Virginia Tech: Running Back Preview

After the Brandon Ore fiasco this past offseason, the Hokies are left with a plethora of running backs that could potentially be the starter come August 30. 

Junior Kenny Lewis and Junior Jahre Cheeseman appeared to be the favorites to win the starting job until both players suffered serious injuries on back-to-back days in spring practice.  Lewis suffered a shoulder injury that has kept him out for the last four months and Cheeseman suffered a fractured fibula that required six weeks to heal. 

For the last two weeks of spring practice, Tech just had two scholarship players left on the roster.  Freshmen Darren Evans and Josh Oglesby carried the load along with walk-on Dustin Pickle for the remaining practice sessions.

Also coming into the mix is true freshman Ryan Williams from Manassas, Virginia.  Williams was very highly recruited out of high school and was listed as one of the top five running backs in the nation by most recruiting sites for the class of 2008.

Now, with the first fall practice only a day away, all of Virginia Tech’s running backs are healthy for the first time in over four months.  

With Cheeseman back to 100 percent and Lewis being able to participate in contact drills, Coach Hite will have five capable running backs to choose from when practice begins on Monday August 4. 

2008 Outlook:

Coach Beamer publically stated that he wanted this Virginia Tech offense to return their roots this season and bring back the power running game that was very effective back in the late 1990s. 

That bodes well for Evans, Williams, and Cheeseman as they are more of the between the tackles style of runner. Lewis is more of the scat back that will try to bounce anything and everything to the outside when he has the chance.  

If one running back doesn’t emerge as the clear-cut starter, then Coach Billy Hite may use a running back by committee approach until a full time starter does emerge.

That could cause some problems for opposing defenses if you have to try and game plan for four different types of running backs. 

Either way, the Hokies should be more than fine at tailback this year and in the future.

My Thoughts:

I personally think a combination of Jahre Cheeseman, Darren Evans, and Ryan Williams would be very hard for a defense to contain.   Therefore, I’m personally for a running back by committee setup this season just because Tech has so much talent at that one position. 

Let each player go in there and show what he can do.  Hopefully, by the fifth or sixth game, one player has shown the ability to become the sole starter for the Hokies.  If not, then in each game keep rotating different running backs in and out until the defense is too tired to stop them.