Look Ahead: Buffs Have Depth, Experience At RB

BOULDER — With the onset of organized summer workouts just around the corner and the opening of football fall camp less than 11 weeks away, we continue the process of breaking down where the Colorado Buffaloes stand on a position-by-position basis.

Next up: Running backs.

The days of the Buffaloes running roughshod over opponents with a power running game are long gone. The emphasis has shifted to the air, and the numbers bear that out. In the last three seasons, Colorado has averaged 120.8, 154.6 and 156.2 yards per game on the ground.

Last year, CU surpassed the 100-yard mark just twice against Pac-12 opponents, and hit the 200-yard mark only once — a 242-yard effort against UCLA — while averaging just 3.7 yards per rush attempt, 11th in the Pac-12.

But an emphasis on the passing game doesn't mean the Buffs don't want to be effective on the ground — and neither does it mean the two are mutually exclusive. Texas Tech, after all, was second in the nation in passing yards a year ago — 388.2 per game — but still had one of the nation's top rushers in DeAndre Washington (1,492 yards; 6.4 yards per attempt).

Nobody is expecting the Buffs to suddenly produce a 1,400-yard rusher. Fact is, CU hasn't had a 1,000-yard runner since Rodney Stewart ran for 1,318 in 2010.

But CU's coaches do want to get to the point that they have a consistent, productive ground game that opponents have to respect — and this could be the year they take a solid step in that direction. The Buffs have depth and experience at the position, key ingredients when it comes to establishing consistency.

For starters, the Buffs will have their leading rusher from a year ago, Phillip Lindsay, back in the lineup. Lindsay, a junior, ran for 653 yards last season with a healthy 4.66-per carry average. Also returning is junior Donovan Lee (286 yards), who made the move to running back late in the season but showed some big-play potential, averaging 5.83 yards per carry.

Also back is sophomore Patrick Carr, a speedster who also showed some breakaway abilities, as well as junior Michael Adkins II — maybe the Buffs' most-productive back when healthy. Throw incoming freshman Beau Bisharat — a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder — into the mix, and the Buffs should have a solid group.

But the key will be how things develop up front. Injuries on the offensive line prevented Colorado from establishing any kind of continuity or consistency in the run game a year ago. How that group develops over the summer and through fall camp will go a long way in determining how effective the running game will be.

What we learned in spring: While much of the attention during spring drills focused on some adjustments to the playbook and increasing the tempo of play, particularly in the passing game, the run game didn't go unnoticed. The Buffs worked on spreading the field and getting their playmakers into “space” — and that included their running backs.

Each of the backs in the Buffs' stable had some good moments in the spring under new running backs coach Darian Hagan. Lindsay might have been the most consistent, but Lee, Carr and Adkins all showed flashes of what coaches wanted to see — the ability to break big plays in space.

The Buffs also spent plenty of time working on short-yardage and goal-line situations, an area in which they struggled at times a year ago. Lindsay, Carr and Adkins all showed the ability to pick up the tough yards, and that situation should improve even more next fall when left tackle Jeromy Irwin is healthy and back in the fold.

Lindsay had the best spring game, running for 83 yards on seven carries, including a 47-yard burst. Adkins ran five times for 40 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown run; while Carr showed some good power inside, running 10 times for 31 yards and a pair of first downs.

What's next: Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning — and plenty of strength training. For running backs, the organized summer workouts are a chance to improve their speed and quickness, as well as add the strength that will make the difference in short-yardage situations.

It's also a chance to spend time in the film room and review what they did in the spring. Hagan is a big believer in film sessions, and his players have learned that improvement can be made by correcting mistakes in the film room, then applying those corrections to the field.

Also big will be the player-run volunteer sessions, which usually include some 7-on-7 work. That's when they'll have the opportunity to work on their receiving skills out of the backfield, improve their knowledge of the playbook and become more comfortable with the changes in the offense.

Fall camp storylines: For the last four seasons, Colorado has been a “running back by committee” team. It will be interesting to see if this is the year that one or two of CU's backs break loose and separate themselves from the pack.

Lindsay would appear to have the edge in that area, as he might be the most balanced of the bunch: he's a solid runner, a good receiver, a capable pass blocker and as tough — mentally and physically — as they come. Adkins has shown the ability to get better as a game progresses — if he stays healthy — and Carr has become a solid runner inside as well as possessing probably the best breakaway speed of anyone in the bunch. Carr made big strides in the spring — he emerged as the co-leader with Lindsay atop the depth chart — and CU coaches are expecting another jump this fall.

Lee, meanwhile, also brings an interesting dimension to the game. A former receiver, he can still shift out to the slot, and his big-play potential as a running back is evident: Lee had four runs for 20 or more yards last year, including CU's longest of the season, a 59-yard touchdown scamper vs. Nicholls.

The question is whether any of them can break away from the group and become the “feature” guy. It's something CU coaches would like to see happen, but only if there's a clear leader.

Note: CU's “pencil” depth chart is the one that has been released to various magazines around the nation for their summer preview specials. It includes players who were injured and did not participate in spring but are expected to be ready for summer drills. It does not include players who have yet to practice with the team, such as incoming freshmen and transfers.

Pencil depth chart:

Running back: Phillip Lindsay OR Patrick Carr, Donovan Lee, Michael Adkins II, Kyle Evans, Joey Tuggle, Tanner Grzesiek.

Incoming players who could figure into the mix: The Buffs signed just one running back in the spring, Bisharat. The four-star recruit from Sacramento has all the tools, and it won't be a surprise if he comes in and makes an impact right away by at least challenging for a little playing time.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu