Looking At West Virginia's Running Backs

With spring practice entering its last week, West Virginia will head into the 2010 season with senior Noel Devine entering his third year as the team's starting running back.

Devine is looking to have another strong season after he finished his junior campaign with nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Devine averaged 18.5 carries a game last season, but with a young quarterback in sophomore Eugene Smith, West Virginia will rely heavily on Devine, especially early in the season. Look for him to average around 20-22 carries a game in his final season.

Behind Devine, the Mountaineers have a variety of running backs that will look to bring different elements to West Virginia's offense.

Red-shirt sophomore Ryan Clarke is West Virginia's second returning rusher from last year, gaining 250 yards on the season. Clarke is West Virginia's "big back" and was mainly used in goal line and short yardage situations, and totaled eight touchdowns.

Look for Clarke to get more carries this year. 24 of his 60 carries came in the final two regular season games last year. He is also sure handed, going the full season without fumbling. With his ability to gain the tough yards, he should be a bigger factor this coming year.

After Clarke, look for sophomore Tavon Austin to factor into the running game. He only carried the ball six times last season, but the coaches are grooming him to take over for Devine in 2011. He will play the majority of the time at wide receiver and in the slot, but will be used to spell Devine. 

Austin, who is roughly the same size as Devine, will be moved full-time to running back in 2011. He is a small running back, but has been described as a "jitterbug" by West Virginia coaches.

Senior Jock Sanders will also factor into the running game, even if he only carries the ball 2-3 times a game. Sanders is one of two returning wide receivers for West Virginia, but can also play running back depending on the formation.

He is the same size as Devine and Austin, but is more of a between-the-tackles runner than those two. Sanders has big play capability, but is more likely to get the big play receiving than he is running.

The final two players who could factor in to West Virginia's running game are sophomore Shawne Alston and red-shirt freshman Daquan Hargrett. Alston is a "big back" like Clarke, but is quicker. Hargrett is smaller than the trio of Devine, Austin, and Sanders, but has the same running style.

Both reportedly had great spring practices, but with several established players ahead of them on the depth chart, how much playing time they get is uncertain.

This season's West Virginia team will feature of a variety of running backs with several different styles. It may be the deepest stable of running backs at West Virginia in several years.