Colorado State Had Stable of Backs But Who Will Standout?
No Clear Cut Running Back Ready To Take Over For Izzy Matthews
Contact/Follow @BradHubbard & @MWCwire
Running Back Battle Should Come Down to Kinsey and McElroy
Colorado State at one point had a plethora of running backs. There was the ‘thunder and lightning’ duo of Dylan Dawkins and Izzy Matthews back in 2017. Both are now gone and the Rams head into the 2019 season with a host of possibilities but no sure thing.
Mike Bobo said that he was ‘pleased with the running game’ after the spring game. That doesn’t sound like words of encouragement since the back with the most experience, Marvin Kinsey, didn’t play in the game.
Kinsey is entering his final season as a Ram. After showing true promise as a freshman in 2016, an ACL sidelined him at the end of the year and he’s never been able to assert himself as the #1 back. Now he has junior Marcus McElroy breathing down his neck.
McElroy saw most of the carries in the spring game but has limited experience carrying the football despite playing in all 12 games a year ago. McElroy is more of a ‘thunder’ back like Matthews was with more speed. He or Kinsey are the odds on favorite to be the starting running back come Labor Day Weekend.
To add to the unknown at the position are a slew of backs all looking for playing time. There are two redshirt freshmen in David Aggrey and Hunter Williams, redshirt junior and Army transfer Drue Harris and two incoming freshmen, Christian Hunter and Tyreese Jackson.
Hunter led the nation in rushing in high school in 2018 with 3839 yards to go along with his 55 TD’s.
Yes there are backs-a-plenty in Ft. Collins but only one football. Head coach Mike Bobo will have to find a way to sort through the madness and find two or three who can do everything the offense needs them to do like pick up the backside blitz.
The running backs may not have much work if the offensive line doesn’t improve their performance from a year ago.
