The college football season comes ever closer. Just one of many ways in which to frame the approaching fall is to look at players who represent uncommon collections of skills and traits. One such example is the pint-sized athlete, more specifically, the skill player who might not be tailor-made for the NFL but who can manage to thrive in the college game. This collection of small players who make a big difference has a specific set of ground rules. It refers to quarterbacks no taller than six feet, wide receivers no taller than 5-foot-9, and running backs no taller than 5-foot-7.
Warren Wand – Running Back, Arkansas State Red Wolves
Height: 5-5
There is no more remarkable player relative to his size – or rather, a lack thereof – than this Arkansas State dynamo. Wand was magic for the Red Wolves last season, gathering almost 1,200 combined running and passing yards despite his lack of height and a 174-pound frame. It is true that a small running back depends on his own ability to elude defenders, because his center of gravity is so low, thereby making him hard to tackle and hit. Nevertheless, a running back can’t avoid contact all or even most of the time. Not every running play can be a toss sweep to the boundary which enables a running back to run out of bounds before taking a hit. A lot of a running back’s work must take him between the tackles, which necessitates a lot of physical contact. Wand’s body is not made to take a lot of punishment. That he produces as well as he does is remarkable. Relative to his size, no one in college football got more out of his talent, pound for pound and inch for inch, last season.
Arkeel Newsome – Running Back And Kick Returner, Connecticut Huskies
Height: 5-7
The nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards are solid, but they might not seem spectacular for Newsome. He was certainly impressive, but does he really deserve to be on this list, especially in the top two? Here’s what matters: He was on a Connecticut offense with a bad quarterback, a mediocre offensive line, and no receivers of note, practically having to do everything himself. That’s what makes Newsome special. There aren’t a ton of playmakers on this team, so the Huskies will be looking for Newsome to provide a spark and help them manufacture some points.
Jamauri Bogan – Running Back, Western Michigan Broncos
Height: 5-7
The nearly 1,000 yards for Bogan last season came in a shared-backfield situation, meaning that he made the most of his carries. Bogan didn’t pile up yards with an infinite amount of touches. The ball was distributed to a lot of different players in the WMU offense under previous head coach P.J. Fleck. Who knows what 2017 holds for him, but Bogan has already showed how resourceful he is at his size.
Chico McClatcher – Receiver, Washington Huskies
Height: 5-7
The big thing to note with McClatcher is that he was an important receiver for Washington last season even though John Ross and Dante Pettis made a lot of big catches and a number of important downfield catches. Now, McClathcher can play without Ross getting touches and targets. He should have a huge year in 2017.
Traveon Samuel – Receiver, Louisville Cardinals
Height: 5-7
This is a receiver who made an impact in Lamar Jackson’s Louisville offense. Given that Jackson so often took the ball himself or made improvisational plays, it wasn’t always easy for his teammates to fit in. Samuel should be able to play with confidence and know what he is capable of in the UL offense this season. He is someone to watch.
The Cardinals offense is very gifted. While Samuel should have a big impact, the reality is they need to find a way to protect Lamar Jackson if they’re to make significant progress this year. Jackson was under siege against the LSU Tigers in the bowl game – and against other elite opponents – and the Cardinals need to get him better protection if they’re to make the College Football Playoff.
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