Nov 29, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) hands off the ball to Clemson Tigers running back Wayne Gallman (9) during the second half at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Projecting the 2015 Clemson football depth chart position by position. This time, we take a look at the Tigers’ running backs.
2014 was not a great year for Clemson football‘s running game. But that was not because of a lack of talent at running back.
A combination of injuries and poor run-blocking kept the Tigers’ backs from reaching their full potential this past season.
Injuries derailed Zac Brooks and Tyshon Dye before the year even began (though Dye got on the field a bit towards the end of the year). True freshman Adam Choice also tore his ACL in the middle of the season, when he was the team’s leading rusher.
That left the Tigers with three running backs: Wayne Gallman, C.J. Davidson, and D.J. Howard. Howard and Davidson were expected to see an increase in playing time this season but their roles faded towards the end of the year, as Gallman stepped into the spotlight.
In 2015, the Tigers should be deeper at running back than just about any other position. They will return their top three rushers (not to mention Deshaun Watson, who was fourth in rushing), and other guys will be getting healthy.
Here is the breakdown:
Returning: Zac Brooks (RS Junior), C.J. Davidson (RS Junior), Wayne Gallman (RS Sophomore*), Tyshon Dye (RS Sophomore), Adam Choice (Sophomore), C.J. Fuller (RS Freshman)
Departing: D.J. Howard
Newcomers: None
With all of that talent, the position battle at running back should be among the most intriguing story lines during spring practice and fall training camp. It’s hard to say who might emerge as the Tigers top running back. It’s even tougher to figure out who might get edged out of significant playing time.
Someone will though. Barring another injury plagued season in 2015, Clemson isn’t going to use six running backs regularly.
This projection will assume that there are no position changes, but it’s a safe bet that one or two of the players listed above might end up playing in some other area of the field next year.
* – Eligibility listed for the 2015 season.
Next: Running Back No. 1