Kornacki: Four-Headed Running Attack Oozes Potential
8/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Each of Michigan's four starting tailback candidates has a ton of potential.
One of them ran for more than 6,000 yards in high school, and another topped the 5,000-yard mark. One nearly ran for 3,000 yards in one season, and another was a finalist for the Gatorade Player of the Year award while serving as captain in the prestigious Army All-American game.
Injuries and other factors have kept them from achieving the breakout season each covets in 2015. But for now, during the challenging days of pre-season practices, what Derrick Green, Ty Isaac, Drake Johnson and De'Veon Smith are accomplishing is bringing out the best in one another.
"What do I like about the competition at tailback?" said Wolverine running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley, repeating the question. "It's what you just said: competition. It breeds quality. You have to do it every single day and then be able to make plays. And that's the guy you want coming out on top in this competition.
"The elevation in the room just grows when players compete."
He stressed that no matter who starts the Sept. 3 opener at Utah, competition will continue.
Wheatley rushed for 4,187 yards at Michigan before playing 10 seasons in the NFL and coaching with the Buffalo Bills, Syracuse and Eastern Michigan. But as good as Wheatley was for the Wolverines, he was pushed by another future NFL first-rounder, Tshimanga Biakabutuka.
"When people told me I was running fast (in college)," said Wheatley, "I told them I was running scared -- not from the defense -- but because if I ever had a hiccup or broke a shoestring, I knew I was going to have trouble getting back on the field because of (Biakabutuka)."
They brought out the best in each other.
"I tell these guys that I just want them to come out and compete and produce," said Wheatley. "In the end, that's what this game is all about: production."
Wheatley said as many as three backs could rotate into the game but said the final decision on playing time belongs to head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Tim Drevno.
Green earned the job last year and had 82 carries for 471 yards to rank fifth in Big Ten rushing after six starts. But he broke his collarbone at Rutgers, and his season was over.
What does a healthy Green bring to the table?
"I bring a lot of energy," said Green, the Army All-American game captain after rushing for 1,350 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior at Richmond (Virginia) Hermitage. "There's a lot of competition, and a lot of people bringing their all every day. I'm going after it."
Smith was next up after Green went down, and Smith had a career-high 18 carries and 121 yards against Northwestern. He ended up leading the Wolverines with 519 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
"I bring a lot of things -- vision, power and speed," said Smith, who rushed for 6,750 yards and 82 touchdowns at Warren (Ohio) Howland. "We all have similar kinds of backgrounds. We all like to compete at every little thing we do, and it's going to be a real competitive room. But you realize you are competing against your brothers. They are going to have your back no matter what and be happy for you and proud of all of your achievements. It's going to be hard, but you are going to have faith in the next man because you can trust him.
"And I am going to take on a leadership role this year in the running back room."
Each tailback has improved.
"I picked up size and speed," said Smith. "I feel like I've picked up a lot more muscle and have less body fat. The weight is distributed differently. For the most part, we've been working on my speed and quickness for that second burst."
Johnson is as intriguing as anyone. He got his chance late last season and had a big November -- running for 122 yards and two touchdowns against Indiana, 94 yards against Maryland and nearly sparking an upset at Ohio State. Johnson rushed 15 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the third quarter for the second time in two years.
However, Johnson is ready to go only nine months later.
"Drake has done a fabulous job," said Harbaugh. "He's one of my favorite guys. Whatever the prognosis is for him from an injury, he cut that in half. He's not yet 100 percent. Though, he might be pretty darned close to that."
Johnson runs to daylight better than any other Michigan tailback. He described his running style as "feral" and explained: "If you throw a cat in the street, it's just going to run. It doesn't really have rhyme or reason. It just moves for whatever the situation is. That's how I run.
"I bring unpredictability. I see light, and I run to it."
He maintained that the surgeries haven't compromised his speed or running ability.
"Am I fast?" asked Johnson, who rushed for 2,805 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior at Ann Arbor Pioneer. "Yes, I've always been fast. I'm probably faster than I was last year because I'm a little lighter."
Johnson said Wheatley is working with him on "cutting lower" because Johnson said Wheatley noted that he runs "too straight-legged" and leaves himself vulnerable.
"And I'm listening," said Johnson. "Two knee surgeries later, I probably need to quit cutting straight-legged."
Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders was a master of cutting low and curling into a ball to better absorb hard hits. Johnson said he's watched tape of Sanders and hopes to cultivate that matador-like technique to avoid devastating tackles.
Isaac had 40 carries for 236 yards with four catches for 57 yards as a freshman at Southern Cal, but he transferred to Michigan last year to be closer to his mother, who was ailing after a surgery. He had to sit out a year for this chance.
"I've never sat out a season before," said Isaac, who rushed for 5,305 yards at Joliet (Illinois) Catholic and was a USA Today All-USA second team pick. "It was difficult for me, but that's over now. Finally, I'm ready to go and excited."
Isaac is the biggest back in the quartet at 6-3, 240 pounds.
"I'm going to do whatever the team needs me to do," said Isaac. "I'm going to try to get that extra yard. Everybody's different, but I'd never categorize myself as a single style of back because you might have to make a quick move on one run and a power move on the next."
They've all bonded quickly with Wheatley.
"He's like having an older brother/father figure around," said Smith. "He's very inspirational and really helps me out. He's developing all of us one step at a time. Me and Coach Wheatley have a very close relationship on a personal and football level."
Wheatley said, "It's hard to play for a guy you don't have a relationship with. It's hard to play for someone who only cares about football. We are human. So, you have to know how everyone's doing on a day-to-day basis. In the end of the day, it's all about trust.
"But I tell them: 'I'm not your friend on the field; I'm your coach.' "
Isaac said, "He relates to us, and you can trust his answer because he played. I like having a coach who did it at the highest level."
Green added, "He's taught me so much already. I feel like I'm a completely different back now. The biggest impact he's had on me is just how I study film."
They are four talented tailbacks, fueled by one another and a coach who once ran and walked in their shoes.
