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By: Daniel House
The Minnesota Golden Gophers have built their offense around one of the top rushing duos in college football. A two-headed attack featuring Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks provides the Gophers with a huge threat in Kirk Ciarrocca's offense.
Despite limited passing success over the last few seasons, the Gophers have continued to run the ball effectively. Smith and Brooks are going to flourish as they play in a system with a strong blend of inside/outside zone running schemes. Pulling guards and buck sweeps will be a frequent trend in this new system. At Western Michigan, the offense shifted often at the line of scrimmage to confuse opposing defenses. A small alignment problem by a linebacker often led to a big running play when a tight end or h-back cleared the edge. They changed reads often, which forced everyone to understand each other’s responsibilities. This offense loves to keep defensive units on their toes and guessing. The underrated aspect of their offense at Western Michigan was the running game.
It featured a high volume of formations and it appears that will be the case in Minnesota. The running backs had great success under Fleck and rushed for a combined 2,276 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. The Gophers’ top-two running backs notched 1,808 yards and 21 touchdowns. The key difference is how effective the passing game was for Western Michigan. The Broncos threw for 3,533 yards, while the Gophers had just 2,169 yards through the air.
Despite being an offense that loves to attack through intermediate passing, an underrated aspect of this system is the ability to run the ball effectively. The talent P.J. Fleck has to work with in the backfield is the best he’s ever had. If the quarterbacks can make throws without turning the ball over, the offense will have two solid threats for opposing defensive units to account for. I discussed why I think the passing game will be better in my quarterback preview, but I believe the biggest difference this year will be an improved passing game that complements an already talented rushing attack. Teams will actually have to respect the pass, which will prevent teams from stacking the box and threatening the Gophers to throw vertically. I expect the running backs to be used frequently in space too. Rodney Smith will catch the ball out of the backfield and make moves when he is isolated. Pairing Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks together in this situation is an enticing thought.
Rodney Smith
Rodney Smith is going to be a talented NFL running back because of his shifty vision and patience, combined with his hands out of the backfield. He is the type of player you can get in space to create plays. In 2016, Smith rushed the ball 240 times for 1,158 yards and 16 touchdowns. In addition, he caught 23 passes for 188 yards. He notched 1,609 all-purpose yards and created plays when the ball was in his hands. With an offense predicated on getting players involved to utilize their skill-set, Rodney Smith is going to flourish.
I love the idea of seeing Rodney Smith running buck-sweeps out of this system like we saw during the Spring Game. Out of run-pass option looks, Smith is such a threat because of his hip fluidity and ability to make tacklers miss. Smith is the best player on this team and is an extremely underrated running back both nationally and in the Big Ten. In a system that will finally have some balance, Smith is going to do even more damage, especially late in games when defenses get tired.
Shannon Brooks
You’ll be hard-pressed to find two running backs who complement each other better than Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. Smith is the elusive and shifty spark plug, while Brooks is the power running back with a punishing mindset. Brooks battled injuries throughout 2016, but still managed to carry the ball 138 times for 650 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 8 receptions for 76 yards and two scores in the passing game.
He creates big plays when he gets in the open field and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and deliver a massive hit to an opposing tackler. In fact, Brooks often tries to hit a homerun every time he touches the ball, rather than taking what the defense gives him. I want to see him improve his overall vision and decision-making as a runner. However, Brooks’ ability to move with fluidity in space, with superior lateral agility is impressive. It is rare to find a running back that has this unique blend of power and speed, paired with another gear of burst in the open field. His power running style and big-play ability are a solid complement to Rodney Smith, who is a spark-plug in space.
Kobe McCrary
Senior Kobe McCrary saw limited action last year, but appeared in non-conference games early in the season. He carried the ball 39 times for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry and continually picked up strong yards after contact. McCrary is a rather patient runner who follows his blockers well. He also is physical and will create yards by taking on a tackler. He won’t blow you away with his speed, but he is a patient back who runs the ball methodically. McCrary may see action in games where the Gophers are winning by a wide margin.
Jonathan Femi-Cole
Redshirt sophomore Jonathan Femi-Cole was one of the stars during this year’s spring game. He ran with power and flourishes when he gets a head of steam going north and south. He shook tackles and displayed strong vision in the second level. He is a bowling ball style runner who will bounce off tacklers. He isn’t the type of player who can create yardage with a quick cut. He doesn’t have much lateral agility and I see him more as a red zone or goal-line back in this system. He and Minnesota-State Mankato transfer Zachariah Knox will both provide deep depth at the position.
Mohamed Ibrahim
Freshman Mohamed Ibrahim joins the Gophers after playing high school football in Maryland. He was the 10th ranked prospect in the state and is a very underrated running back. He is a physical runner, who is tough to bring down because of his elusiveness. Ibrahim’s power and ability to stay low and balanced is really impressive. He has a solid frame and is quick enough to be considered a dynamic weapon both as a runner and pass catcher. Ibrahim has impressive vision and reads his blockers well. He also creates yardage because of his ability to cutback. He also has a nasty streak and isn’t afraid to pack a punch. He is going to be very good as a between the tackles runner because of his power and physical running style. He is the future star running back on this roster.
Dominik London
East Ridge running back Dominik London is another player that could pair with Ibrahim in the future. His elusiveness, vision, and ability to make players miss is extremely impressive. He also is a player you can get in space to create plays because of his skill-set. London's agility is so impressive when he gets to the edge. Tacklers have no shot because of his strong stiff-arm and speed. He can run very effectively between the tackles too, which is an added bonus.
