Of all the positions on the offense, you can argue running back may be the hardest one to get a read on this spring.
Maurice Washington has practiced very little this spring as he goes through off-the-field legal issues. Wan’Dale Robinson, who plays both receiver and running back has been slowed by a hamstring injury, while newcomers Dedrick Mills, Rahmir Johnson and Ronald Thompkins don’t arrive on campus until early this summer.
So that’s made this spring unique for the running backs, as guys like Jaylin Bradley, Miles Jones, Wyatt Mazour, Brody Belt and Moses Bryant have taken a majority of the reps.
With that said, running backs coach Ryan Held is looking forward to Saturday’s Red-White spring game.
“Any time you can get into Memorial Stadium and compete in that historic venue is awesome,” Held said. “It will be the end of spring for us, and then the guys will finish up in the classroom and go get into the weight room again. It will be exciting to go get ready for the fall. Our fans are unbelievable. I’ve watched some of these other spring games on TV and there’s 10 people in the stands, and our deal is going to be sold out, so it’s pretty exciting to get that done.”
As for those three newcomers coming in June, they all figure to have a hand in the discussion.
“When those new guys get here it will be absolutely critical, they one, get in shape; Two, start learning the offense and learning the plays and the signals on their own. It will be critical for them. They’ll do their own seven-on-seven and team run stuff that is player-led. We have to get those guys ready. I have to see what they can do because our first game will be here before you know it.”
Mills is currently still at Garden City (Kan.) C.C. finishing up some course work this semester.
“I talk to him every single day,” Held said of Mills. “I talk to him every day. (Mills) knows he’s getting a text or a call every day from Ryan Held every day to get those doggone grades right and make sure he’s staying in shape.
“All those guys – Ronald Thompkins, Rahmir Johnson is doing his track stuff and everything. So, all three of those guys will be ready to go, and they know there will be a call or a text from me every single day.”
Thompkins is currently coming off a senior season where he tore his ACL in the first game. There will be some questions about his health coming in, but Held is excited about what he brings to the table.
“I think he’s a guy that you see where he’s at, and if he’s cleared then let’s go,” Held said. “If he wouldn’t have got injured, he would’ve been recruited by everybody in the country. Maybe being injured reduced his recruiting, but obviously, we are excited to get him because he’s very talented, he’s long, he’s tall. I don’t know what play he got hurt in last year, but he looked really, really good. We are excited with what he can do for us.”
And as Held sums it up, it’s all about finding the best guys. It could be one of the current guys going through the spring, or it could be one of the three newcomers coming in June.
“We have to find the two or three best players that can help us,” Held said. “That can play now, or if they have to redshirt, then you can play them. We are in this for the long haul. It’s not just ‘all in’ where we are just putting our eggs in one basket.
"Any two to three guys that can help us, and if we can redshirt two more, then great. We want the best available. We just don’t want to reach on a guy, because that guy doesn’t become what we want just to fill the spot.”
