2021 Gophers Position Previews: Running Backs

After a truncated 2020, Minnesota returns to a full 12-game football season Sept. 2 against Ohio State. Here at Ski-U-Blog will be previews of the team's notable players within each position group. Today, we discuss the Gophers' deep running back corps.

Likely Starter

Minnesota has been of a streak of good running backs since David Cobb seized the starting job in 2013. Cobb gained the most rushing yards of any Gopher ever in his 2014 season before being drafted. Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks traded carries their first two seasons, at times serving as the only productive aspects of mediocre to dreadful offenses. Brooks battled injuries as an upperclassman but still contributed as Smith became the program's career all-purpose yards leader.

It's not outlandish to say that Mohamed Ibrahim is the best Gophers running back since Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney occupied the backfield. In 2021, Ibrahim will almost certainly pass Cobb and Barber on the Minnesota career rushing leaderboard, and there's a good chance he overtakes Maroney and Smith. Darrell Thompson holds the record; though it'll require breaking Cobb's single-season record and then some, it's not impossible for Ibrahim to match Thompson.

You can see the traits that make Ibrahim an elite back on the above play: the vision and intelligence to find holes, the agility to sneak through them and shuffle around obstacles, the quick burst to reach the corner and leave linebackers behind, and the power to level defensive backs when they get in his way. He's also fumbled just twice in 517 college carries. All he lacks is the top-end speed that would make him one of the top tailbacks in next season's NFL Draft.

I've written or spoken multiple times about how Minnesota relies too much on the run game and on Ibrahim in particular. Because of how valuable passing is, how much talent the Gophers' passing game has had, the strength of the offensive line, and the depth behind Ibrahim on the depth chart, they can afford to give their workhorse more breaks and would probably be better off for it. But there's no debating this: Ibrahim is a great player — arguably the best in the conference at his position, and likely the best overall on his team.

Key Backups

Treyson Potts first made his mark in the 2019 Maryland game, where he racked up 42 yards and a touchdown after the game was beyond contention. He gave a meaningful contribution in three games in 2020 before an injury sidelined him against Illinois. His production was a little less upon his return for the season's final two weeks. He finished the year with 164 yards on 19 carries. He only averaged 3.0 yards per attempt in the spring game, meanwhile.

With such a limited sample, it's hard to say just how good Potts is. It's noteworthy that he found playing time as a redshirt freshman and led the spring game in carries, but that's not totally informative. He has flashed talent in moments, however:

Though he's not built like Ibrahim, Potts's running style is somewhat similar in that he plays with a low center of gravity. This allows him to quickly change direction and stay upright.

We can say with some authority that Potts is trusted to catch passes. For every 2.7 rushing attempts, Potts received a target; comparatively, Ibrahim had 22.3 carries for every target. His receiving output was fine, especially considering all but one of his 20 yards came after the catch. So perhaps that is Potts' niche entering his redshirt sophomore year.

The only Gophers tailback to make a touchdown catch, though, was Cam Wiley. When given opportunities in Minnesota's backfield, Wiley was adequate but didn't often leave an impression. His best stat line came against Nebraska, when he finished the day with 81 yards. Sixty-one of those yards came on this run, our first good chance to see Wiley in space:

As I covered at the time, the Gophers didn't get too many opportunities at big plays like this because of some blocking problems. Wiley's turn radius doesn't look as tight as Ibrahim or Potts' — being 6-foot-2-inches will do that — and his record as a kick returner doesn't suggest a runner who accelerates quickly. But he's demonstrated some vision in crowds, and his long stride should help him in the open field, as in the above play.

While Ibrahim is far more proven, the Gophers should feel comfortable having Potts and Wiley in reserve. Their experience and talent, as well as the team's veteran offensive line, would mean a solid floor for the rushing attack if for some reason the team's star misses time. But even if the injury bug strikes the running back room hard, Minnesota can cope thanks to some depth behind the top three.

Potential Rotation Options

I've wondered multiple times since his freshman year what Bryce Williams is still doing here. Pressed into duty in 2018 after season-ending injuries to Smith and Brooks, Williams performed admirably: 117 carries for 502 yards and four touchdowns. While his performance was not exceptional, he'd shown he could handle a significant workload in the Big Ten.

Entering 2019, Williams likely knew he'd be fourth on the depth chart, and that was the case. The next year, Potts and Wiley received more carries while the Gophers attracted well-regarded running back prospects. There's never been much room for Williams to get the ball in maroon and gold. If he wanted a starting job somewhere else, he could probably land it.

But here he is. Whatever his reasons — and he owes no one an explanation of them — Williams has stayed in the Minnesota program and will be called upon again this season to provide competent fill-in work.

It will be tough for Ky Thomas to get reps this season as the likely fourth- or fifth-choice running back. The 2020 signee redshirted last year and did not play in the spring game. On tape, he looks like he has the attributes of a Minnesota running back: vision, balance, quickness, and strength. He was the fastest person on the field at Topeka High School (Kansas), but I don't get the impression that will be the case in the Big Ten.

Thomas' first action might be as a sub on passing downs, as he is a willing blocker and finished his high school career with 47 receptions.

Notables Unlikely to Contribute

One of four 4-stars in the Gophers' 2021 class, Mar'Keise "Bucky" Irving carries a curious nickname for a Gopher but should eventually fit in fine. Because there was no high school football in Illinois last season, our last reference for Irving is his 1,733-yard, 22-touchdown junior season. Somewhat like Thomas, he exhibits the burst, vision, and agility to get himself out of tight spots, though 247Sports' Allen Trieu wondered about his top-end speed at the college level. What's certain is that Irving will need to bulk up and sit his true freshman season; currently listed at 190 pounds, he'll need a little more strength to bounce off of tackles and stiff arm defenders the way he did in Chicago's Southland.

Preston Jelen was one of the Gophers' top special teamers in 2020. A "Quad Teamer," Jelen blocked a punt against Michigan and made 3.5 tackles in kickoff coverage at an average field position of the 21-yard line. As a running back, however, Jelen isn't going to make an impact. He carried the ball once against Purdue and lost a yard, and his 6-carry, 21-yard spring performance was not special.