Aggies rely on young rushers
Spiller, Smith enter second season as most experienced in backfield
COLLEGE STATION — A couple of Houstonians dazzled Texas A&M fans at times last year at receiver and running back, and this season Aggies soon will find out Ainias Smith and Isaiah Spiller are at home in front of a microphone, as well.
“I believe we’re going to be the best duo that’s in the SEC … that’s in college football, period,” said Smith, a former Dulles standout. “(Spiller) has natural abilities not a lot of people are able to do … he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards as a freshman, and he’s just getting started.
“And I was just getting started, also.”
Smith was just getting started at running back as the season ended, after A&M coach Jimbo Fisher shifted him from receiver out of necessity for the Texas Bowl, with the Aggies down to one scholarship running back in Spiller.
Fisher liked what he saw from Smith in the backfield so much in the practices leading to the Aggies’ 24-21 victory over Oklahoma State and in the bowl game itself he left him there for 2020.
“He is as natural back there as the day is long,” Fisher said. “He can carry the ball, and not just catch it out of the backfield but can run routes. His skillset really allows you to do a lot of things.”
Spiller, a former Klein Collins star who rushed for 946 yards as a true freshman last season, is more soft-spoken than Smith, but his declarations pack as much punch. Asked about his ability to earn yards after contact, Spiller responded, “That just comes from your heart.”
“Anybody can run six yards that are blocked, making people miss and running over people is something you’ve got to have inside of you,” said Spiller, son of former A&M tight end Fred Spiller.
Fisher is counting on more yards before and after contact this year after the Aggies finished in the second half of the SEC (eighth out of 14) in rushing offense last season, averaging 159.1 yards per game. While dualthreat quarterback Kellen Mond was second on the team with 501 rushing yards, Spiller’s total was more than four times as many yards as any other running back on the squad.
The Aggies also finished eighth in total offense, so their passing game wasn’t overwhelming the running game. In addition A&M lost its starting running back in 2019, Jashaun Corbin, to a season-ending injury in Week 2, and the Floridian ultimately transferred closer to home at Florida State.
Running backs Charles Strong, Deneric Prince, Jacob Kibodi and Cordarrian Richardson all have exited the program in the past 20 months, and Vernon Jackson had a career-ending neck injury during spring drills in 2019.
Such upheaval at the position prompted Smith’s shift to running back, and he responded with 54 yards on seven carries in the Texas Bowl, including a long of 19 yards. Smith (5-10, 190) added two catches for 13 yards against Oklahoma State, solidifying his 2020 role as the offense’s most versatile weapon.
Spiller (6-1, 225) took over for the sidelined Corbin a year ago, and finished with the nearly 1,000 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on the ground, making the AllSEC freshman team.
“That was a big responsibility on him, how quickly he became a starter because of a Game 2 injury,” Fisher said. “(Ideally) you would have supplemented him in a backup role for a few more games … but that was a big role for him, to come in and have (946) yards and also catch the ball.
“Isaiah is just a great young man, who’s getting better and better and he’s going to be counted on. He’s extremely important for our offense this year.”
In the offseason Fisher signed speedster Devon Achane of Fort Bend Marshall, Darvon Hubbard of Akron, Ohio, and Deondre Jackson of Stone Mountain, Ga., hitting restart at running back, outside of Spiller and Smith. A year ago Achane, who owns a skillset similar to Smith, rushed for 2,097 yards and 38 touchdowns at Marshall.
Spiller described both Smith and Achane as “scat backs who are very fast, and they both can run routes.”
Last year’s leading receiver at A&M, Jhamon Ausbon, abruptly opted out of his senior season during camp, placing more consequence on a solid running game, with the absence of overall experience at receiver.
“We have a lot of tools on offense,” Smith said, “and this year we’re going to use them.”