Just like last year, we'll be taking a closer look at one of the 10 key position groups on Sunday as we countdown to the return of Kansas football. Each week, we'll highlight a key player to watch and give you an idea of what to expect from each position this year. This week, we continue our series on the offense, with another position that fans haven't been too worried about this season: running back. In fact, the situation is very similar to last season.
Previous work experience:
Quarterback
Although five Jayhawks recorded double-digit carries from the running back position last season, the Kansas staff didn't limit its strategy to running the ball to just those players. With both quarterbacks attempting to run frequently and multiple wide receivers having the opportunity to run on sweeps, the Jayhawks developed a very dynamic running game.
Kansas State running stats from last season
|
player |
carry |
Yard |
average |
T.D. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Devin Neal |
203 |
1280 |
6.3 |
16 |
|
Daniel Hishaw |
121 |
626 |
5.2 |
8 |
|
Dylan McDuffie |
45 |
253 |
5.6 |
Four |
|
Sevion Morrison |
Ten |
62 |
6.2 |
1 |
|
Tori Loughlin |
9 |
40 |
4.4 |
0 |
|
Jason Bean |
47 |
280 |
6.0 |
3 |
|
Cole Ballard |
20 |
75 |
3.8 |
0 |
|
Jaron Daniels |
27 |
74 |
2.7 |
0 |
Last season, the Jayhawks started the season strong with two big-name players, Neal and Hishaw. Devin Neal averaged nearly 100 yards per game in the first four games, while Hishaw averaged nearly 50. But the real breakout for the rushing attack came against UCF, where the team ran for 399 yards. Neal ran for 154 yards, Hishaw for 134, and Dylan McDuffie for 91, and the team finished the season with five rushing touchdowns.
A quarterback injury forced the team to rely more on the rushing attack, and Neal stepped up to the plate, gaining 100 yards in four of the final five games of the regular season. But a rushing night wasn't necessary to win the bowl game, as UNLV focused on shutting down the rushing attack and had some success.
This may seem odd, but my biggest concern going into this year is depth. Neal and Hishaw showed last season they were capable of handling the workload with a little help, but the Jayhawks' quarterback position has been plagued by injuries over the last few years, and the quarterback position is not expected to contribute as much as it did last year.
Torrey Loughlin and Savion Morion both return and the spring showcase showed the potential of Harry Stewart and Johnny Thompson, but the loss of either of the top two will leave a big hole.
Despite concerns about their depth, the Jayhawks have a nice one-two punch going, and if either of their top two get injured, the other should be able to fill in. But the biggest reason for optimism is that the Jayhawks may have their best offensive line yet this year under coach Lance Leipold, which should make their job even easier for this team.
While there's no question about who the top two players on this season's roster will be, there is a question about who will fill the No. 3 role, but who fills that role likely won't have a huge impact on the season as a whole, so that may be more of a theoretical question at this point.
RB1: Devin Neal
Devin Neal returned to Lawrence for his final season after considering early entry into the NFL Draft. This team will rely heavily on their hometown hero. He needs another half season to break multiple career rushing records, and if he plays a bit more he could break multiple single-season records. Expect him to put in big efforts to do both.
RB2: Daniel Hishaw
Last year was a breakout season for Hishaw, as predicted the previous two years, and unless he gets injured again, he should have another great season this year. If healthy, he'll likely see plenty of playing time.
RB3: Harry Stewart
Call it a hunch, but Stewart's play in the Spring Showcase was surprising and very encouraging. He has extremely promising explosiveness, and reports from spring football and workouts since have shown him continuing to perform well. Like McDuffie did last season, he could come out of nowhere and establish himself as a solid contributor.
They could have added a fourth running back to their roster, but it seemed a bit unnecessary given their likely availability. As with last year, I expect Sevion Morrison and Tory Loughlin to be used in situational roles, and redshirt freshman Johnny Thompson, Carson Morgan and Jack Schneider all have a chance to earn playing time and assume roles next season.
Jonathan Wallace returns as running backs coach. He joined the Jayhawks in February 2020 after his first season under head coach Les Miles. His first season featured a quartet of running backs in Pooka Williams, Velton Gardner, Daniel Hishaw and Amauri Pesek-Hickson. He has continued to thrive despite injuries the last few seasons, and last season may have been the biggest for the position group.
Prior to joining the Jayhawks, Wallace served as tight ends coach at Air Force in 2019 and worked on Bethel's staff with former Kansas State offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon in 2018. Wallace, a former Auburn University quarterback/wide receiver, spent two years as a graduate assistant at Auburn.
This may be the best position group on the entire team, and this is backed up by the advanced analytics team at Pro Football Focus, with Max Chadwick ranking this room as the eighth-best room in the nation.Once again this season, the Jayhawks have a great chance to have the best room in the Big 12 Conference.
