Fall camp preview: Running Back
As Missouri prepares to kick off fall camp practices for its second season under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, a sense of normalcy has returned. Drinkwitz's debut season got delayed and de-railed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but after the Tigers managed to go 5-5 against an all-SEC schedule, fans are optimistic to see what he can do in year two.
Drinkwitz and Missouri will start fall camp practices the first week of August. So, every day over the next couple weeks, we will break down each of the team's position groups. Today, we look at the Tiger running backs.
The Starter
With Larry Rountree III gone to the Los Angeles Chargers, Tyler Badie should finally get the opportunity to serve as Missouri's featured back. Badie has been a staple in Missouri's offense the past three years, but Rountree dominated the carries a season ago, averaging nearly 21 rushing attempts per game. This year, Badie should get more opportunities to showcase his explosiveness. The speedster has proven himself as a big-play threat as both a running back and receiver. Across the past two seasons, he's scored 14 touchdowns, seven on the ground and seven through the air. He's racked up nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage across those two campaigns at 6.4 yards per touch.
There's reason for optimism that Badie could break out with a more consistent role, but the one concern is his ability to stand up physically to being a lead back in the SEC. Badie, listed at 5-foot-8 and 194 pounds, has only missed one game so far in his college career due to injury, but he has also only carried the ball more than 12 times in two games. Drinkwitz and the Missouri staff will have to strike the right balance between giving Badie enough opportunities to make plays while not wearing him down early in the season.
The Backups
Clearly, Missouri will need at least one other running back to help Badie carry the load, and likely two. The most likely candidate to serve as the team's No. 2 back this season appears to be Elijah Young. Young didn't play much a season ago, carrying the ball just 10 times across five games, but when he did get a touch, he showcased the speed that made him the Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee in 2019. Young averaged 7.8 yards per carry on his 10 totes. He's expected to be able to contribute in the receiving game, as well. Several colleges actually recruited him as a slot receiver rather than a running back.
While expectations are high for Young, at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, he, too, doesn't fit the profile of a frequent between-the-tackles bruiser. Missouri will likely incorporate at least one other back into its regular rotation in order to keep Young and Badie fresh. There are several candidates for that spot. Dawson Downing opted to return for a sixth season in 2021 due to the NCAA's decision not to count last season against players' eligibility, and he has shown an ability to gain yards between the tackles. Downing, a former walk-on, touched the ball just twice last season, but in 2019, he ran 40 times for 227 yards and a touchdown. Simi Bakare, too, has the size to be a force between the tackles at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, but Bakare has hardly played during his first three years at Missouri. He's carried the ball just 19 times for 90 yards, with 11 of those carries coming in 2018. Then there are the newcomers. Missouri added two freshmen in its 2020 signing class in St. Louis native Taj Butts and Tennesseean BJ Harris. At 5-foot-10 and 232 pounds, Butts is the larger of the two backs, but both should have an opportunity to compete for regular playing time with a strong fall camp.
Camp Storyline to Watch
It seems likely that Missouri will need three running backs to play regular snaps with Rountree out of the picture, and Badie and Young should fill two of those spots. But entering camp, the third position appears to be wide open. Given the size and skillsets of Badie and Young, it would make sense for the Tigers to incorporate a bigger, more physical runner into the mix, such as Downing or Butts, but camp should give us a more definitive idea of how the reps will shake out at running back.
PowerMizzou Prediction
Expect Badie to be the clear-cut leader of Missouri's backfield. After serving as a change-of-pace option the past three seasons, he should be hungry to show what he can do as a feature back. And while he doesn't have extensive experience as a short-yardage or interior runner, we believe he's capable of running between the tackles and will probably be the team's primary goal-line option.
That said, Badie is highly unlikely to carry the ball 20 times a game like Rountree. That's why we think Missouri needs at least two other backs to play regular snaps. Look for Young to fill the third-down role Badie held the last couple seasons while someone else plays 10 to 15 snaps a game. If we had to pick a favorite for that spot right now, it would be Downing, but each of the other players listed above should get a chance to beat him out.
Previous Position Breakdowns
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