#MIZCamp17: Running Backs Position Preview
8/15/2017 10:53:00 AM | Football
Witter, Crockett highlight one of Mizzou's deepest position groups
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football heads into the 2017 season as the only team in the SEC to average more than 500 yards of total offense a season ago. Under the direction of first-year offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, the group turned out to be one of the nation's most explosive offenses and Heupel returns 10 of 11 starters from a season ago going into his second season overseeing the offense. A big key to Mizzou's dominance on offense was a run-first mentality that featured a stable of talented running backs to unleash on SEC defenses.
Last season, Mizzou coaching veteran Cornell Ford, who is entering his 17th season at Mizzou, took the reins of the running backs and the results proved that he was the perfect person to coach that group. Coach Ford is excited about what he has in his running back room during fall camp.
"The intensity is right, the look is right," Ford said of his group during Mizzou's fall practices. "They are all hard workers."
Under Ford's leadership, a talented trio of half backs was on display for Mizzou fans to watch last season. True freshman Damarea Crockett burst onto the scene and broke Mizzou freshman records for rushing yards in a season (1,062), and in a game (225 vs. Tennessee), while also setting MU frosh records for season touchdowns (10) and single-game touchdowns (4). Crockett's 96.5 yards-per-game average led the nation's freshmen in the regular season. He was joined by junior Ish Witter, who continued his steady improvement by rushing for a solid 750 yards and six touchdowns, while sophomore Nate Strong came on late in the year and contributed with a pair of crucial rushing touchdowns that keyed Mizzou's big comeback win over Arkansas to close out the season.
Witter, heading into his senior season, is looked at as the leader of the group and brings tremendous toughness and unparalleled experience to the position in 2017.
"He's not probably our fastest, he's certainly not our biggest, but he is as tough a football player as you can get," Ford said of Witter. "Week in and week out, day in and day out, practice in and practice out, he's the most physical guy and I am looking to the other guys like this is what it should look like."
Atop the depth chart alongside Witter is Crockett, who is poised to take the next step and become one of the best running backs in the nation in 2017.
"He's got the best feet of any running back that I have ever coached," Ford said. "His ability to get into pace and make people miss is something pretty special. He's a 220-pound running back with feet like a 185- or 190-pound running back."
With all of the freshman records that Crockett set last year, he is not letting that success go to his head. He comes into the season with the right mentality, and he knows Mizzou will look to be a run-first offense in 2017 and that any one of the running backs in the room can hurt defenses from any spot on the field.
"Honestly our mindset is to try to be the heart of the offense and bring it every play," Crockett said. "I want to bring the factor that we can score from anywhere on the field at any time. I feel like that it won't just be me, other running backs, other guys on the offense can do that as well. I just want to be a hard-nosed guy and bring it every day. That's all I know how to do."
Heading into the season, Mizzou may have as deep of a running back group as it has had in many years. In addition to Crockett, Witter and Strong, Mizzou brings back spring game breakout star in RS freshman Dawson Downing and true freshmen Isaiah Miller and Larry Rountree III.
"We want to be the start of this offense," Witter said. "We want to get the offense going. If any running back is in the game, we feel comfortable. All the guys can get the job done and we have a great group in the room."
"They are hard-working and they get after it. They want to be great," Ford said.
