Big Ten Football Top 150 Players: No. 114, Akeem Shavers, Purdue RB

No. 114: Akeem Shavers, No. 24, RB, Purdue
2011 Stats: 111 rushes, 519 yards, 6 TDs; 5 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD

Strengths

Shavers is a senior-to-be ball-carrier for the Boilermakers who might be primed to make the biggest jump in the Big Ten from 2011 to 2012. He's got outstanding speed and agility, and it says a lot that he was able to force his way into a platoon at tailback with Ralph Bolden in 2011.

Weaknesses

Shavers' durability over the course of a season isn't exactly proven yet, and while he's got the frame to take the wear and tear at 5'11" and 203 pounds, it's something you need to see on Saturdays. He's not quite as sneaky between the tackles as you'd like to see, and he also doesn't break free from defenders enough. Or not yet, anyway.

2012 Prediction

Shavers' production was modest during the course of the season, but really the only thing keeping him from 1,000 yards is a lack of repetitions; after Bolden went down with a knee injury (always with the knee injuries, Purdue), Shavers was pressed into full-time duty in the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl and responded with a scintillating 22-carry, 149-yard performance. So yeah, the ability's there.

Bolden is still on the mend from his injury, and Shavers was named one of three offensive captains of the 2012 Purdue squad, so the message is clear: Purdue wants him to be "the guy." If that means 20 carries a game, it probably means more than 1,000 yards. Set that as the baseline for success for Shavers in 2012.