With the quarterback position set in Jeremy Johnson, the Tigers’ running game is left dependent on the top running back candidates to do the job. However, Gus Malzahn has yet to solidify a starter out of three players up for the position.
By the end of the 2014 season, the Tigers’ offense totaled 3,321 rushing yards, so with the loss of SEC rushing leader Cameron Artis-Payne to the Carolina Panthers, the running back lineup will have some large shoes to fill this season.
Sophomore Roc Thomas tops the list, making his season debut at the A-Day game in April, where he carried for 62 yards and caught the first touchdown pass from Johnson. Last season, Thomas appeared in 12 games, starting in two, and he rushed for 42 yards on six carries against Mississippi State in one of his best games.
Following Thomas is junior college transfer Jovon Robinson. The 6-foot, 230-pound junior only carried for 19 total yards at A-Day, but he proved more successful in his previous college career at Georgia Military College. In his former collegiate career, Robinson rushed for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns, setting the single-season junior college record in rushing yards.
Redshirt sophomore Peyton Barber is also up for a running back spot. Barber also didn’t stand out much at A-Day, but played in six games in 2014, including a season-high 24-yard carry against Louisiana Tech. Against SEC opponents, Barber carried to push for the win over LSU and carried three times for 19 yards against Arkansas.
Although Thomas, Robinson and Barber are at the top of the list, the newest member of the roster, freshman Kerryon Johnson has a chance to stand out. He will need more on-field experience to push him to a starting position, but in his senior year of high school alone, Johnson rushed for 1,659 yards for 25 touchdowns, and racked up 109 total in his career at Madison Academy.
Another contribution to the offensive strength this season is the return of the coaching staff in full. It took approximately four weeks for Tim Horton and Rhett Lashlee to name Tre Mason as the starter back in the 2013 season, making it an easier time crunch to expect a top name for the position.
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