Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Confident Homer takes over
Running back gets his first start Saturday vs. Georgia Tech
CORAL GABLES — Entering the season, every expectation was that Mark Walton would be a star for the Miami Hurricanes.
Coming off an 1,100-yard performance as a sophomore, he was a preseason All-ACC first-team selection. Were it not for Louisville’s Lamar Jackson — the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — Walton could have potentially been the conference’s preseason Player of the Year.
But even after impressing teammates, coaches and media voters with his performance, Walton knew his Hurricanes were in a precarious position, depth-wise. And so, he took pains to spend time training fellow running backs Travis Homer and Trayone Gray during the offseason.
He took the two with him to the weight room and to conditioning workouts. Even in the treatment room, Walton made it a point to show his younger teammates how he took care of his body, to preserve it for the workload he expected to carry this season for No. 11 Miami.
“Who knows when their numbers will be called? They have to be prepared,” Walton said back in August. “They have to be ready.”
It turns out those efforts weren’t for naught.
Less than midway through the season, Homer now finds himself the Hurricanes’ new starting running back, after Walton reinjured a tweaked right ankle in Miami’s
emotional 24-20 win over Florida State last week.
Walton’s ankle will need to be surgically repaired and the back has been sidelined for the season. It’s unclear whether the junior will return for his senior year or move on to the NFL, an option that was certainly a possibility before he got hurt.
But as he’s dealt with his own personal crisis, Walton has once again tried to be a positive force for Homer, reminding the former Oxbridge Academy standout he is ready for the challenge ahead. That challenge will start Saturday afternoon when the Hurricanes host Georgia Teach at Hard Rock Stadium, and Homer makes his first start in orange and green.
“I just know I need to step up … nothing really [changes for me],” Homer said Tuesday after his first full practice atop the depth chart. “I just have to come out here and work as hard as I can.”
Through the first four games of the season, Homer has more than proven himself a worthy option. He has, behind Walton, rushed for 207 yards and is averaging a team-high 8.2 yards-per-carry. He’s proven a threat to catch passes in the backfield, grabbing five catches for 71 yards.
And provided the Hurricanes with some scoring punch when Walton’s been out of games, scoring on a 12-yard run that put Miami ahead for good in its 52-30 win over Toledo and scoring again on a 40-yard run against Duke late in the fourth quarter that helped clinch Miami’s 31-6 win.
Even against Florida State with Walton out, Homer had rushes of 10 yards and 14 yards that helped extend the final drive and helped set the stage for Darrell Langham’s lastsecond touchdown.
All of that is why teammates and coaches are confident in Homer’s ability to help the Hurricanes as they try to move forward after losing one of their biggest playmakers in Walton.
“One thing I love about Travis is, from day one, he doesn’t get nervous. If he does, he doesn’t show it. He does a great job of disguising it if he does get nervous,” Hurricanes running backs coach and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said. “I think he’s become more vocal over the last few weeks, even before this last injury with Mark, and I have full faith and confidence in him and everything we do offensively. He’s a tough, physical football player. He does a great job in pass protection, also catching the ball out of the backfield, so I think he’s ready to go.”
Added linebacker Shaquille Quarterman: “I don’t think that’s an easy thing to do, stepping into Mark’s shoes. But he’s doing an awesome job at it. He’s a great athlete, and we all believe he can do it. So he’s doing the work and we’re all behind him.”
For Homer, one of the biggest challenges now is making sure he can take the physical punishment that comes with being the starter, especially since Miami’s depth at the position was shaky before Walton’s injury.
To help on that front, the Hurricanes will likely cut back on his snaps on special teams, where he’s been a standout since his freshman season.
And Homer says he’s put on between 5-10 pounds since arriving at Miami to be an even more physical runner.
Now he’ll see just how much all of that — and the advice he’s gotten from Walton — will help.
“Just seeing [Walton’s] drive, that’s really encouraged me to keep coming in and doing what I can every day,” Homer said.