| Draft Spin Cycle: USC Running Backs | ||||
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Lane Kiffin on running back by committee: “We would rather not be in a big committee thing. As a running back, you get better throughout the game because you get used to what’s going on…how is the defense playing, are we able to get the backside cuts, how are the D-tackles playing the different blocks? You have to get a rhythm, and so I would rather find one or two guys. So that’s our job, to figure out who those guys are going to be.” Lane Kiffin on ideal two-headed backfields: “It is very productive when they have different styles. If the two guys are really different, it really allows to you do more things, obviously, like (when) Reggie (Bush) and LenDale (White) were here before. That’s a perfect scenario.” What does that mean for the draft prospects of the Trojans’ deep stable of backs? Let’s put them through our “Draft Spin Cycle”: Allen Bradford (Senior): A 235-pound bulldozer, Bradford figures to benefit from Kiffin’s philosophy as the most distinct Trojan rusher. Considered by most to be among the top 10 senior running backs heading into the 2010 season, the between-the-tackles runner will have every opportunity to solidify, if not improve his draft stock. As a junior he was productive in a complementary role to Joe McKnight. Now he will have a chance to prove he can carry the load as a senior. Don’t expect Bradford to go as high as LenDale White did (second-round pick in 2006), but the bruiser could go in the mid-rounds, particularly if he has a productive senior season as USC’s feature back. 2009 Stats: 668 yards, 5.8 yards per carry & eight touchdowns (115 carries) C.J. Gable (Senior): The California native’s 2008 numbers are almost identical to Bradford’s 2009 stats: 617 yards, 5.8 yards per carry and eight touchdowns on 107 carries. Nevertheless, as Lev speculates in his column, Kiffin’s blueprint for a one-two punch could mean Gable is the odd man out. He lacks the size of Bradford and the speed of Dillon Dixon, which could leave him—like Stafon Johnson this past season—undrafted. A strained abdomen limited him to 13 carries in 2007 (red-shirt season) and in 2009 Gable took a backseat to the Bradford/McKnight combo. He may never build on the promise he displayed during his red-shirt sophomore campaign of 2008. 2009 Stats: 102 yards, 4.3 yards per carry & no touchdowns (24 carries) Marc Tyler (Junior): If Gable feels like he is at the back of the class, Marc Tyler isn’t even in the room. The five-star recruit came to USC with the accolades and the pedigree—his father Wendell (Tyler) was a UCLA great and a solid NFL runner—but has struggled to make his mark as a Trojan. Last season he earned a mere five carries, and has just 41 totes since arriving at SoCal in 2007. At 225 pounds he has prototypical size but hasn’t been able to shake the injury bug to show whether or not he can make Pac-10 tacklers miss. At this point it appears he is more likely to fall to fifth on the depth chart than improve his draft stock as a junior, which calls into question a potential pro career that once upon a time appeared inevitable. 2009 Stats: 72 yards, 14.4 yards per carry & one touchdown (5 carries) Dillon Baxter (Freshman): Look for the You-Tubing true freshman to be the lightning to Bradford’s thunder. The much-ballyhooed schoolboy hopes to follow in the footsteps of Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight (OK, more so Bush) as an all-purpose talent who can bust the game open from anywhere on the field. After graduating early from high school, Baxter enrolled at USC in time to be a spring game sensation with his breakaway speed and spin moves. The multi-talented offensive weapon—he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver in high school—could also see time at wide out and as a return specialist. Although he is still at least three years away from being drafted (2013 NFL Draft is the earliest he will be eligible), it’s never too early to start making a positive impression on NFL scouts.
* 2009 Stats: 2,984 yards, 11.4 yards per carry & 50 touchdowns (261 carries)
* High School Stats Let us know your thoughts, leave a comment below... You can email Daniel Mogollon @
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