2017 Spring Practice Preview: Running Backs

Indiana will have to replace Devine Redding's production in 2017. Image: Cam Koenig HoosierHuddle.com

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Hoosier Huddle is getting ready for the first spring practice of the Tom Allen era by previewing each position. Today’s focus is on a position headlined by an exciting senior desperate to prove himself, a deep and flexible group of returning players and a pair of newcomers that will arrive this summer hungry to make an impact. IU’s recent success at this position makes it all the more intriguing. That’s right, today, we focus on running backs.

After years of successfully churning out a powerful and explosive rushing attack under Kevin Wilson, Kevin Johns and Greg Frey, 2016 brought about some rare struggles in the ground game. IU finished with the 67th ranked offense (S&P+) and the running game lacked explosiveness and sputtered against quality run defenses. In total, IU only gained 3.71 yards per carry and IU’s leading rusher (Devine Redding) only averaged 4.43 yards per rush. The Hoosiers had a couple of dominant ground performances and the “Bacon ‘n Legs” package was a refreshing burst of explosiveness but too often, IU failed to move the ball consistently on the ground against the Big Ten’s better defenses. He only gained 78 yards (3.55 yards per carry) against Ohio State, 42 yards (2.63 ypc) against Northwestern and 50 yards (2.27 yards per carry) against Michigan and he was unable to generate many big plays due to a lack of breakaway speed. Redding had a solid junior season and he wasn’t at all the lone source of IU’s rushing problems but explosiveness was really missing. Wilson, Johns, Frey, and running backs coach Deland McCollough are gone (he is headed to USC). However, new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and new offensive line coach Darren Hiller have good track records that lead me to believe IU’s rushing attack will bounce back in 2017.

The Departed

After a solid junior season, Devine Redding opted to forego his senior season and focus on preparing for what he hopes is a future in the NFL. I wrote about Redding above and Hoosier Huddle wishes him well at the next level. He had a few standout games and showcased some good vision and power during his time in Bloomington but his lack of next-level speed and occasional fumble issues kept him from reaching the level of Tevin Coleman or Jordan Howard.

The Starter

Camion Patrick has been an Indiana Hoosier for quite a while now. After coming to Bloomington from a junior college in Mississippi (shoutout to “Last Chance U”!), Patrick sat out the 2015 season and waited to make an impact on the field. Unfortunately, he was injured during the offseason prior to the 2016 season. He recovered and rehabilitated quicker than anyone reasonably expected and he was able to get onto the field but his role was limited and he was far from 100%. Patrick played wide receiver and made a couple of very nice plays (including a huge touchdown catch against Rutgers) but at this point in his career, IU writers have written a lot about how good Patrick “could be” and IU fans have yet to see much on the field. This is not Camion Patrick’s fault but it’s understandable to wonder what the hype was about.

That being said, I’m about to pile on more hype about how good I believe Camion Patrick “will be”. He is now healthy and Tom Allen has decided to move the 6’2”, 225 pound redshirt senior to tailback and he’s expected to be the lead back this coming season. Prior to his offseason injury, Patrick was going to spend some of the 2016 season at running back and videos of his work in practice were very impressive. He’s big, strong and, perhaps most importantly, he has the game-changing speed the Hoosiers have lacked since the departure of Tevin Coleman left. I don’t think he’ll be the player Tevin Coleman was but I feel confident in saying that Patrick will run for at least 1,500 yards (while chipping in some receiving yards) in 2017.

Returning Depth

The Hoosiers have a number of returning backs that offer a lot of different things. With a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator and a new running game coordinator plus two talented incoming freshman that will arrive after spring ball, this is a very important stretch of practices for the following returning players to establish themselves in the pecking order:

Cole Gest – 5’8”/196

Cole Gest is a bit “undersized” but it would be foolish to underestimate him. He’s very well-built and I was very impressed with the explosiveness and urgency he ran the ball with in 2016. He only had 10 carries for 47 yards on the season before injuring his ankle against Wake Forest. The Hoosiers opted to redshirt him and retain his eligibility (a good decision) so he is a redshirt freshman for the 2017 season. I believe Gest will compete for the role of “back-up” and he may well end up receiving the second most carries as well as playing a role on kick return.

Mike Majette – 5’11”/207

Mike Majette is a versatile running back that, I believe, is at his best getting the ball on the edge with toss sweeps or stretch plays or catching screen passes. He hasn’t shown to be particularly good at running in between the tackles just yet and I don’t believe that’s where he is best utilized. Majette ran the ball 39 times for 180 yards (4.62 yards) but he only played in the first eight games of the season before being lost for the season to injury. He had 47 yards on ten carries in the opener against FIU, 57 yards on six carries against Ball State and then closed with 42 yards on five carries as IU bludgeoned Maryland. The way Mike DeBord chooses to utilize versatile athletes like Majette and Devonte Williams will be a very interesting thing to keep an eye on.

