Russell was expected to get his opportunity in 2006 after Laurence Maroney left school a year early and became a first-round pick by New England. But Russell was later declared academically ineligible, preventing him from likely becoming one of the nation's elite runners.
Russell departed campus and did not play in what should have been his coming out party in 2006. After his academic failure forced Russell to drop out of the university in the spring, he attended Inver Hills Community College to try to better his grades, but was unsuccessful in getting his eligibility back.
Maroney and Russell each surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in 2005, making Minnesota the first school in NCAA history to have two 1,000-yard rushers in three consecutive seasons.
Russell was a standout tailback at Walnut Ridge High School, where he was named to the Super Prep All-Midwest team. He added all-state honors and was a three-time all-city and all-conference performer. He twice earned all-county and all-area accolades.
Russell rushed for 2,136 yards and 29 touchdowns his senior season after gaining 1,800 yards with 29 touchdowns as a junior. He played in the North-South All-Star Game after his final season. Russell also lettered in wrestling and basketball.
Russell enrolled at Minnesota in 2004, seeing action in eight games, but only carried the ball in two contests. He finished with 144 yards on 24 carries (6.0 avg.) and returned seven kickoffs for 120 yards (17.1 avg.). He also recorded three tackles (one solo).
Despite starting only one of 12 games in 2005, Russell amassed 1,274 yards on 210 carries (6.1 avg.) and ran for 18 touchdowns. He caught 16 passes for 168 yards (10.5 avg.) and one score, adding 59 yards on four kickoff returns (14.8 avg.). He attempted one pass and scored 114 points while picking up 1,357 all-purpose yards.
In 20 games at Minnesota, Russell started one time. He finished his career with 210 carries for 1,274 yards (6.1 avg.) and 18 touchdowns. He gained 168 yards with a score on 16 receptions (10.5 avg.) and scored 114 points. Russell added 179 yards on 11 kickoff returns (16.3 avg.) and recorded three tackles while also attempting one pass.
Positives: Possesses a well-defined, muscular frame with outstanding quickness and suddenness coming out of his stance … Has the upper-body strength to move the pile and a frame that can carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness … Has precise stop-and-start action with sharp change-of-direction agility, very good vision and coverage anticipation ability … Gets to top speed in a hurry and his explosive acceleration makes him a valid threat to stretch the field … Shows the ability to make the initial tackler miss, thanks to his loose hips and lateral movement … Stays low in his pads and is quick to locate soft areas and clear rushing lanes … Not only explosive coming out of his stance, but it seems like he can get to top speed in just a step or two … His explosion off the snap lets him surprise a lethargic defender and he makes very quick cuts at the holes … Can burst through the hole with good urgency, doing a nice job of keeping his pads down … When he gets into the open, he has that second gear needed to separate … His loose hips allow him to generate the short burst to cut back or bounce outside, where he excels at running away from people … Has good peripheral vision to scan the field and the patience to wait for blocks to develop, doing a nice job of setting up and using those blocks … Slides and hits the seams with great acceleration and good forward body lean … Has the above-average balance to make the jump cuts, but also has the power to get through the smaller creases … Much like Emmitt Smith, his low center of gravity and pad level makes it very rare to see him get high in his stride … Shows good patience to let the toss develop before bursting up the seam or changing direction to turn it up around the corner … Carries people on contact and makes the opponent need to gang-tackle him … Can carry the ball in either arm, and works hard to protect it from the defender … Conscious of securing it tightly to his chest running through traffic … With his speed, some team could reap benefits lining him up in the slot, as he can cut sharply and find ways to get open … Does a decent job squaring to his targets and strikes and cuts effectively … Steps up aggressively to face-up in pass protection … Shows outstanding agility and balance to pick and slide … His breakaway speed makes him an ideal change-of-pace back, but he also has the strength to power through tackles … As soon as he locates the hole, he attacks it with good explosion and urgency … Very effective at maintaining his acceleration and stride in and out of his cuts.
Negatives: Quick study on the football field, but admits that he screwed up in the classroom, leading to his ineligibility in 2006 … Tends to gather on some high-speed cuts, but with his speed, he is quick to recover … When he gets his pads too high, he will struggle to finish … Appears to be a good hands catcher, but in the Minnesota system, he was generally used on screens … Can get into the deep secondary with ease, but appears to struggle a bit tracking the ball from behind … His hands appear to have a receiver's quality, but few of his catches were the result of extending and plucking away from the frame (more of a body absorber) … Needs to prove that he has matured off the field and demonstrate better work ethic.
Compares To: Marion Barber, Dallas -- Perhaps because they played in the same system at Minnesota, both are scoring machines with the power to move the pile … Russell actually looks a bit like a former Cowboy, Emmitt Smith, as he has excellent explosion and cutback ability, along with that low center of gravity that makes it tough for defenders to attack his legs.
Campus: 4.43 in the 40-yard dash … 330-pound bench press … 450-pound squat … 320-pound power clean … 31½-inch arm length … 9 3/8-inch hands.
