University of Richmond Athletics
Positional Breakdown: Running Backs
08/24/2016 | Football
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – A season ago University of Richmond running back Jacobi Green produced an All-American season and statistically had one of the greatest a Richmond back has ever had. It all came on the heels of an unfortunate injury to fellow All-American Seth Fisher, which brings us to 2016, both players have graduated and fresh crop of aspiring backs have a tremendous opportunity ahead of them.
Green produced 2,028 total yards (1,595 rushing, 359 receiving) out of the backfield last season and scored 22 touchdowns. Fisher still managed 425 total yards despite injury after collecting 916 total yards in 2014. The top returners become James Pavik who spends most of his time at fullback and Gordon Collins who picked up 170 total yards in 2015 to go with a pair of touchdowns.
“Pavik has quite a bit of game experience but the other guys really don't yet,” running backs coach Sparky Woods said of his group. “After Gordon we have a very talented group of freshman, two redshirt-freshmen and a true freshman. They're all working hard but we'll see how they do when the lights come on. One concern is that we don't get tackled in practice so when the tackling starts in games we will see how things go.”
The freshmen coach Woods referred to are true freshman Xavier Goodall, a local product from Henrico, and redshirt-freshmen Deontez Thompson and Jay Palmer. All three in addition to Collins have seen the majority of snaps in the backfield at all levels of the offense. The one constant remains Pavik at the fullback position and he was awarded for that with a Preseason All-CAA nod.
“He's so respected by all of his teammates,” Woods said of Pavik. “He's so team, team, team in everything he does. He's a great special teams player, plays fullback and tight end for us, the kids have to respect that. Nothing is ever an issue with him he's all about the Spiders.”
While Pavik's consistency has kept an air of calm in the backfield, a great competition has formed behind him. “I think there's real competition at the position,” Wood continued. “Everybody realizes that there's not a proven commodity since Jacobi, Seth and T.J. Moon left. Someone is going to have to fill those shoes so we have a lot of work to do and if we're going to go from good to great we can't be the hold up at our position.”
While it is a youth movement in the Richmond backfield there is a lot of excitement surrounding the options at Coach Woods' and subsequently Coach Rocco's disposal. “Youth is going to be what gets the job done and we're excited about it,” Woods concluded. “But we lack experience so we're just going to have to find some along the way.”
