Travis Thomas may need to move to the other side of the ball this season. He brings a nice burst of speed and an extra gear that Walker lacked. He also hits the hole quickly, something Walker had been criticized for not doing in the past. Thomas also appears to be much more physical in his running style, which I think has been lacking recently at the position. If anything, he probably needs to work on his hands and becoming more of a playmaker out of the backfield.
James Aldridge is the choice to grab the position. Aldridge came to Notre Dame as a Scout.com five-star running back last January, but knee injuries have slowed his development, and Aldridge only managed 37 carries for 142 yards and 3.8 yards per carry this past season. Aldridge seemed to be finding his confidence at the end of the season. Irish fans have to hope that he can continue on that path this spring.
Munir Prince is another freshman back we saw in the backfield numerous times over the 2006 season. Prince’s game is speed, and he has a lot of it, but we haven’t seen that translate to productivity yet. In fact, Prince carried the ball 15 times last year and amassed just 21 yards (1.4 yards per carry). He is a guy that needs to ball in his hands to make things happen. You have to put up with the 2 yard carry to get the 60 yard break away.
But with a guy like Prince, you need to keep giving it to him if you’re going to play him because while he’ll get you the two-yard carry, he’ll also get you the 60-yard home run. If the sophomore-to-be can work on his size, strength and hands, he could go a long way in helping replace Walker.
If Prince cannot get it doneArmando Allen can fill that void. At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, Allen has similar size and speed. The Hialeah, Fla. native recently enrolled in Notre Dame and is expected to participate in spring practices, and that’s good news for Irish fans.
He’s got that “wow” factor that the great backs have, and more importantly, he’s got 4.38 speed.
Unfortunately, like James Aldridge before, Allen enrolled at Notre Dame injured. This time it’s an ankle, and Allen said he should be 100 percent by the time spring practice rolls around. It’s important for Allen to get some quality reps this spring if he wants to contribute this fall. Learning the offense, working on pass protection and receiving this spring should give him a leg up once fall camp rolls around.
A fifth player could factor into the equation in combo back Luke Schmidt. Schmidt would certainly bring some down hill running to the Irish backfield if given the chance. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Schmidt is certainly a load, and I’m going to guess he’s north of 230 pounds at present time. The Jasper, Ind. freshman was recruited to play both halfback and fullback.
Spring should be an exciting time for Irish fans and for watching the competition at halfback. Charlie Weis likes to use one player as his main back because he doesn’t like to tip his hand on offense. He doesn’t like to have a guy whose only job is to catch the football or only runs and never stays in to pass block. By having such a player, you’re tipping off the defense as to which type of play likely is coming—run or pass.
Considering the Irish will replace three starters along the offensive line for next season, running lanes might be few and hard to find. I’m guessing the guy who can run physical, yet still find the creases, can pass block, catch, and most importantly, hold onto the football will win the job. I can’t name that guy right now, but I’m going to guess one of the bigger backs has the best shot to start, as long as he can catch and hold into the football.
Whoever does win the job needs to get the ball up and down the field with consistency. The young quarterbacks will appreciate that immensely.
No comments:
Post a Comment