April 16, 2010

Blue-White Countdown 2010: Running Backs

NCAA FOOTBALL: 95th Rose Bowl JAN 01Stephfon Green (21) missed last spring with a broken ankle, but this year he is ready to go full speed.
Previous entries...
1: Special Teams
2: Defensive Backs
3: Linebackers
4: Defensive Line
5: Offensive Line
6: Tight Ends
7: Wide Receivers

We're nearing the conclusion of our countdown to the 2010 Blue-White Game. The Nittany Lions have been practicing for just over three weeks, but Joe Paterno still thinks they stink. Closing in on the Blue-White weekend, I'll wrap up our journey through all the major positions, as I try to give the most reasoned explanation of who we could see come out big, and why. In today's edition, we'll go right up the middle, with the running backs.

Background

Since 2005, Penn State has surprisingly churned out five consecutive 1,000-yard rushers--Tony Hunt (05-06), Rodney Kinlaw (07), and Evan Royster (08-09). You could also throw in possibly the greatest single season of all Nittany Lion rushers, Larry Johnson topping 2,000 yards in 2002. It wasn't the most impressive first half of a decade for the Penn State ground game, but the second half was a dynamite run like none other for the boys in Blue and White.

Returning senior starter Evan Royster is on track to easily break the all-time Penn State career rushing record, needing only 480 yards to pass Curt Warner's career mark of 3,398 set in 1982. Royster should also become the first Nittany Lion to reach 1,000 yards in three seasons. Considering the running back pedigree in Happy Valley, that's saying a lot about No. 22.

I mention Royster in this section because he's not really doing much this spring; he shouldn't have to. There is no reason to risk losing him for the season, when there are about four more excellent backs in need of the reps this spring. This post will focus more on the guys behind Royster, since they will see the most action in the upcoming Blue-White Game.

Running Backs

As you'll notice in the list below, there are many more running backs on the roster than will ever see action in the regular season. But this is the Blue-White Game season, and there's a chance we will see a couple of them run the ball next Saturday.

Still, we'll center in on the following: Stephfon Green, Shaine Thompson, Derek Day, Silas Redd, Curtis Dukes, Hykeem Brodie, and Joe Suhey.

Brandon Beachum is sitting out this spring, finishing up his ACL recovery. Royster won't do much outside of the first series. And with the news of Mike Zordich's DUI, he went from being a potential star of the Blue-White Game, to probably not playing at all.


















No.

Name

Pos.

Elig

Ht/Wt

High School

Coach

3
Brandon Beachum
RB
JR
6-0/218
Youngstown, Oh/Cardinal Mooney
P.J. Fecko
21
Stephfon Green
RB
rJR
5-10/197
Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy
Alex Vega
22
Evan Royster
RB
rSR
6-1/213
Fairfax, Va./Westfield
Tom Verbanic
23
Shaine Thompson
RB
rJR
6-0/215
Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy
Alex Vega
24
Derek Day
RB
rSO
5-9/184
Bellefonte, Pa./Central Dauphin
Glen McNamee
25
Silas Redd
RB
FR
/190
Stamford, Conn./King&Low Heywood Thomas
Dan Gouin
26
Curtis Dukes
RB
rFr
6-1/238
Evans Mills, N.Y./Indian River
Cory Marsell
29
Kevin Kowalishen
RB
rSO
5-10/187
Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area
Robert Steckel
30
Josh Matzkin
FB
rSR
6-0/222
Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep
Frank Sullivan
30
Hykeem Brodie
RB
So
5-11/223
Portsmouth, Va./Old Dominion Univ.
Scott Johnson
33
Andre Dupree
FB
Fr
5-10/224
Waldorf, Md./North Point
Ken Lane
35
Pat Zerbe
FB
rFR
6-1/240
West Lawn, Pa./Wilson
Doug Dahms
37
Joe Suhey
FB
rJR
6-1/236
Deerfield, Ill./Loyola Academy
John Holecek



I'm really looking forward to seeing Green in action this year. Unfortunately, there's a very good chance the coaches will give him the Royster treatment during the Blue-White Game--four or five carries, then ride the bench. I will still hold out to see the kind of show Green has put on before:
"On the second play of the game, redshirt freshman Stephfon Green (Bronx, N.Y.) found an opening and zipped to a 57-yard touchdown run to give the White a 7-0 lead. Green finished as the game's leading rusher with 87 yards on 12 carries for a superlative 7.2 average."
But if that's not what happens, it's not like there won't be plenty more to watch for from the guys lower on the depth chart.

Two names shine bright: Silas Redd and Curtis Dukes. We've heard a ton of great things about both players, but haven't been able to see anything from them on the field. The two are a veritable thunder-and-lightening combo just waiting to take the field together.

Redd has fantastic speed, and as one pundit described, is even more shifty than Green. But according to the coaching staff and observers in practice, he's still a raw talent that has to develop a bit further. I'll take that, as long as that development continues. Redd impressed at Penn State's annual Coaches Clinic scrimmage last weekend, with a few big gains and a touchdown.

Dukes is a bulldozer with speed, even seeing some time at fullback since arriving on campus two seasons ago. Most, including myself, consider him the kind of running back Aaron Harris was back in the 1990s. And most, not necessarily including myself, think his future is at fullback. We'll just have to wait and see where the coaches line him up during the Blue-White Game. Dukes could end up moving around a bit.

Probably the next two in line are Shaine Thompson and Derek Day. Thompson is a converted linebacker who graduated high school with Stephfon Green. He played tailback in last year's Blue-White Game, but was switched back to linebacker during the summer. Then, with the ACL injury to Beachum, Thompson went back to running back. Until Beachum is back, expect Thompson to stay on offense. Day has gotten some praise from Joe Paterno, who said he's a tough kid and hard worker. Though Day is only a walk-on, getting in good with Paterno will always win you some carries. He played in last year's spring game, so I don't expect any different this time around. A player like Day could end up leading the rushers in carries.

The only clear-cut starter for fullback is incumbent Joe Suhey. There's not much to say about "Mr. Penn State Football," other than I hope to see him carry the ball more up the gut. He's not a bruiser, but Penn State needs a guy who can guarantee a touchdown from anywhere inside the two yard line.

Hykeem Brodie is a rare transfer to Penn State, as in the Nittany Lions rarely take kids from other colleges. But something about Brodie impressed the coaches enough to invite him as a preferred walk-on this spring. He has apparently put on a surprisingly good performance during the Coaches Clinic scrimmage, so I'm eager to see what he does in a less controlled situation like the Blue-White Game.

That's all for today. Stay tuned early next week, as I'll post the quarterbacks breakdown on Monday. It's about to be Game Week, folks!

Next: Quarterbacks

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