OLYMPIA – In a way, the University of Washington’s tailbacks are a reflection of the entire team.
Young. Raw. Promising. And questions galore.
But unquestionably, something is there. It seems just a matter of time when whatever it is shows itself.
“The running game is fabulous right now,” said Kenny James, the likely starter when the Huskies open their season against Fresno State Sept. 5. “We have a few things that need polish, but everything else is great. All the running backs are doing a great job of hitting the holes hard. The line is opening holes. The running game is doing real well.”
Not surprisingly, the running backs’ response to an increasingly balanced offense, moving away from the Cody Pickett-Reggie Williams, bombs-away mode, is unanimously positive.
And part of the reason for the change is that the coaching staff sees the group as extremely talented and loaded with promise.
“We’ve got them all back,” UW coach Keith Gilbertson said. “In fact, we have the starter back from two years ago, Chris Singleton. We’ve got five good-looking guys at tailback.”
Even with Singleton’s injury problems – he has been slow to recover from a broken foot that kept him out the entire year last season – the Huskies have reason to like a deep, diverse group.
The list:
* James, a sophomore, gained 530 yards last season, second on the team. He started the final five games of the season after Rich Alexis went down with a hip injury. In the last four, James gained 320 yards, including 104 against Oregon.
James has gained speed over the off-season, which will make him a better outside runner. He already was an effective ball-carrier between the tackles.
“Kenny is a hard, hard runner and he can catch the ball like a wideout,” running backs coach Cornell Jackson said. “The thing about these kids is that they can catch the ball. If they can catch, you can find ways to get them the ball besides handing it off to them.”
* Sophomore Shelton Sampson has been used for his blazing speed, much of the time in the red zone on sweeps. As a redshirt freshmen, Sampson gained 274 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
Now 205 pounds, Sampson has been careful in his nutrition and has lifted weights like a demon to improve his inside running, with the goal of being a more versatile, all-around back. It’s working.
“I want to have the power to go through the middle and still have enough speed to go to the outside,” Sampson said. “I want to be an all-around back: to pass-block and catch passes out of the backfield.”
* Redshirt freshman Louis Rankin has been pushing Sampson as James’ backup. Possessing a good mix of speed and power, Rankin showed increased willingness to take on tacklers in a mini-scrimmage Thursday when he pancaked free safety Darin Harris.
It has been a year of maturation for Rankin, who blew into camp last year expecting to start immediately. It is a more humble Rankin who came in this time, not to mention a better back.
“I still compete, but I don’t do it to the point where I’m trying to do something better than anybody else,” he said. “I’m just trying to go out there and play the best I can play.”
* At his best, Singleton mixes Sampson’s speed and James’ power. His injured foot, however, has done much to turn Singleton into the forgotten man in the backfield. He missed much of spring drills while he rehabbed and has missed some days in fall practice. He faces an uphill battle to regain the starting spot, although when he is pain-free, that battle is appreciably more even.
* Freshman Johnie Kirton, the former Jackson High School star, is attempting to trim down to about 250 pounds after a summer injury prevented him from working out for more than a month. Still, the coaching staff appears excited about the prospect of inserting him into the lineup on short-yardage and goal-line situations, running behind 250-pound fullback Zach Tuiasosopo. For starters.
Jackson raves about Kirton’s footwork for a player his size.
Then there’s his size, period.
“If you’re a 165-pound cornerback, would you want to tackle him?” Jackson asked, grinning.
QB search (cont.): Casey Paus stood out in a two-minute drill to conclude practice Friday. Paus, one of three vying for the starting spot, competed three of six passes for 45 yards and a couple of first downs.
Two of his completions were to sophomore Sonny Shackelford, who also caught one from Isaiah Stanback. Carl Bonnell was 0-of-4 passing, but picked up a first down on a 13-yard run.
Stanback was 1-for-4 passing.
“Carl and Isaiah will be far behind Casey in the two-minute drill because Casey has done it for years and understands it,” UW head coach Keith Gilbertson said. “This is really the first time they’ve done it. We touched on it in the spring. Isaiah would know it more as a receiver. I’m not surprised they didn’t move it as well.
Stanback was better in a third-and-goal drill from the 5-yard line, throwing TD passes to Corey Williams and Joe Toledo. Earlier in the afternoon session, he and wideout Corey Williams hooked up on a long TD play.
Short bursts: Freshman fullback Luke Kravitz of Olympia was pulled out of practice and must sit out while the NCAA Clearinghouse reviews his high school transcripts. No word on when he will return … Freshman corner Derrick Bradley, from Kamiak High School, will have an MRI on his surgically-repaired shoulder. He has been suffering from soreness in the joint and has not practiced in three days … Donnie Moore, former standout running back at Washington in the late 1960s, addressed the team before practice. “He was really a special player,” Gilbertson said. “He was a magic player when I was a youngster watching him play. I want those kinds of players to come back and be a part of this. We’re in the business of including people. I hope he feels good about it.” … Gilbertson praised receiver Steve Anderson, a walk-on from Inglemoor High School, who is catching everything thrown to him. “All he does every day is get open and make catches,” Gilbertson said. “He’s opened our eyes. We’re hoping for a (Paul) Skansi kind of story.”
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