Cardinal happy with crew of running backs
Last season, Stanford had about as ideal a running-back tandem as a program could want.
Christian McCaffrey, a 2015 Heisman Trophy finalist, was the workhorse, the man who ran for more than 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns. Behind him was Bryce Love, the backup who sprinted his way to 783 yards while averaging more than 7 yards per carry.
McCaffrey is now with the Carolina Panthers. Love is the unquestioned starter as a junior, but Stanford is still counting on its backup running backs to play big roles in 2017.
The difference this year? Of the three players lined up to receive the bulk of the backup playing time, two of them, redshirt freshmen Dorian Maddox and Trevor Speights, have not played in a collegiate game. The third, redshirt sophomore Cameron Scarlett, had fewer than 40 carries last season.
“We pretty much know what Bryce can do, but the group behind him has been through a lot this training camp, and we’re starting to get a good idea of what their strengths are,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said. “It’s a talented group. You look at what these guys did in high school and what their possibilities are on this level, and you get pretty excited.
“We’ll probably play quite a few backs like we have in the past, and I think these guys are ready.”
Scarlett seems like a good bet for short-yardage and goal-line situations. At 6foot-1 and 213 pounds, he has the size for the role. He’s also the only other running back besides Love on the roster with a collegiate carry, as he ran for 117 yards and a touchdown last season.
From there, the situation gets murkier. Maddox and Speights impressed in the spring game, with Maddox scampering for a 60-yard score and Speights finding the end zone three times. Of the two, Speights has the stronger resume, as he finished his high school career with 9,868 yards rushing — ranking him fourth all-time in Texas — and 120 touchdowns.
“You saw glimpses of what they could both do in the spring game and in training camp, even though they’re still really learning,” Love said. “But the big thing for me, I was impressed by how easily and quickly they got the playbook. They’ve been amazing.”
The wild card is true freshman Connor Wedington, listed as a wide receiver and running back. Undefined position aside, he’s fast, shifty, and someone who Shaw said on signing day would have a chance to play right away.
Even though the backups have been shuffled in and out of situational roles in training camp, running backs coach Ron Gould likes to determine playing time by the feel of the game. This year could end up featuring less of a 1-2 punch and more of a committee behind Love.
“We’re starting to formulate some ideas about them, but the greatest part about this is that I don’t have to make the decision,” Gould said. “The players make that decision, because the cream rises to the top.”
Everett Cook is a freelance writer.