Devonte Williams – 5’10/184

In his redshirt freshman season, “The Matrix” was unable to really ever get going. He was rarely given the ball in space and provided with the opportunity to burst into the open field with his speed and he only averaged 3.48 yards per carry on 48 carries. He caught seven passes for 50 yards and averaged only 20.1 yards as a kickoff returner. Williams missed a pair of games and was rarely used against Utah. He’s another depth piece that hasn’t proven to be particularly strong in between the tackles but his speed is undeniable and he’s another man that the new coaching staff will need to figure out how get involved effectively.

Tyler Natee – 6’0”/270

Rumble big man, rumble. The “Bacon” in the “Bacon ‘n Legs” package, Tyler Natee is one of the more interesting players on IU’s roster. He had the second most carries on the team (61), threw a pass and helped invigorate IU fans with his punishing running style. Natee did not play during the first two weeks of the season, debuting at home against Wake Forest with a short touchdown run. He had 38 yards against Michigan State in the Big Ten opener and helped IU put that game away in the fourth quarter and he hammered Maryland with 111 yards and a touchdown as a part of a dominant rushing performance. He’s the only remaining piece of the “Bacon ‘n Legs” package (Zander Diamont, Kevin Wilson and Kevin Johns are all gone) and it’s unclear what the new staff has in mind for a big back like Natee. I have always believed he can be a critical and valuable piece of an effective offense and it will be fascinating to see what DeBord and company have in store for him.
 
Alex Rodriguez – 5’10”/225

The walk-on from Indianapolis’ Lawrence Central High School appeared in four games and helped fill a void in the season’s final stretch as multiple IU backs were sidelined with injuries. He had a 17-yard rush against Michigan and totaled 10 carries for 41 yards on the season. Rodriguez is a powerful between the tackles runner that figures to slot behind the above names but a strong spring could position him well for an opportunity in fall camp. 

Ricky Brookins – 5’8”/188

Brookins was switched to wide receiver prior to the season after an injury to J-Shun Harris left IU a bit shallow at the slot position. He was never really a factor at the position, catching only four passes for 16 yards and Tom Allen moved the Terre Haute product back to running back prior to the bowl game against Utah. Truthfully, I thought he looked like IU’s best running back in the Foster Farms Bowl as he churned out 53 yards (4.42 yards per carry) against a stellar Utah defensive front. Brookins isn’t the biggest guy but he’s shifty and hits the hole with purpose. It would not be a shock to see him perform well in the spring and earn some carries during the 2017 season. 

Arriving Soon

Morgan Ellison and Craig Nelson will be true freshmen for the 2017 season and they will not be on campus for spring practice. That will put them behind a bit but they both have quite a bit of intriguing skill and they will each push for playing time this coming season. Ellison is a powerful every down back that many have projected as the immediate backup to Camion Patrick. I think Cole Gest will hold him off initially but it seems likely Morgan Ellison will, at the very least, be a part of the running back rotation. Craig Nelson had a very productive senior season at a powerful high school program in Miami and he is a smaller and speedier back that could be compared to Devonte Williams. He figures to be a factor on punt and kick returns early in his career and it’s very possible his speed proves to be an enticement to let him see the field quickly. 

Things We Will Be Watching For

A Healthy and Explosive Camion Patrick

Much has been written about the potential of Camion Patrick. While we haven’t seen it on the field yet, through no fault of Patrick or anyone else, the time for waiting is over. IU needs Camion Patrick to be healthy and they need him to be a game-changing talent if they are to return the running game to the levels IU fans have become accustomed to. I would imagine Mike DeBord and IU’s new offensive staff won’t tax Patrick much during spring practice but it will be important for him to develop some timing and cohesion with the quarterback and some trust with the offensive line. We know IU’s defense is now pretty solid so seeing Patrick have success against them and look like a dangerous running back would go a long way towards soothing concerns about the running attack.

Is Cole Gest Ready for a Bigger Role?

As I wrote earlier, I was impressed by Gest during his limited action last season. He’s a fun back to watch because of how hard he hits the hole and the urgency he runs with. I think he is very capable of shouldering ten carries a game and operating as IU’s primary back up for Camion Patrick. That being said, we have no idea what DeBord or Darren Hiller or Tom Allen thinks about him or the other running backs so it’s as clear as mud how the rotation will play out. 

How Will DeBord Choose to Utilize Majette, Williams and Natee?

Mike Majette has been at his best while receiving screen passes and getting himself in a bit of space. Devonte Williams has been at his best when getting the ball to the edge and he has a lot of speed but, in truth, he’s struggled to run in between the tackles and IU hasn’t successfully converted his speed into points. Tyler Natee is a big back with a very unique skillset and it will be very interesting to see how the new staff feels about him as a player and how they think he’ll be best utilized. I hope they see a role for him as a punishing short-yardage and late game back (much like what we saw against Maryland as he closed out that game against a worn down defense) because I think he still has a very bright future in Bloomington. Spring practice will be fans first chance to see how Mike DeBord and Darren Hiller view the running back personnel.