Depth At RB A Good Problem To Have

We may have too many RBs ready to play for us right now, and that is a good problem to have. With sophomore Cyrus Gray and redshirt sophomore Bradley Stephens returning, and true freshman Christine Michael getting a look at contributing this season, we have a wealth of talent at RB. This isn't forgetting true freshman Kalvin Guyton, who Coach Sherman mentioned after both of our first two practices. This depth means if the unmentionable happens, and we have some injuries at RB, we have talent ready to step up and carry the ball for us. It also means we might be able to help out other positions on the field while also helping further develop the skillset of our backs.

All indications are that we're going to be running 10, 11, and 0 personnel for the majority of offensive downs this season, which means we'll be almost exclusively in one-back or no-back sets. Our RBs will see time split out at slot receiver when we go to 0 personnel, and will be called on to block in the passing game. Our depth at the TB position also means we might be able to look at using a TB extensively at slot receiver if needed.

Right now, Ryan Tannehill is competing for a starting job at QB, which leaves us without his talents at WR. Even if Tannehill is willing to return to WR if he doesn't win the starting QB job, just to be on the field, Sherman might keep Tannehill at QB just to ensure we have depth at the position. Enter a TB willing to move to spend some time at wide receiver, and we have our answer. I think the player most likely to be able to shift from TB to receiver would be Bradley Stephens, simply because he has that open-field running style that lends itself to playing in space. Sherman has also said we need to find ways to get Stephens more touches in each game, and motioning him out to the slot from 20 personnel would definitely achieve this goal. It would also increase the likelihood of getting a linebacker matched up on him in space, a schematic advantage we could exploit all game long.

While we will be running a no-huddle spread attack this season, and will be using mostly one or no-back sets, I expect we will be going back to Sherman's beloved West Coast pro-set attack when we have the proper personnel in place. Spending time at WR would help develop Stephens as a receiver coming out of the backfield, so his adjustment if/when we switch schemes again would be seamless. It will also give plenty of pro scouts an idea of how he will project as a running back/receiver on the next level.

As a single-wing fan, my first reaction to seeing four talented backs is to put them all on the field together and make the opposing defense stop all of them, but Coach Sherman doesn't appear ot be headed in that direction yet (I hold out hope, though). The next best thing to hope for is that we can get the ball into our players hands as often as possible, and possibly using one or more of these backs as a receiver out of the backfield or motioning him to the slot would help us accomplish this goal.