As much as simple mathematics may disagree, three is more than six in Tony Alford’s mind. At the very least, this year’s running back stable of three makes more sense and Alford’s life simpler than last year’s stable of six did.
“I think you can play three,” the running backs coach said. “You’ve got to have numbers four and five ready, but to play four and five is a little unrealistic. I think it is very manageable to play three guys. Any more than that it gets a little tricky.”
From last year’s crowded backfield, Notre Dame has moved Amir Carlisle and Will Mahone to receiver and bid farewell to George Atkinson as he pursues his NFL dream, leaving senior Cam McDaniel and sophomores Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant to Alford’s tutelage. Though the corps may have been halved, each running back still sees a different pecking order. Each has made it clear to Alford that he expects the bulk of carries in 2014.
“You want guys that are confident. You want guys that feel like they’re the guy and want to be the guy,” Alford said. “If they don’t, we recruited the wrong guys. They all have a very high competitive nature about them, a competitive level about them, and they show that every day when they come to practice.
“What I do like about it is they’re not at each other’s throats. They coach each other up, and they champion each other’s efforts, which is a positive thing. We need them all.”
McDaniel and Folston ran for 742 and 494 yards respectively in 2013 with three touchdowns apiece. Bryant, meanwhile, sat out the final 10 games due to knee injury, taking three carries for 14 yards before his season ended. Though little has been seen of Bryant, both Irish head coach Brian Kelly and Alford have raved about the Florida native. Earlier in spring practice, Kelly used the word “powerful” three times in two sentences when describing Bryant.
“For lack of a better term, when he hits something, it moves,” Alford said bluntly. “When he hits things, things start flying. His legs are always churning, moving.
“He’s got the ability to really accelerate into contact, and that’s something that a lot of guys just don’t have. You never truly get a great shot at him because he’s dipping and slipping off of things, but he is a powerful guy. He’s hard to get around.”
In the early fall, when Bryant clamored for more playing time, Alford took the then-freshman aside and ran through an audible sequence. When Alford figuratively snapped the ball, Bryant was still thinking through the most recent check. Alford said Bryant then realized that though he may be physically talented, he still had a lot of work to do mentally in order to be ready for an increased role.
Since then, Bryant has spent more time learning the “details of his trade,” such as where exactly to line up when running a route and which foot to lead with, depending upon the required technique. This discipline has left Alford both impressed and wanting more.
“It was a good learning experience for him,” Alford said of Bryant’s much-discussed freshman season. “I am extremely pleased with the way he has progressed through the spring and we’ve got more to go yet. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not where we need him to be yet, for the things we want to do in this offense, but he’s come along really well.”
As Bryant has shown an acquired-knowledge of the playbook, McDaniel and Folston have shown their retention of it. Though McDaniel may have three more seasons of learning Kelly’s playbook under his belt, Alford insisted his retention is not far ahead of Folston’s. Rather, the coach who instructs them in each practice made a point to compare them as nearly equal in that regard.
“Cam’s retention has been really good, just as Tarean’s has. Those guys have done a nice job,” Alford said. “There are not a whole lot of mental busts going on. We’ve had a few, and I politely asked -- my son can say how polite I can be -- but I politely asked them to get that corrected, which they have. In all seriousness, we haven’t had many mental busts, except for details. Details. Being in the right place at the right time.”
Those details should also help the Irish backs when passes are thrown their way, a situation often prone to mishap last season. Alford cited a lack of knowledge of how to run routes as a key component to those struggles. The former receivers coach made it clear that it is one thing to run to the flat for a pass; it is another to run to the right spot in the flat at the right moment.
As the three remaining backs learn the details of their craft, each stakes a claim he believes to be valid: He should run the ball the most often this fall. While Alford may see three as more than six, he does not anticipate one being more than three.
“We’re going to need them all,” Alford said. “You can’t go into a year with one guy and expect to have success, so we need them all and they help one another out. They all understand that.”
ON PUNTS
Notre Dame did not practice outdoors this spring until Monday. Yes, March 31. Aside from the sunlight and fresh air, the biggest luxury for the Irish outdoors was the ability to field punts and kicks without beams and rafters interfering.
All three of Alford’s running backs are in the mix for return duties. He also listed receivers Torii Hunter and Carlisle as well as senior cornerback Josh Atkinson as part of a “plethora” of possibilities.
