Why so many running backs in this class?
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I was going to attempt to find some historical posts, which would address your question, but I think it would be better if @herdalicious chimed in, as I believe he had the better takes in regard to the Herd running back stable.
The one kid that just committed had other offers from Lenoir Rhyne and Catawba. Maybe a position change for some of these guys??
I won't do a whole missive, but the short summary of the issue is that we had five HBs on the roster last year, and only two of them touched the ball the last 8-9 games of the season. We had TEs and WRs get more carries than our HBs, so either:
1) They are all so bad at ball security or blocking that they are effectively useless in the offense
2) We are so gun shy about letting underclassmen touch the ball that we hold them in arrested development until we are either forced to throw them into the fire with no experience in the middle of a game, or they transfer out from lack of playing time before they ever see the field
Based on the number of HBs in the recruiting class, I'd guess maybe #1 is a pretty strong candidate for Reality. However, knowing Brendan Knox's freshman year was wasted using him on special teams until Tyler King goes down, only to find out he's the best football player on the whole team, I have to wonder what the coaching staff wasn't seeing.
I have my doubts about our ability to evaluate talent sometimes, both in terms of recruiting players who can't physically play (Korn, Thomson), and in not letting players lower on the depth chart get live reps to see what they can do.
One thing I know for sure: Brendan Knox won't stay intact long enough to play pro ball if we keep giving him the rock 30+ times a game.
1) They are all so bad at ball security or blocking that they are effectively useless in the offense
2) We are so gun shy about letting underclassmen touch the ball that we hold them in arrested development until we are either forced to throw them into the fire with no experience in the middle of a game, or they transfer out from lack of playing time before they ever see the field
Based on the number of HBs in the recruiting class, I'd guess maybe #1 is a pretty strong candidate for Reality. However, knowing Brendan Knox's freshman year was wasted using him on special teams until Tyler King goes down, only to find out he's the best football player on the whole team, I have to wonder what the coaching staff wasn't seeing.
I have my doubts about our ability to evaluate talent sometimes, both in terms of recruiting players who can't physically play (Korn, Thomson), and in not letting players lower on the depth chart get live reps to see what they can do.
One thing I know for sure: Brendan Knox won't stay intact long enough to play pro ball if we keep giving him the rock 30+ times a game.
I have always thought Doc plays for kids from high schools that he will recruit from in the future.
You're right. If Knox is used as much in 2020 as he was in 2019, he won't be around in 2021. He'll either be on IR or he'll transfer.
I don't understand this theory; his physical abilities should be judged game by game, not set at some predetermined number. It seems he wants the ball and handles playing late in games very well. Is there some knowledge that says 25 to 30 carries a game is too much for him; or just some kind of pre-judged standard?
When the staff can't develop a QB, you put all of your marbles in running backs and O-line. There isn't a need to recruit receivers or quarterbacks if the still have given up on being able to produce a signal-caller.
Kind of like an NFL running back's average tenure in the league is 3- 4 years. The wear and tear on the body does take its toll. Knox may say yeah give me the rock, but sooner or later his body will tell him othetwise.
To be honest, I'm basing my belief on anecdotal evidence I've seen over the course of my life. Ricky Williams was getting 25 carries a game for the Dolphins when he said "this is too much" and decided he'd rather roam the mountains of Tibet, smoking weed with alpacas. Noel Devine was one of the most talented players I'd even seen on the collegiate level, but after two years of Bill Stewart giving him 25 carries and 10 catches a game, he was burnt toast on Draft Day and never played a down in the League (and even fell so far as to be a CFL backup).
There's also the situation surrounding Devon Johnson, whose story makes this issue a little more serious than "will he or won't he get rich playing pro ball." You can't assume the staff is going to volunteer to bench a valuable player, nor can you assume that player will always make the correct decision with regard to their own health versus a desire to be on the field.
here is another perspective. Most RB in college, even the good ones, will never play at the next level. Bradshaw avg around 20 carries a game his final two seasons here. he went on to play 9 years in the NFL. Just an observation.
