Dynamic Duo: The SEC’s JUCO RBs

Kyle Pollock Posted On April 1, 2015

kamara

In the past few years, Junior College transfers have become increasingly sought after recruits for many college football teams. They can step in immediately and make plays for a team because they’ve been playing football at the college level for a year or two. Many successful NFL players on both sides of the ball including Cam Newton, Bruce Irvin, Legarrette Blount, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Cordarrelle Patterson were once junior college players. More recent examples including players such as Cameron Artis-Payne, D’haquille Williams, Randy Gregory, Mario Alford, Vince Mayle, Nick Marshall, and Devontae Booker have had big success after transferring from the JUCO ranks. All look to have a good shot at making the NFL. In this article, I will examine this year’s top two JUCO running backs, Jo’von Robinson and Alvin Kamara.

Jo’von Robinson RB, Auburn

Robinson, this year’s number one JUCO player, makes a highly anticipated return to Auburn where he is expected to be their feature back. He had initially committed to Auburn two years ago, but ended up attending Georgia Military College after it was revealed that a high school guidance counselor had altered his grades. He will look to follow in the footsteps of other standout Auburn players Newton, Marshall, Artis-Payne and Williams who also went the JUCO route. Auburn also has had the leading rusher in the SEC the past two years, a streak that Robinson will hope to continue.

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At 5’11” 227 pounds, he is a big back with a lot of power. He rarely goes down on first contact, and consistently breaks tackles with ease. Robinson also possesses great speed as he runs a 4.5 second 40 yard dash. Robinson ran right by defenders on a regular basis, and also was able to make them miss. He has elite agility and change of direction for a back of his size. Robinson also has gaudy stats to back up his elite film. In 2013, he rushed for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns on 272 carries (8.8 yards per carry). He put up per game numbers of 199 yards and 2.43 touchdowns. To compare, Robinson put up 200 less rushing yards and 21% more rushing touchdowns then Melvin Gordon did last season, but Robinson also played in two fewer games. His numbers were simply staggering. In 2014, Robinson was banged up for most of the year, as he missed one game and received four caries or less in two games (but he did average over 20 yards per carry and scored a touchdown in both those games). Robinson still managed to put up 811 yards and nine touchdowns on 116 carries (seven yards per carry). He averaged 90 yards and a touchdown per game, which are good numbers considering he was banged up for most of the year.

As long as he recovers fully from these injuries, Robinson will be a star at Auburn. I currently have him as my number seven devy running back, by far the highest at DLF. I wouldn’t be shocked if at the end of the season Robinson is considered the best back in the SEC, and possibly the nation. I believe he is a legitimate Heisman trophy contender, and is a top tier devy talent.

Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee

Kamara is currently turning heads at Tennessee’s spring practice, wowing coaches with his dazzling agility and speed. He has a lot of talent, but he’s had some off field issues before. Coming out of high school, Kamara was the number two ranked all-purpose back in the country. He enrolled at Alabama, along with two other four star running backs and the nation’s number one running back, five star Derrick Henry.

While he didn’t see the field his freshman year due to a knee injury, Kamara was suspended twice: once for a behavioral issue, and another for an undisclosed reason. He announced that he would be transferring from Alabama in January of 2014, but shortly after that he was arrested for driving on a suspended license, no driver’s license, safety belts required, and failure to appear in court. Just a few days later Kamara announced that he would be attending Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. In June of 2014 he committed to Tennessee before ever playing a down at Hutchinson. He proved himself worthy of the Vols throughout the season. He was named the conference offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,253 yards and 18 touchdowns on 172 carries (7.2 yards per carry) in nine games. He also caught 18 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Kamara possesses great agility and speed, which allows him to excel in the open field. His great agility also allows for him to be a very patient runner, as he waits for his blocks to open up before shooting through the hole and bursting up field. Tennessee currently only has three running backs on its roster, meaning that Kamara should receive an ample amount of playing time. Rising sophomore Jalen Hurd and Kamara could form a nice thunder and lightning duo in the Vols’ backfield this season, as Hurd is a bigger back who is more of a north-south runner, while Kamara offers great speed and open field ability. I currently have Kamara ranked as my number 13 running back, and I think he has a nice future ahead of him. At worst, he can make it as a third down back in the NFL, but if he can learn to become more of a between the tackles runner and stays healthy he has the potential to be a star on Sundays. Granted, the only way he reach his full potential is if he keeps his head on straight and proves that he was worth taking a shot on.

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