of days. Very explosive, very twitchy. Everything we were expecting him to be, he is,” Barthel said. “He has a nice big frame, almost about 200 pounds. It’s going to take him some time, he’s a younger player. Coming from high school, that transition process is going to take a little bit of time, but he’s a very impressive young man.”
>> A part-time member to Barthel’s room is Janiran Bonner, who’s looking like he’ll do a little bit of everything in Nebraska’s offense, whether it be blocking as a traditional fullback or H-back, or running routes as a receiver.
“He’s kind of taken on that role of being a team player, a versatile athlete. All the characteristics we look for on the road recruiting, he is,” Barthel said. “That’s a reflection of coach Rhule and focusing on our players, focusing on what’s on our roster. The answer always isn’t going outside and looking for recruits, it’s, ‘Hey, who’s here, how are they being used and what value can they bring?’ It’s look-under-every-stone, and that’s what we did with Janiran.”
>> Nebraska has a handful of walk-ons in the room, including running backs Trevin Luben (Wahoo), Cole Ballard (Elkhorn South) and Gage Wager (Arlington, Texas), the son of tight ends coach Bob Wager.
There are also new fullbacks in Trevor Ruth (Seward) and Omaha Skutt product Barret Liebentritt, a Notre Dame transfer who earned his way to playing time on the Fighting Irish’s special teams last season.
“Trevin had a great spring for us at tailback,” Barthel said. “Trevor Ruth has made really good strides this spring with his athleticism and things like that. We had a Notre Dame transfer from Omaha, a local kid in Barrett — he’s a big, explosive 215-220-pound athlete who we expect to help out in the room.”
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