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http://www.sacbee.com/2011/04/17/3559467/examining-running-backs-for-nfl.html
Examining running backs for NFL draft
By RICK GOSSELIN
The Dallas Morning News
Published: Sunday, Apr. 17, 2011 - 1:00 am
Spotlight on:
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
Daniel Thomas knew his days as a quarterback were numbered - but his vision of his football future differed from most of the colleges recruiting him.
Thomas saw himself as a running back. Everyone else, it seemed, saw him as a linebacker. That's why he chose Kansas State coming out of Northwest Mississippi Community College in 2009.
"They were the only ones recruiting me to play running back," Thomas said.
His faith in himself paid off as Thomas spent two seasons in the Big 12 building himself into an NFL running back prospect. He projects in the first two rounds of the 2011 draft as the top power back on the board.
"I'm a big back (6-0, 230 pounds) who can do all the things a little back can do," he said.
Thomas was selected to the all-state team as both a quarterback and linebacker as a senior at Hilliard (Fla.) High School. Florida and Central Florida were recruiting him, but he failed to qualify academically and had to go the junior-college route.
Thomas played quarterback exclusively in Mississippi but when it came time to move up into Division I, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisville and Baylor all wanted him to return to the defense at linebacker. Kansas State was rewarded for sharing his vision.
Thomas rushed for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season at Kansas State and 1,585 yards and 19 touchdowns in his second season. He trusted his gut - and his gut was right.
Rk..... Player ...........School........ Ht..........Wt........Noteworthy
1. Mark Ingram.........Alabama.......5-9.........215.......42 career rushing TDs
2. Ryan Williams.......Va Tech....... 5-9..... .....212.....Only 110 carries in 2010
3. Daniel Thomas.......Kansas St..... 6-0..... .....230.....30 career rushing TDs
4. Mikel Leshoure.......Illinois....... 5-111/2....227......6.0 yards per career carry
5. Taiwan Jones......... East Wash...5-111/2....194.......4.33 speed in the 40
6. Shane Vereen...........Cal........... 5-10........210........6 2010 100-yard games
7. Kendall Hunter.......Okla St.........5-7........199........39 career touchdowns
8. DeMarco Murray.....Oklahoma......5-111/2...213........4.39 speed in the 40
9. Bilal Powell...........Louisville.....5-101/2.....209........ 7 2010 100-yard games
10. Dion Lewis...........Pitt............5-61/2 .....193..........30 career rushing TDs
11. Roy Helu ...........Hawaii.........5-111/2.....219.........7 TDs of 50-plus yards
12. Stevan Ridley........LSU............5-11........225.........15 rushing TDs in 2010
13. Delone Carter.......Syracuse........5-81/2......222........5,412 career yards
14. Alex Green..........Hawaii...........6-0.........225....... 8.2 yards per carry in 2010
15. Darren Evans.......Va Tech..........6-0.........227.......Split time w/Ryan Williams
The best
Mark Ingram, Alabama
Ingram started only two seasons at Alabama - but what a run he enjoyed. The Crimson Tide went 25-2 during the two seasons Ingram was its feature back. He became the first back since Tony Dorsett in 1976 to win the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the same season (2009). Ingram set a school record with 1,658 rushing yards in 2009 but was slowed in 2010 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee in August. He still rushed for 875 yards and 13 touchdowns. Sleeper
Johnny White, North Carolina
White was headed for a 1,000-yard rushing season last fall before missing the final four games with a broken collarbone. He has played running back, wide receiver and cornerback in his career plus gunner on the punt team, serving as a special-teams captain in 2009. He can run it and catch it, return kicks and tackle others who do. He's one player who can fill about four roster spots.
Best of Texas
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
The Tyler product was a two-year starter, a two-time All-Big 12 selection and Oklahoma State's fourth all-time leading rusher. There's no shame in that - not at a school that has produced Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Terry Miller. "All that history pushes you even more because you want to get your name up there with them," Hunter said. Hunter rushed for 4,181 yards, including 20 100-yard games and three 200-yard games.
Draft projection: Rounds 2-3.
Notable
Cutting out: Thirteen running backs elected to skip their senior seasons to turn pro in the 2011 draft: Ingram, Williams, Leshoure, Jones, Vereen, Ridley, Dion Lewis (Pitt), Jamie Harper (Clemson), Darren Evans (Virginia Tech), Jordan Todman (Connecticut), Jacquizz Rogers (Oregon State) and John Clay (Wisconsin). "I was the second leading rusher in the nation with nearly 1,700 yards," Todman explained. "I felt that was a pretty good accomplishment. I wanted to chase my dream, so I chose the NFL draft."
Staying put: DeMarco Murray considered leaving Oklahoma early for the NFL after the 2009 season but decided to stay. Now he finds himself in a top-heavy draft class surrounded by talented juniors. But he has no regrets. "I felt I had some unfinished business," Murray said. "There were things I felt I still wanted to accomplish. Durability was a question, so I thought I'd come back and prove them wrong. I had a great time at the University of Oklahoma. It's one of the top programs in the nation. We won a bunch of games there, went to a BCS game and I definitely think I answered some questions by coming back, staying healthy and having a complete season."
Sure hands: Jacquizz Rogers was a three-year starter at Oregon State, a three-time All-Pac 10 selection and his school's second all-time leading rusher. But even more impressive is his ball security. Rogers was charged with only one fumble in 952 career touches. That came on a swing pass behind him that he reached back for but could get only one hand on. The toss was ruled a lateral, and Rogers was charged with a fumble. He took 788 career handoffs as a running back at Oregon State and didn't fumble a single time.
Air ball: The NFL now throws the ball on more than 55 percent of all offensive snaps. So every April the teams look for running backs in the draft who can catch the ball almost as well as they can run it. Here are the best pass catchers in this draft:
Running back..........School........ Rec.
DeMarco Murray Oklahoma 157
Jacquizz Rogers Oregon St 151
Baron Batch Texas Tech 140
Armando Allen Notre Dame 119
Noel Devine West Virginia 98
Mario Fannin Auburn 97
Derrick Locke Kentucky 95
Legends: Evan Royster is the only back in this draft class who left campus as the all-time leading rusher in his school's history. Royster gained 3,932 yards to overtake Pro Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris as the No. 1 rusher in Penn State history.
2-0-0-0: Twelve backs in this draft class posted 2,000-yard rushing seasons in high school. Darren Evans (Virginia Tech) and Evan Royster (Penn State) were the only ones with a pair of 2,000-yard prep seasons. Derrick Locke (Kentucky) and Stevan Ridley (LSU) were the only ones with 3,000-yard prep seasons.
STRENGTH OF DRAFT: 7 (on 10-point scale)
There may be only one running back in the first round, but don't interpret that as a sign of weakness by this running back class. This draft is thick in quality runners from the third through fifth rounds.