True, but over a college season, the difference between 20 carries a game and 25 carries a game is 65 carries, or three games worth of tackles, all occurring within the same regular 13 games that the other 260 tackles are happening in. More or less I'm just saying 25% of anything is a pretty significant amount.
Winner. Load up with running backs and hope you have a good like and win with with a less than average qb. Try to hide the weakness.
So Doc has 6 running backs currently on the roster and he is brining in another 5? Why in the world does he need 11 running backs? the other problem I see on the roster is he is graduating 7 olineman so you would think he would go heavy at that position. SMH on some of this
and wont offer the kid from Tyler County because guess what? He has to many running back commits. lol
Couple things:
Right now the roster has 4 scholarship running backs - not 6 like you claim. A 5th may join the team in the fall if he becomes eligible.
Only two of the RBs listed on the 2020 commit list will actually play RB at Marshall. Neither of those RBs are projected to contribute until 2021 at the earliest. Read between the lines there.
Marshall will return seven offensive lineman currently on scholarship in 2021. Add in James Magee and Ethan Driskell, two former PWOs scheduled to go on scholarship, and that number jumps to 9. Add in 3 or 4 high school recruits and a JUCO in the 2021 class and Marshall is back to that safe number of 14 offensive lineman on scholarship.
Total agreement....I have never been impressed with the current QB since the first game he played. I question his intelligence level and certainly his lack of seeing the field.
HerdZilla22
The new defensive coordinator at ODU that just came from WVU offered as soon as he took the new job. He loves the kid but he wanted to stay close home. He is walking on at WVU but was told he was have gone to Marshall if offered. I follow instate recruiting and just like some of the other names I mention every year Doc lets gets slip away. My guess is he ends up at linebacker.
plus the new kids coming in
Right now the roster has 4 scholarship running backs - not 6 like you claim. A 5th may join the team in the fall if he becomes eligible.
Read my previous post. Those kids will not be a factor in 2020. Rahsul Faison would be the 5th RB. He was part of the 2019 class as a non qualifier.
No , I get it, he over recruits a position because certain kids are not panning out and most of the recent group is made up of props (which are at risk in terms of academics or attitudes and passes over a good kid with good grades and would bleed on the field to play D1 football). I hope JJ is not getting the ole bait and switch because he wants to playing RB.
The Rucker kid sounds just like a certain QB from the Eastern Panhandle. Great kid, Great grades, and just produces on the field. This is what is meant when Doc does not take attitudes into consideration. A kid roles up with a great attitude, plays with a huge heart, has a ton of desire, and produces at the high school level and Doc would rather take a chance on athletic potential (and has some kind of off field issues).
Bingo! We don't recruit the Chad Pennington's any longer. The kids just like what you said. Kids with great heart and attitudes with athletic potential. Doc has built a roster around kids with high athletic talent but without the other skills like ability to self motivate, be able to over come adversity, and play with discipline(but then again a quality QB covers up a lot of these problems).
Let's be honest. Chad was not a 4 or 5* when he got here. 1st year he was 3rd team and got thrown into the fray due to injuries. But by hard work and determination he became a qb and a leader that I wish we had every year. Same thing with BL.
You are making an ass out of yourself with your assumption. We aren't taking NQs with attitude problems, and most of our NQ recruits in the past have had test score problems that caused them to not be eligible, but were decent students. I have never even heard of this recruit you speak of so I could care less. The kid is also stupid to turn down a scholarship offer to play at ODU to walk on at WVU. ODU has RB problems and could use a few, while he will never sniff the field except to play special teams at WVU if he isn't cut first.
Here we go again, the annual "Doc doesn't recruit enough players from the Panhandle" thread.
Nope this one is from Tyler County. That is not even close to the EP. You do realize that correct?
So Marshall should’ve offered a kid that couldn’t even make First-Team All-State RB in Single-A?
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