Hoosiers Have a Multitude of Options at Running Back in 2017
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Freshman Morgan Ellison goes through drills in fall camp. Image: Sammy Jacobs HoosierHuddle.com
Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
Morning temperatures are dropping and you can feel a bit of chill in the air. Summer’s hottest days are in the past and schools are back in session. Most importantly, the long wait is coming to an end…college football season is almost here! As part of our extensive 2017 preview content, Hoosier Huddle is breaking down each position for the Indiana Hoosiers as they grind away on the practice field and get ready for the campaign. Today’s preview focuses on a unit with a whole lot of potential but perhaps just as many questions: running backs. Indiana returns only one rusher with more than 48 carries in a season (Tyler Natee had 61 carries last season) and each of the players have an intriguing skill-set that could be somewhat offset by a flaw. It’s a big group, which could be seen as a positive or a negative. IU’s new running back coach, Mike Hart, had this to say about how the lack of a feature back and the depth of this unit would be balanced: “When you have a big group of guys, keeping them fresh isn’t an issue during training camp. We do have a lot of guys and they have to get carries to see who’s going to go out there and be the guy. When you get to the season and get to playing time you always have to manage reps. The day of the 50 carries a game back is over with, I don’t see that happening much. To me it’s just managing during the game once the season comes, when you find out who you have. Until we find out who we have and who is going to be in those positions, you just roll.”
The (assumed) Starter
With the departure of Devine Redding and the career-ending injury to Camion Patrick, no one is sure who will be lining up as the starting running back when the Hoosiers take the field against the staunch defensive line of the Ohio State Buckeyes. While it’s hard to pick anyone with much confidence because so little is known about what role each member of this unit is truly capable of holding and how this new offensive staff views each player, we believe the man that will get the first crack at starting will be Mike Majette. The junior from Woodbridge, Virginia had 39 carries for 180 yards in 2016, good for 4.62 yards per carry in his limited work. He also had seven receptions for 87 yards. He is listed at 5’11” and 210 pounds and looks the part of a shifty and explosive back but Majette’s size makes it questionable he will be able to be an every down back that can last the whole season in the rugged Big Ten East. Majette was listed as the starter in IU’s initial depth chart and he’s spent the most time with the starters during practice so it’s logical to slot him here.
I’ve always liked his potential as a player with the ball in space and I thought he was greatly under-utilized under Kevin Wilson. I think his ideal role is catching 3-4 passes per game out of the backfield and getting 10-15 carries per game that are a mix of outside sweeps and inside runs. He has tremendous speed and good hands and could provide some big-play ability if Mike DeBord can find a way to get him the ball on swing passes or check-down release routes. If he can stay healthy and IU can afford leaning too heavily on him at the risk of wearing him down, Majette could be in-line for a breakout season.
The Key Depth
I’ll do my best to keep this from turning into a novella but get comfortable because depth is potentially the best part of this unit. It’s a good thing too because running back is a position that always requires more depth than you are hoping to need. As a result, I will be listing a significant number of players in this section because I feel it is likely that more than a handful of running backs will end up contributing this season and we are nothing if not comprehensive.
Devonte Williams
Williams, also known as “The Matrix”, has flashed terrific speed and explosiveness but he’s yet to establish himself as a consistent threat. He came to IU as a running back but was switched to cornerback prior to his freshman season. Surprisingly, he was a starter in a pair of games and looked pretty good before suffering a season-ending injury. He was then switched to running back prior to last season and he played in 11 games as a backup and a kick returner. Williams was solid on kick returns but he was not able to break one for a score and he only has 48 carries in his career for an average of 3.48 yards per carry. The redshirt sophomore from Columbia, Maryland is only listed at 190 pounds and that could prove to be problematic if he is asked to shoulder a heavy load in between the tackles. I don’t expect that to be the case. I think he’ll be used as a kick returner and get around ten touches (catches and carries), primarily in hopes to get him to the edge.
Cole Gest
Cole Gest is only 5’8” but the redshirt freshman is built like a fire hydrant and the former St. Edward High School product is an explosive runner that hit the hole harder than anyone else on the IU roster in 2016. Unfortunately, we only saw him briefly as he was injured and lost for the season after only ten carries (47 yards). Gest received a medical redshirt and I’m very excited to see what he can do with a full offseason of training under his belt. Gest is not very tall but he’s very sturdy and I think he’s more likely to find success in between the tackles than Majette or Williams.
