Spring practice is currently underway for many college football teams. As always, quarterbacks will receive most of the attention over the next few weeks, but there are several teams that either have holes to fill at running back, or have players waiting to emerge from previous backup roles. Either way, it’s never too early to take a look at some potential stars for 2015.
Corey Clement (Junior) – Wisconsin Badgers – 2014 Statistics: 949 yards, 6.5 YPC, 9 TD
It is probably a little strange to refer to someone with nearly 1,000 yards in the previous season as a player that’s likely to break out, but it’s true. Clement played behind someone named Melvin Gordon last year, yet still saw significant playing time, especially as the season wore on.
Clement had four games of 100+ yards in 2014, highlighted by a 164 yard outing against Illinois that saw him carry the ball just 13 times. In the Badgers’ 34-31 overtime win against a tough Auburn team in the Outback Bowl, Clement totaled 116 yards, including a seven yard touchdown reception.
Despite his 1,068 all-purpose yards, Clement never totaled more than 17 rushing attempts in a game last year. His production last season was a natural progression from when rushed for a solid 547 yards as Wisconsin’s No. 3 running back as a freshman in 2013. With Gordon moving on to the NFL, Clement has finally taken over the starting spot. Nobody is really expecting him to match Gordon’s NCAA-leading 2,587 rushing yards from last season, but he could very well be one of the best backs in the country by the time the season has ended.
Dalvin Cook (Sophomore) – Florida State – 2014 Statistics: 1,008 yards, 5.9 YPC, 8 TD
Cook also had a fairly productive 2014 season, but with Jameis Winston leaving for the NFL, the Seminoles offense will shift to relying more on the ground game for the time being, with Cook leading the way.
As a true freshman last season, Cook amassed 1,2011 all-purpose yards, even with missing the season opener against Oklahoma State, and totaling nine or less carries in five other games. He closed the 2014 season strong, averaging 141.3 rushing yards over his final three games, with a 6.2 yards per carry average. He had at least two receptions in each of the last five games of the season as well, and could very well see his role in the passing game increase more in 2015.
Although Cook began the season in what many considered to be a loaded FSU backfield, it was clear by season’s end that he should be the one receiving the bulk of the carries. With Sean McGuire likely to take over quarterback duties, Cook will be looked to as a security blanket early on in the season, and will see his production increase as McGuire grows more comfortable in the starting role as the season progresses.
Aaron Green (Senior) – TCU Horned Frogs – 2014 Statistics: 922 yards, 7.1 YPC, 9 TD
Green is certainly primed for a big 2015. TCU pulled off one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football history last year, thanks largely in part to an offense that showed massive improvement under new co-coordinators Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham.
Green wasn’t initially part of the Horned Frogs’ offensive core, but came into his own during the last half of the season, becoming the starter after B.J. Catalon went down with an injury. After not attempting more than 11 carries in a game all season, Green averaged 108.8 yards per game in TCU’s last five on 6.5 yards per carry, while also adding 14 receptions for 133 yards. Green scored five touchdowns in his final four games and produced 10 rushing plays of 20 yards or more.
The Horned Frogs return most of their core for 2015, including quarterback and 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year Trevone Boykin. TCU will again field one of the Big 12’s top offensive lines as well. Green will likely be sharing some carries with Boykin, but will still be posting big numbers each week, especially if the Horned Frog offense can be anywhere near as efficient as 2014’s version.
