2015 NFL Draft: Todd Gurley Still Tops Among RBs
By Erik Lambert
Sep 13, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) rushes past South Carolina Gamecocks cornerback Rico McWilliams (1) in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Running backs weren’t blowing away the field this week, but a number of them did big favors for their 2015 NFL draft stock.
South Carolina able to absorb Gurley to beat Georgia
SEC games have a way of going unexpected directions and that was the case again as Georgia was unable to stage a comeback against conference rival South Carolina. Part of the reason was the Bulldogs were constantly playing from behind. It took them out of their game, which was feeding star running back Todd Gurley. He did carry the ball 20 times for 131 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Gamecocks.
Barry Sanders Jr. slices and dices Army
Of course everybody knows the name Barry Sanders, the iconic Detroit Lions Hall of Fame running back. What they may not know is his son, Barry Sanders Jr. is maturing into quite a running back himself at Stanford. Against Army he received the most carries of his season, rushing the ball nine times for 92 yards. A 35-0 final explains why he didn’t get more action, but after that peformance he should in the weeks to come.
Taysom Hill does it all for BYU to beat Houston
The current designation for Taysom Hill is quarterback for BYU, but all signs point to the junior having a bright future as a running back in the NFL. At 6’2″ he has the ideal height for it and it’s easy to argue he’s a better runner than passer. Against Houston he had 200 yards through the air and two interceptions, but was unstoppable on the ground, rushing 26 times for 160 yards. His versatility will be highly coveted by creative offensive coaches at the next level.
Curtis Samuel quietly balances Ohio State runaway
J.T. Barrett will be highlighted as the chief architech of the Ohio State beatdown of Kent State this week, but his six touchdown passes and near flawless performance wouldn’t have happened were it not for the steady running of Curtis Samuel. His 100 yards on 15 carries and 2 touchdowns forced the Kent State defense to respect him, thus allowing Barrett to shred them with the read-option as well as play action.