2023 Running Back Preview

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

Top returners
RJ Harvey (R-SR), 5-8/195: 118 carries 796 yards 5 TDs in 2023
Johnny Richardson (SR), 5-7/170: 54 carries 370 yards in 2023

Top newcomer
Demarkcus Bowman (RS-JR), 5-10/190 (At Clemson in 2020, Florida in 2021)

-Under Gus Malzhan, UCF has been 55% run/45% pass (in 2021) and 57% run/43% pass respectively
-The Knights averaged 34 carries/g in 2021, 44 carries/g in 2022.
-UCF lost veteran RB Isaiah Bowser to graduation, led team in carries (205) and TD's (16) last season.

Harvey seems first in line to come into a larger workload this upcoming season. The veteran back averaged 6.0 yards/carry or higher in 8 of his 12 games played last season. However, he only carried the ball 15+ times in three contests in 2022. Bowman is the wild-card/breakout candidate in this room. He played sparingly at his last two schools, but he flashed his speed/strength/agility in a big way during the Spring Game. Richardson will serve as the versatile 'swiss-army-knife' of the RB room (241 career touches, 1,972 career all-purpose yards, 8.2 yards/touch). If I were on the staff, I would be trying to get the ball in Richardson's hands in as many different ways as possible (run game, pass game, screens, end-arounds, special teams, etc.). And I think second-year back Jordan McDonald will mix more into the fold this season. As the larger bruiser in the RB room (6-1/220), McDonald should get some of those goal-line opportunities that went exclusively to Bowser from '21-'22.

Thoughts?

 

[muckdawg24]

I feel like Gus can use Johhny like Frost used Otis. Hopefully Hinshaw can draw plays up for him.

 

[Poolside Knight]

Townsend looks more like the Otis role

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Top returners
RJ Harvey (R-SR), 5-8/195: 118 carries 796 yards 5 TDs in 2023
Johnny Richardson (SR), 5-7/170: 54 carries 370 yards in 2023

Top newcomer
Demarkcus Bowman (RS-JR), 5-10/190 (At Clemson in 2020, Florida in 2021)

-Under Gus Malzhan, UCF has been 55% run/45% pass (in 2021) and 57% run/43% pass respectively
-The Knights averaged 34 carries/g in 2021, 44 carries/g in 2022.
-UCF lost veteran RB Isaiah Bowser to graduation, led team in carries (205) and TD's (16) last season.

Harvey seems first in line to come into a larger workload this upcoming season. The veteran back averaged 6.0 yards/carry or higher in 8 of his 12 games played last season. However, he only carried the ball 15+ times in three contests in 2022. Bowman is the wild-card/breakout candidate in this room. He played sparingly at his last two schools, but he flashed his speed/strength/agility in a big way during the Spring Game. Richardson will serve as the versatile 'swiss-army-knife' of the RB room (241 career touches, 1,972 career all-purpose yards, 8.2 yards/touch). If I were on the staff, I would be trying to get the ball in Richardson's hands in as many different ways as possible (run game, pass game, screens, end-arounds, special teams, etc.). And I think second-year back Jordan McDonald will mix more into the fold this season. As the larger bruiser in the RB room (6-1/220), McDonald should get some of those goal-line opportunities that went exclusively to Bowser from '21-'22.

Thoughts?

Watch out for MAR. He impresses when healthy. Cannot seem to avoid the injury bug, though. I have beat this drum for two years now. I think he is special. His time will come or it will pass in 2023.

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

Watch out for MAR. He impresses when healthy. Cannot seem to avoid the injury bug, though. I have beat this drum for two years now. I think he is special. His time will come or it will pass in 2023.

I kind of feel like his time has already passed. I'm sure he can help on special teams, but I just don't see him getting carries over Harvey or Bowman (and there's only so many carries to go around). Maybe he's a guy that works in the rotation at the expense of Richardson's touches, but that takes away from a home run threat. And I can't really get with giving MAR touches over McDonald either - I think that could hurt the program in the long run (McDonald is the younger player, needs game reps).

We will see...the running back room definitely has a lot of depth.

 

[Gwoz]

Malzahn doesn't seem like he wants to rotate RBs. During Heupel/Frost years it seemed like up to 4 RBs would get a good amount of snaps. Under Malzahn that last two years it's been mostly just two guys, and if Bowser wasn't hurt for a good portion of that time it would have been even less.

 

[BAHman]

Top returners
RJ Harvey (R-SR), 5-8/195: 118 carries 796 yards 5 TDs in 2023
Johnny Richardson (SR), 5-7/170: 54 carries 370 yards in 2023

Top newcomer
Demarkcus Bowman (RS-JR), 5-10/190 (At Clemson in 2020, Florida in 2021)

-Under Gus Malzhan, UCF has been 55% run/45% pass (in 2021) and 57% run/43% pass respectively
-The Knights averaged 34 carries/g in 2021, 44 carries/g in 2022.
-UCF lost veteran RB Isaiah Bowser to graduation, led team in carries (205) and TD's (16) last season.

