Devy Notes: Three Forgotten Running Backs
The landscape in college football is riddled with talented running backs. The plethora of backs who possess speed, quickness, and power, makes it even harder to predict who will be the next great NFL running back. There are simply too many options to sift through and only x-amount of those players will make an impact at the next level. Not all of them will become fantasy-relevant.
The market is heavy with exceptional running backs which means there are going to be players who will get lost in the shuffle. These are usually players who on the precipice of breaking out. A good season could transcend their career and possibly elevate their draft stock.
Cam Akers, Florida State
Expectations couldn’t be higher for Akers when he initially enrolled at Florida State. He was a decorated five-star recruit who was projected to break out instantly for the Seminoles. His freshman season showed a lot of promise – he rushed for 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns while owning a 24.95 percent market share of the team’s offensive production, ranking fifth amongst freshman running backs in 2017.
Last season wasn’t meant to be, considering he barely rushed over 700 yards and only had one 100-yard performance. It was the program’s worst season since 1976. More often than not, the game script didn’t go Akers’ way. He was playing on an abysmal Florida State team that couldn’t maximize his potential. The blame isn’t fully on his teammates, Akers didn’t exactly exceed expectations either.
Cam Akers. 5⃣8⃣ yards. SEE YA! 👋💨#DoSomething (@FSUFootball, @thereal_cam3) pic.twitter.com/gQkxK5eQ89
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 20, 2018
Akers is an explosion waiting to happen. Once he finds the running lane, he’s off like a rocket. He runs with ruthless aggression and will put a hole through a defenders chest when given the opportunity. Scouts love his tenacious style. He also moves laterally very well and covers a lot of ground with his jump cut.
There are a lot of impressive runs on his highlight reel. He may be one of the most underrated prospects in college football. Akers has as much upside as any running back in the country, he just needs to show it on a consistent basis. Florida State’s offensive line is a wreck, making him hard to evaluate. There are moments where there’s nowhere to run to and he gets stuffed behind the line of scrimmage.
We know the talent is there and he has the potential to make an impact at the NFL level. He’s a hard worker and it shows in the weight room. He has a 600-pound squat and a 315-pound power clean. Both are very impressive lifts for his size. It takes dedication to reach those feats of strength.
There’s going to be at least one more season before he wraps a bow on his collegiate career. Hopefully, by the time he decides to come out for the draft, we have a better idea of how Akers will translate to the NFL game.
Max Borghi, Washington State
It’s been a while since we were excited about a Washington State player, but Borghi has the intangibles to make him a future fantasy asset. He was used heavily in the passing game, catching 53 passes for 374 receiving yards while owning ten percent of the team’s passing targets.
With James Williams leaving for the NFL, there will be more opportunities in the offense for Borghi to showcase his skill set. We should see him receive even more work in the passing game and an increase of carries out of the backfield. He is in store for a major sophomore season and by the end of the year, he could be considered one of the top running backs in the country.
One-on-one nightmare Max Borghi adds to the mayhem on the Palouse
(via @Pac12Network) pic.twitter.com/ZTh9sbXOOP
— SI College Football (@si_ncaafb) October 21, 2018
Borghi runs with a lot of electricity. The Cougars instantly profit when they get him the ball in the space. He has the quicks and speed to eat up large chunks of yardage. To top it off, once he gets going downhill, he packs enough inertia to run through defenders. He runs hard and he does a good job at maintaining a low center of gravity at the point of contact, making him tough to tackle. His size could prevent him from being a three-down workhorse, but his receiving prowess should keep him in the mix in PPR leagues.
If you can catch the ball out of the backfield, then you will always have a fighting chance at being fantasy relevant on any given week. Borghi could at least be satellite back in the NFL, and his receiving workload will present value in fantasy. He’s a safe bet in devy, because we know he has the attributes to carve out a role as a third-down specialist.
Stephen Carr, USC
Carr was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. The devy community had high expectations for him, but in the last two seasons, he could only muster 747 yards and five touchdowns. Injuries are one of the main reasons why he hasn’t broken out yet. Foot and ankle injuries slowed him down last year. A healthy season could make the difference for Carr’s draft outlook.
This will be JT Daniels‘ second year with the team. He will also be under the trusty wing of Graham Harrell who will look to maximize Daniels’ output. During the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at North Texas, the team averaged 158.5 rushing yards per game. The team is expected to focus more on the passing game, but that should make the run game more efficient. The addition of Harrell to the coaching staff should make the offense better.
The Trojans have a very underrated group of receivers. Amon-Ra St. Brown is developing into one of the top wide receivers in the nation. Tyler Vaughns and Michael Pittman are both talented pass catchers. There aren’t many programs in the country who are rolling out three receivers who have the potential to play on Sundays.
The team’s offensive structure will allow Carr to see less loaded boxes, creating more running lanes for him to run through. Daniels should be able to distribute the ball better and the offensive should click. If Carr doesn’t produce this season, then it might not be meant to be.
He will also need to out-produce Aca’Cedric Ware and Vavae Malepeai. This is something he should easily do, but until he puts together a full season of production, we can’t rule out the possibility of a committee – especially since there’s a new offensive coordinator in town which could cause a shuffling of the deck somewhere down the line. The best ability is availability and if Carr can’t consistently clock into work, then the breakout won’t happen.
5️⃣2️⃣ more days before Stephen Carr gets back to ripping the nation apart🤯🙌 pic.twitter.com/H0xiP4BVne
— Barstool USC (@BarstoolSC) July 11, 2018
Carr might be the most talented running back in the nation who nobody is talking about. He has multiple different facets to his game that allows him to win on the field. He’s a one-cut downhill runner who has some wiggle and he has the speed to pull away from defensive backs. Carr is a highlight-reel moment away from being one of the most sought-after backs in college football.
The pendulum could swing either way for Carr. He could be a hero or he could be a zero. His upside is through the roof and a good season could catapult his draft stock. Another injury-plagued season will kill his long-term player outlook. There’s not a running back in the country with more to prove than Carr.
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