Not here to sit
Arizona State turns to a new group of running backs after losing Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage.
You’ve heard the old sports saw: the best thing about a freshman is that he becomes a sophomore.
Arizona State running backs coach John Simon has a different view. “We don’t bring running backs here to sit out,” he said. “If we sign you, we’re bringing you here to play and compete.”
That was never more true than last year. Not that ASU needed feature backs with Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage going into their senior seasons. But with both leaving at the same time and no sure thing behind them, Simon and former head coach Todd Graham knew future planning was essential.
“You (media) guys would be killing me right now if we have no running back that has touched the ball in a game here,” Simon said. “We knew that and feel like we’ve prepared for that moment.”
So when ASU’s season opens Saturday, it will be sophomores rather than redshirt freshmen at running back supported by a junior-college find also with experience above the high school level.
All are a long way from proven, particularly in the context of losing Richard, ASU’s fourth leading career rusher (3,202 yards) and Ballage, who finished just shy of 2,000 career rushing yards and is competing for a job with the Miami Dolphins.
They combined for 53 rushing touchdowns, 52 more than Eno Benjamin, Trelon Smith and Isaiah Floyd. But their turn is here, and third-year starting quarterback Manny Wilkins is confident in his new backfield.
“I let them know every day I feel confident in them and the things they can do,” Wilkins said. “They’re going to play a huge role in what we do. The game is going toward all scat backs now so just to see Floyd, his feet are out of this world. You can throw a ball 10-15 yards in front of him and he knows the gear he needs to hit to go get it.
“Eno is a really special talent, has really good vision. He’s an all-around guy, does everything the right way, runs hard every single time. And Trelon, I don’t think he knows how good he can be. Really, really talented kid, smarter than he knows as well, and when he puts his game together, he’ll be really special.”
Benjamin (5-10, 203) is the closest to a sure thing because of his high school credentials – 7,546 yards, 111 total touchdowns in four years at Wylie East (Texas) – and flashes last season (23 carries, 142 yards). He broke off a spinning, tackle-breaking, 19-yard touchdown run against Colorado that had fans salivating for more.
“It’s a big-time deal,” being the primary back, Benjamin said of his projected role. “You don’t even really think about it until time is upon us, and now it is. We had a plan from the get go about (how) I want to get my feet wet (in 2017) then be ready to take over for the next year.
“This is why I came here. I wanted to have one year of learning and being able to take over without having a lot of mileage. I think I’m well prepared from everything I’ve learned from Demario and Kalen. So there’s no added pressure.”
That’s wishful thinking, of course, because there will be plenty of pressure the first time ASU fails to reach 100 yards rushing. But Eno is not alone in that endeavor and welcomes help from Floyd and fellow Texan Smith.
“Back in high school, there was more stress, just thinking I’m going to have to have a big game for us to come through,” Benjamin said. “Now we have a lot of playmakers around the ball so I can relax and just do my job.”
Floyd (5-foot-7, 169) is a redshirt sophomore out of City College of San Francisco so he too has three years of eligibility remaining. His speed, pass catching and kick-return potential has been among the main talking points of preseason camp, reinforcing his juniorcollege stats (163.4 yards per game, 21 rushing touchdowns).
“He’s just really fast,” offensive coordinator Rob Likens said succinctly about Floyd. “I wish there were some other stuff I could say about him, but he can run.
“He’s got to learn what to do, and he’s not quite there yet, but he’s close. Anybody that has speed and that much quickness, you’ve got to get him the ball.”
Floyd, born on Super Bowl Sunday 1998, was a three-sport athlete at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., while always believing he could be great by focusing on football. He needed better grades, though, to get a Division I opportunity so he grayshirted (not losing any eligibility) for a year after high school then played one season of junior college.
“I probably would have ended up back at JC either way because I honestly don’t think I was ready for D1 out of high school,” Floyd said. “I wasn’t mature enough. So everything happens for a reason. I’m a lot older (20) and understand the game a lot more. I understand what it takes. I’m more serious about my craft. And look where I ended up, at Arizona State with coach Herm Edwards.”
Smith (5-foot-9, 189) had just one carry in 2017 last season but returned five kickoffs and, like Benjamin, who also was a kickoff returner, went through a learning curve he otherwise would be facing now.
Simon understands why fans are more excited about Benjamin – “He was a top-10 running back in the country when we signed him” – but is equally glad to have Smith, from Houston, in his position group.
“Trelon comes every day with a hard hat and lunch pail to put in work,” Simon said.
“You don’t know if he’s going to work cleaning up the stadium or coming to practice ball. He goes 110 percent in everything he’s asked to do with the right attitude and a smile on his face. He plays the game because he truly loves it so don’t worry about Trelon.”
And don’t think the Sun Devils haven’t thought about a bigger back to replace Ballage (6-2, 230). Freshman A.J. Carter (6-0, 231) could play in shortyardage situations, and it’s not impossible given the new rule allowing four games without losing a redshirt that freshman Brock Sturges, also from Texas, could play, too.
Likens jokes about Floyd, acting like he’s 6-3, 220 pounds and bullet-proof instead of the reality that he’s eight inches shorter, 50 pounds lighter and bound to feel the major college hits soon to come his way.
“I’m going to be Zeus,” Floyd said. “It’s kind of surreal because I’ve been waiting for this my whole life and now it’s here.
“There’s always going to be competition when you’re battling for a spot. That’s what football is. But we know with all the running backs working together we have a great group of guys and different skill sets that we can put on the table.”