The Ghostwriter

Welcome to the Football Factory!
The following study examines the top colleges for producing current NFL talent on a position by position basis.

Today’s group: Running Backs.

I. Miami

1. Clinton Portis (WAS): Despite being plagued by injuries last season, Portis still managed to tough it out in all 16 games for the second consecutive season. He actually carried the ball 17 more times than he had the previous year on his way to nearly 1,500 yards. Before the Redskins’ late-season meltdown, Portis was also considered a legitimate MVP candidate. Any help he can get from quarterback Jason Campbell and company is just a bonus at this point.

2. Frank Gore (SF):  The 49ers’ workhorse reached the 1,000 yard milestone for the third consecutive year in ‘08. Although his production has dropped each season since his breakout year in 2006, much of this can be attributed to the lighter load he’s been given in the Mike Martz pass-friendly system. Expect new coach Mike Singletary to instill a more grind-it-out type of running game.

3. Willis McGahee (BAL): While John Harbaugh may have saved the Ravens franchise in ‘08, the one person he did no favors for was incumbent starter McGahee. Not only did the team draft a flashy young runner in Rutgers’ Ray Rice, but then they also went on to give the majority of the handoffs to former fullback Le’Ron McClain. All of these factors, combined with McGahee’s inability to stay healthy, resulted in the least productive year of McGahee’s career. If he wants to be a featured back again, his fortunes may lie elsewhere.

4. Edgerrin James (ARZ): Like McGahee, James found himself being phased out more and more by his team in ‘08. Although this ultimately wound up giving him fresh legs for the playoffs, it would be surprising to see him back in the desert for a fourth year. On the one hand, he had reached the 1,000 yard milestone for five consecutive seasons prior to last year. On the other hand, his yards per carry average hasn’t reached four since he left Indianapolis.

5. Najeh Davenport (IND): A year after getting the most touches of his career, Davenport was barely utilized in 2008. At the very least, he can still be an effective short yardage back.

II. Arkansas

1. Darren McFadden (OAK): McFadden highlights a stellar ‘08 draft class of Arkansas running backs. Though he didn’t have the same type of rookie year as someone like Adrian Peterson, he did show flashes of his exceptional play-making ability. Make no mistake, Oakland will place a large emphasis on getting the ball in his hands more in 2009.

2. Felix Jones (DAL): If Jones had not gone down with an injury in the sixth game of the ‘08 season, he very likely would be leading this group. Much like McFadden, “The Cat” teased us with glimpses of greatness and an uncanny ability to take it the distance from anywhere on the field. Look for Dallas to run more reverses, tosses, and screens in 2009 to better utilize its young speedster.

3. Peyton Hillis (DEN): In the first eight weeks of the 2008 season, it didn’t look like the former Arkansas fullback was going to see much playing time. Then everything changed in a home loss to Miami, in which Hillis caught seven passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. As the Denver running backs were claimed one by one by the injury bug, Hillis was able to work his way up to the starting job…before he too eventually had to be placed on injured reserve. Still, he showed enough in his limited action to hopefully merit some more touches in the ‘09 season.

III. USC

1. Justin Fargas (OAK): Even though the Raiders selected Darren McFadden in the first round of the 2008 draft, Fargas was still able to hold onto to his starting position. In fact, he only received four fewer carries than he had the previous year. Unfortunately, his 3.9 YPC probably isn’t going to convince anybody that he can be “the guy” in Oakland. Look for McFadden to steal more snaps in ‘09.

2. LenDale White (TEN): The chubby former Trojan lost his place atop the Tennessee depth chart in ‘08, as speedy Chris Johnson garnered Rookie of the Year consideration. Yet, White was still used in short yardage situations, which resulted in a disproportionate number of TD’s (thus earning him the nickname “Touchdown Vulture”). On a more positive note, he was able to curb the “fumblitis” that had plagued him in ‘07 by only surrendering the ball once in ‘08.

3. Reggie Bush (NO): Thus far, the former Heisman winner has had a rough go of it in the pros. Once viewed as a faster version of Barry Sanders, Bush is now more of a situational back who excels at turning short passes into big gains. Perhaps his greatest area of expertise lies in the return game, where he took three different punts back for six in ‘08. While injuries have also taken their toll on the Elusive One, coach Sean Payton expects him to be healthy and back in the pads this summer.

IV. Texas

1. Cedric Benson (CIN): If the former Austinite goes on to have even a semi-productive professional career, he will have the lowly Bengals to thank. The fact that they were willing to take a chance on Benson, who at the time was probably moping around his boat on Lake Travis, speaks volumes about the level of desperation permeating the Cincy organization. Still, it must be admitted that the former first round pick played probably his best football in those 12 games last season since entering the pros in ‘05. Now that he’s been rewarded with a fat extension this offseason, time will tell whether or not he can finally live up to some of his potential.

2. Ricky Williams (MIA): Barring an injury to Ronnie Brown, it is very unlikely that the former Heisman winner will ever eclipse the 1,000 yard mark again so long as he is in Miami. That being said, the addition of the Wild Cat formation into the ‘08 offense gave Williams a chance to see more playing time, as it often called for both he and Brown to be on the field at the same time. Look for Miami to try to run more of the same in 2009 with a few new wrinkles.

3. Jamaal Charles (KC): The former Texas track star only saw limited action in his rookie year behind Larry Johnson and Kolby Smith. However, he still managed to post an impressive 5.3 YPC and displayed good hands coming out of the backfield with 272 receiving yards. If the new management in Kansas City decides to part ways with the troubled Johnson, Charles could see a huge spike in his carries in ‘09.

4. Selvin Young (DEN): Although Young battled injuries for much the 2008 season before landing on injured reserve in week nine, he still received roughly the same number of touches as Jamaal Charles. His career 5.1 YPC is impressive, but there are still questions concerning his durability. Denver will enter the ‘09 season with a slew of running backs so Young will really have to prove himself to the new coaching staff if he wants to stick around for any length of time.

V. Minnesota

1. Marion Barber (DAL): One of the toughest runners in the league, Barber famously dishes out even more punishment to opposing defenders than he receives. Long considered one of the best game closers, he finally got his first real chance to be a starting back in 2008. While he ultimately wound up being hobbled by injuries last season that resulted from his overuse, 2009 looks promising for Barber with playmaker Felix Jones returning from injured reserve and the now-experienced Tashard Choice also in the mix.

2. Laurence Maroney (NE): The former Golden Gopher has shown the Patriots staff glimpses of the player they thought they drafted in 2006, but he has yet to really live up to expectations. Limited to only three games in 2008 because of injuries, this coming season could be a “make-or-break year” for Maroney.

3. Gary Russell (PIT): Russell has had a slow transition into the NFL, but he appeared to be finding his niche as a short yardage back in 2008. Mike Tomlin has to like the toughness he brings behind Fast Willie Parker, but it will be interesting to see where he fits now that Rashard Mendenhall will be taking away snaps, as well.

VI. Honorable Mention

LSU: Joseph Addai (IND), Kevin Faulk (NE), Jacob Hester (SD)

UCLA: Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX), Deshaun Foster (SF)

Florida: Fred Taylor (NE), Earnest Graham (TB)

Illinois: Rashard Mendenhall (PIT), Pierre Thomas (NO)

Trackback URI | Comments RSS