Maryland Football Position Previews: Running Backs
Oct 18, 2014; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins running back Brandon Ross (45) runs up the middle against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
The running back position is one of the most solidified for Maryland football, heading into the 2015-16 college football season. Despite losing quarterback C.J. Brown, the team’s leading rusher from a season ago, as well as Jacquille Veii and Albert Reid, who both decided to transfer to Towson and Virginia respectively, the Terps have plenty of talent in the backfield.
The Terps were ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in rushing in 2014, averaging just 121.8 yards per game. With a less experienced quarterback under center, the running game must get going in order to alleviate the pressure on Caleb Rowe.
The carries are likely to be split between senior Brandon Ross and junior Wes Brown this season. Ross finished second on the team in rushing yards last season with 419, to go along with a total of six touchdowns, four on the ground and two through the air. While Ross has started for the Terps in each of the past two seasons, he’s not much of a home run hitter. But, he is reliable and his experience should make him a viable option in this offense once more.
Brown missed the 2013 season due to suspension, but he came back fairly strong in 2014, totaling 356 yards and six touchdowns on 103 carries. Like Ross, Brown is a threat to make plays catching the ball out of the backfield. He’s probably the more dangerous of the two backs because of his big-play capability.
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Some other names who could possibly compete for carries this season are true freshman Ty Johnson and redshirt junior Joe Riddle. Johnson is a three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite. He played his high school ball at Fort Hill in Cumberland, Md. With all of the transfers, he will be vaulted into action sooner than expected. Riddle has been a solid contributor on special teams and in practice, so there’s a chance we could see him tote the rock and some point this season.
One of the major reasons that Ross and Brown can improve on their numbers in 2015 is because they’ll be running behind talented junior fullback Kenneth Goins Jr. Goins appeared in every game for the Terps last year and started four of those. He’s now the full-time starter and will be called upon to help create running lanes for the guys behind him. Goins is a player who is being talked about as a potential NFL talent, so here’s his chance to show us what he’s all about.
It is imperative that the Terps establish a decent run game early in the season because the passing game is a work in progress. They are not short of experience and talent in the backfield, so there is no excuse. If Maryland can run the ball effectively, perhaps Rowe and the young crop of receivers will be able to feed off their success.