Tyler Natee
While the “Bacon ‘N Legs” package is no more, Big Bacon lives on and his presence will definitely be felt by opposing defenses in 2017. Natee has slimmed down a bit after being challenged by Tom Allen and the new offensive staff to get his body ready for the rigors of the Big Ten. Allen said at Big Ten Media Day that they were pleased with the progress and work Natee had done and he has reportedly looked good at practice. He is listed at 260 pounds and he is the returning leader in carries as he had 61 carries. Readers of this site know that I absolutely love Natee’s game and think he could be a very valuable asset for this offense. I liked how the Hoosiers used him against Michigan State, as a battering ram that killed the clock and beat up on a tired defense late in the game. I also liked the uniqueness of the option package they put in with Zander Diamont and something similar to that with one of the many dynamic athletes the Hoosiers have would be a nice wrinkle. I see no reason why Natee shouldn’t be used as a short-yardage and goal-line back that is also used in late game situations to run over tired and worn down defenses. Add in the extra package that can occasionally utilize his skill as a high school quarterback and Natee appears set for a fairly busy sophomore season. Mike Hart had this to say about the unique skillset of Natee: “We’ll see. I haven’t seen Tyler Play at all. He didn’t take one rep in Spring so obviously to me the jury is still out on Tyler Natee. I’m excited to see him play I’ll tell you that. I’ve heard great things about him. You know I never go back and watch film of him last year. We have a new offense, they have a new style. Hopefully he’ll be ready to go and bring some things to the table, really excited to see him.”
Morgan Ellison
The freshman from Pickerington, Ohio has the look of a major conference FBS feature back. More than any other IU running back, he has the prototypical build and size of what you picture in your head for a Big Ten rusher. He was a dynamic athlete in high school, playing football, rugby and track and field. He suffered a major injury in his junior season and many schools were scared away or filled up their scholarships for running backs. As a result, the Hoosiers were able to secure the services of a guy that definitely could have been headed to somewhere like Ohio State or Michigan or Michigan State. That’s not to say he wouldn’t have chosen IU anyway but the injury took those schools off the table while the Hoosiers stayed locked in on recruiting him. Now healthy, he enters the race for playing time immediately and I think his build and talent, combined with the fact that it’s a relatively easy position to transition to (with the exception of pass blocking) has the Hoosier Huddle staff thinking it’s very possible he ends up the starter before the end of the season.
Craig T. Nelson
Another true freshman, this one from Miami, Florida, has somewhat been lost in the shuffle when fans discuss the running back position. Nelson knows winning after capturing three national titles during his career at powerhouse Booker T. Washington High School. He played defensive back during his freshman and sophomore seasons and then transitioned to running back prior to his junior season. He earned all-Dade County selections and had more than 1,600 yards in his senior season. At a base level, Nelson likely reminds fans of Devonte Williams in that he is a tiny bit on the small side for a feature back but lightning quick and full of potential if he can find open space. However, he has thick legs that bode well for some tougher running than perhaps initially expected. Nelson will be a candidate to return kicks but the coaching staff may opt to redshirt him unless injuries ravage the running back corps. His 2017 fate may be determined by the health of others but he is a player fans should not forget about for the future.
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez and the next guy on this list (Ricky Brookins) define what you look for in walk-on players. They both do whatever is needed to improve the team and contribute however they can. Rodriguez came to IU from Lawrence Central High School and joined the program during the 2014 season. He appeared in seven games in 2015 and 12 games last season, earning a scholarship prior to the season. Rodriguez is a stout 220 pounds that runs tough every time he touches it and contributes on special teams. I expect similar contributions to continue for the next two seasons.
Ricky Brookins
Another walk-on that earned a scholarship for the 2016 season, Ricky Brookins came to IU after a terrific career for Terre Haute North High School. He redshirted the 2014 season, appeared in seven games in 2015 and then appeared in all 13 games in 2016. He stood out in the Foster Farms Bowl, rushing 12 times for 53 yards versus the Utes. His performance as a pass catcher in the Spring Game caught my attention and Tom Allen used him extensively in the bowl game so it would not be surprising to see Brookins carve out a role as a versatile back.
Connor Thomas
Thomas walked-on to the program during the 2016 season and redshirted last year. He was a running back and linebacker at Clarksville Academy in Tennessee. It would be a shock if Thomas saw playing time in 2017 but he’ll be needed on the scout team and he could certainly look to Rodriguez and Brookins of walk-ons that can make a huge difference in the program.
Wild Card
There are multiple choices as the majority of these running backs are looking to breakthrough and have their first big-time season. I’m going with true freshman Morgan Ellison as I believe he is the back with the highest ceiling. If he quickly acclimates to the college game and proves to be as good as we hope he can be, Ellison could go from unknown to the feature back on a Big Ten East program in a very short period of time. If he struggles, the Hoosiers will need to find their every-down workhorse elsewhere and there’s no other logical fits on this roster.
Bottom Line
Indiana does not appear to have a true standout back with the immediate talent of someone like Tevin Coleman or Jordan Howard. However, I think this group is deeper and far more explosive than last year’s running back corps. The success of the running game is likely going to come down to how healthy the group stays and how well the offensive line can mesh and open up holes consistently. By the end of the season, I think Ellison will be carrying the load while Gest, Majette and Williams serve as change of pace backs and Tyler Natee operates as the short-yardage and goal-line punisher but it’s a wild guess based on little previous evidence. I am looking forward to seeing how this group steps up to the challenge in front of them and I think the running game will end up being much better than the national experts think.