Entering the 2015 season, sophomore Royce Freeman and junior Thomas Tyner were the two running backs many hoped would carry the Ducks back to the national championship. Arguably the best running back duo in the country, Freeman and Tyner were the next in line to maintain Oregon’s history of dominance in the backfield.
Not since the 2007 season, with Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson, has Oregon had a pair of running backs as powerful and fast as Freeman and Tyner to throw at opposing defenses.
But the plan to keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night took a significant hit when it was reported that Tyner would be out for the season due to a shoulder injury.
“It’s never easy to lose someone as talented as Thomas, especially with what he brings to us everyday,” Freeman said. “But at the same time, it’s really opened the door for some of these other guys to get after it and compete. I think that’s what’s going to allow to us to keep up the tradition of the running backs here.”
With Tyner gone, the most interesting story during Oregon’s fall camp, apart from the quarterback controversy, was who’s going to help take the load off of Freeman. The spot was up for grabs between redshirt sophomore Kani Benoit, redshirt freshman Tony Brooks-James and five-star freshman running back Taj Griffin.
A week before the Ducks were set to face Eastern Washington in the season opener, Oregon released its depth chart. While there was no surprise as to who was at the top, the next two names listed were unknowns.
Benoit has earned the honor of being the week one backup while Brooks-James was listed as the third running back. Although his name wasn’t present on the depth chart, Griffin is expected to get some snaps and showcase his game-changing ability.
“We consistently rotate a couple of guys in. With the guys we have now, at the beginning we’ll be rotating three guys in to figure out who our second guy is,” Oregon running backs coach Gary Campbell said.
While it is no easy task to replace Tyner and everything he’s done for the team during his first two years, the combination of Benoit, Brooks-James and Griffin has a chance to make Duck fans forget about the loss of Tyner.
Each running back brings their own unique set of skills that build variety in the backfield.
Benoit is the most like Tyner and Freeman when it comes to running the ball. Powerfully built at 6-feet-tall and 210 pounds, Benoit has the potential to run a defensive player over when he gets his pads low enough. Although not the fastest in a straightaway, Benoit has the lateral quickness to make defenders miss.
“I’m not as fast as the speed guys, but I have the speed to break away if needed. I also have the power to run over a couple of people, so I’m just taking full advantage of that,” Benoit said.
Coaches and players alike have raved about his fall camp performance and how much faster he’s playing after fully understanding his responsibilities.
“I’ve really seen a big improvement from Benoit — he runs hard,” Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost said. Benoit has grasped the intricacies of the running back position and developed trust with the coaches to succeed on the field, Frost said.
Brooks-James, listed at 5-foot-9 and weighing 185 pounds, uses his speed and quickness as his primary weapons on the field. Not
as strong as Freeman or Benoit, his game is centered around getting to the edge and making big plays.
“I bring speed, elusiveness and a change of pace to the backfield — a nice difference from what Royce and Kani do,” Brooks-James said. “Speed plays a lot into my game and it’s the reason I’m here right now with this opportunity.”
The baby of the group comes in the form of the speedster, Griffin. After overcoming a leg injury during his senior year of high school, Griffin enrolled early at Oregon and spent the first half of 2015 rehabbing before being 100-percent cleared for fall camp.
Although diminutive in size (5-foot-10, 175 pounds), Griffin possesses the world-class speed that Oregon fans were used to seeing when DeAnthony Thomas was in uniform. Griffin’s ability to stop on a dime and explode through his routes is one reason he’s been drawing raves in camp as a difference maker.
“He’s freakishly athletic,” Oregon backup quarterback Jeff Lockie said.
“Taj can change directions and run like only a few guys we’ve ever had around here,” Frost added.
Before his senior year of high school, Griffin clocked a 4.31 second 40-yard dash. But Griffin must still master the playbook and speed of the game to truly help the team.
“He takes elusiveness and speed to the next level,” Freeman said. “He’s got speed I’ve personally never seen, so it’s great to have him back there.”
Knowing there’s a young running back with Griffin’s talents waiting in the wings for his opportunity puts pressure on the other running backs to keep fighting and competing with one another. The competition to replace Tyner was one of the driving forces in the improvement the running backs showed throughout camp and one of the main reasons the team feels comfortable regardless of who is holding the ball.
“We all gain confidence in each other as each day goes by — each of us can do something to help this team and we try to do that,” Freeman said. “Having each of them being able to do what they do, it really drives up the competition and makes all of us better and more game ready when our name is called.”
Throughout fall camp, the running backs have been competing with one another on the field while still maintaining a family atmosphere off of it. Despite the camaraderie, the competition never ends and the depth chart is never set in stone. That type of culture is the reason some believe this group has the potential to surprise defenses.
“Our culture here is really tight. It’s based off the older players teaching the younger players and we make sure that foundation is set in from day one,” Benoit said. “On the field, it’s all about the competition. Off the field though, it’s all about family and just hanging out with one another, making sure we have each other’s backs at all times.”
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