Harvey seems first in line to come into a larger workload this upcoming season. The veteran back averaged 6.0 yards/carry or higher in 8 of his 12 games played last season. However, he only carried the ball 15+ times in three contests in 2022. Bowman is the wild-card/breakout candidate in this room. He played sparingly at his last two schools, but he flashed his speed/strength/agility in a big way during the Spring Game. Richardson will serve as the versatile 'swiss-army-knife' of the RB room (241 career touches, 1,972 career all-purpose yards, 8.2 yards/touch). If I were on the staff, I would be trying to get the ball in Richardson's hands in as many different ways as possible (run game, pass game, screens, end-arounds, special teams, etc.). And I think second-year back Jordan McDonald will mix more into the fold this season. As the larger bruiser in the RB room (6-1/220), McDonald should get some of those goal-line opportunities that went exclusively to Bowser from '21-'22.

Thoughts?

I hope Hinshaw uses the pass to set up the run. I really think if the plan is to keep the defense guessing, we can gash teams with the run. Heupel and Frost were great at this.

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

Malzahn doesn't seem like he wants to rotate RBs. During Heupel/Frost years it seemed like up to 4 RBs would get a good amount of snaps. Under Malzahn that last two years it's been mostly just two guys, and if Bowser wasn't hurt for a good portion of that time it would have been even less.

400 run plays last year by running backs (after subtracting carries by QB's/WR's):
Bowser - 51.0 percent carry-share
Harvey - 29.5 percent carry-share
Richardson - 13.5 percent carry-share
Others - 6 percent

355 run plays by running backs in 2021
Bowser - 45.0 percent carry-share
Richardson - 29.0 percent carry-share
Mark-Anthony Richards - 14.0 percent carry-share
Others - 12 percent

I would have to say, the numbers pretty much reflect spot on what you said. Under Malzhan, the top-two backs are supplying 75-80 percent of the carries, sometimes mixing in a third back for just a few runs per game.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

400 run plays last year by running backs (after subtracting carries by QB's/WR's):
Bowser - 51.0 percent carry-share
Harvey - 29.5 percent carry-share
Richardson - 13.5 percent carry-share
Others - 6 percent

355 run plays by running backs in 2021
Bowser - 45.0 percent carry-share
Richardson - 29.0 percent carry-share
Mark-Anthony Richards - 14.0 percent carry-share
Others - 12 percent

I would have to say, the numbers pretty much reflect spot on what you said. Under Malzhan, the top-two backs are supplying 75-80 percent of the carries, sometimes mixing in a third back for just a few runs per game.

Since becoming a head coach, Gus has typically given his starter 200-250 carries (300+ in 2013 and 2014) and the backup roughly 100 carries. The third back is usually limited 40-60 carries.

Gus's final two seasons at Auburn these numbers dwindled significantly. COVID, of course, had a effect in 2020.

 

[goodknightfl]

great article on front page about Cam Martin the new RB coach.

 

[KnightLife1]

I kind of feel like his time has already passed. I'm sure he can help on special teams, but I just don't see him getting carries over Harvey or Bowman (and there's only so many carries to go around). Maybe he's a guy that works in the rotation at the expense of Richardson's touches, but that takes away from a home run threat. And I can't really get with giving MAR touches over McDonald either - I think that could hurt the program in the long run (McDonald is the younger player, needs game reps).

We will see...the running back room definitely has a lot of depth.

MAR has one season left, 2024, if my COVID related math is correct. If Harvey moves on after this season, I feel that in '24, at 215 lbs., MAR just may become the every down big back that Gus likes so much for his last season of eligibility. Thus, McDonald retains the short yardage duties for '24 along with a few more of the rotational carries. Bowman could take on Johnnie's role in '24 if '23 ends up being Johnnie's last year.

If MAR doesn't feel he will play here in '24 he will probably graduate transfer out in order to play somewhere in his last year. I would hate to see that happen as he has that rare mixture of power and speed.

 

[Shark19]

MAR has always gotten a raw deal IMO because he has a full skill set. But we don’t see what happens outside of games so there are probably reasons he is seldom used.

 

[Gwoz]

Richards has had 2 carries in the past 2 seasons. both coming late in blowouts. If he has a strong desire to play more, he would/should leave.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Richards has had 2 carries in the past 2 seasons. both coming late in blowouts. If he has a strong desire to play more, he would/should leave.

He’s always hurt.