Final Analysis:
The Gophers have one of the best running back duos in the country. The idea of Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks running in an offense that is more balanced and versatile is very intriguing. They have yet to run within a system that has a passing threat, especially vertically. The offense will set up the passing game with intermediate routes, forcing teams to respect the running game in run-pass option looks. If Demry Croft wins the quarterback job, the Gophers add another dual-threat option for defensive units to monitor on the ground. With that being said, the Gophers have the chance to continue making some noise with their running game in 2017.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers have built their offense around one of the top rushing duos in college football. A two-headed attack featuring Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks provides the Gophers with a huge threat in Kirk Ciarrocca's offense.
Despite limited passing success over the last few seasons, the Gophers have continued to run the ball effectively. Smith and Brooks are going to flourish as they play in a system with a strong blend of inside/outside zone running schemes. Pulling guards and buck sweeps will be a frequent trend in this new system. At Western Michigan, the offense shifted often at the line of scrimmage to confuse opposing defenses. A small alignment problem by a linebacker often led to a big running play when a tight end or h-back cleared the edge. They changed reads often, which forced everyone to understand each other’s responsibilities. This offense loves to keep defensive units on their toes and guessing. The underrated aspect of their offense at Western Michigan was the running game.
It featured a high volume of formations and it appears that will be the case in Minnesota. The running backs had great success under Fleck and rushed for a combined 2,276 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. The Gophers’ top-two running backs notched 1,808 yards and 21 touchdowns. The key difference is how effective the passing game was for Western Michigan. The Broncos threw for 3,533 yards, while the Gophers had just 2,169 yards through the air.
Despite being an offense that loves to attack through intermediate passing, an underrated aspect of this system is the ability to run the ball effectively. The talent P.J. Fleck has to work with in the backfield is the best he’s ever had. If the quarterbacks can make throws without turning the ball over, the offense will have two solid threats for opposing defensive units to account for. I discussed why I think the passing game will be better in my quarterback preview, but I believe the biggest difference this year will be an improved passing game that complements an already talented rushing attack. Teams will actually have to respect the pass, which will prevent teams from stacking the box and threatening the Gophers to throw vertically. I expect the running backs to be used frequently in space too. Rodney Smith will catch the ball out of the backfield and make moves when he is isolated. Pairing Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks together in this situation is an enticing thought.
Rodney Smith
Rodney Smith is going to be a talented NFL running back because of his shifty vision and patience, combined with his hands out of the backfield. He is the type of player you can get in space to create plays. In 2016, Smith rushed the ball 240 times for 1,158 yards and 16 touchdowns. In addition, he caught 23 passes for 188 yards. He notched 1,609 all-purpose yards and created plays when the ball was in his hands. With an offense predicated on getting players involved to utilize their skill-set, Rodney Smith is going to flourish.
I love the idea of seeing Rodney Smith running buck-sweeps out of this system like we saw during the Spring Game. Out of run-pass option looks, Smith is such a threat because of his hip fluidity and ability to make tacklers miss. Smith is the best player on this team and is an extremely underrated running back both nationally and in the Big Ten. In a system that will finally have some balance, Smith is going to do even more damage, especially late in games when defenses get tired.
Shannon Brooks
You’ll be hard-pressed to find two running backs who complement each other better than Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. Smith is the elusive and shifty spark plug, while Brooks is the power running back with a punishing mindset. Brooks battled injuries throughout 2016, but still managed to carry the ball 138 times for 650 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 8 receptions for 76 yards and two scores in the passing game.
He creates big plays when he gets in the open field and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and deliver a massive hit to an opposing tackler. In fact, Brooks often tries to hit a homerun every time he touches the ball, rather than taking what the defense gives him. I want to see him improve his overall vision and decision-making as a runner. However, Brooks’ ability to move with fluidity in space, with superior lateral agility is impressive. It is rare to find a running back that has this unique blend of power and speed, paired with another gear of burst in the open field. His power running style and big-play ability are a solid complement to Rodney Smith, who is a spark-plug in space.
Kobe McCrary
Senior Kobe McCrary saw limited action last year, but appeared in non-conference games early in the season. He carried the ball 39 times for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry and continually picked up strong yards after contact. McCrary is a rather patient runner who follows his blockers well. He also is physical and will create yards by taking on a tackler. He won’t blow you away with his speed, but he is a patient back who runs the ball methodically. McCrary may see action in games where the Gophers are winning by a wide margin.
Jonathan Femi-Cole
Redshirt sophomore Jonathan Femi-Cole was one of the stars during this year’s spring game. He ran with power and flourishes when he gets a head of steam going north and south. He shook tackles and displayed strong vision in the second level. He is a bowling ball style runner who will bounce off tacklers. He isn’t the type of player who can create yardage with a quick cut. He doesn’t have much lateral agility and I see him more as a red zone or goal-line back in this system. He and Minnesota-State Mankato transfer Zachariah Knox will both provide deep depth at the position.
Mohamed Ibrahim
Freshman Mohamed Ibrahim joins the Gophers after playing high school football in Maryland. He was the 10th ranked prospect in the state and is a very underrated running back. He is a physical runner, who is tough to bring down because of his elusiveness. Ibrahim’s power and ability to stay low and balanced is really impressive. He has a solid frame and is quick enough to be considered a dynamic weapon both as a runner and pass catcher. Ibrahim has impressive vision and reads his blockers well. He also creates yardage because of his ability to cutback. He also has a nasty streak and isn’t afraid to pack a punch. He is going to be very good as a between the tackles runner because of his power and physical running style. He is the future star running back on this roster.
Dominik London
East Ridge running back Dominik London is another player that could pair with Ibrahim in the future. His elusiveness, vision, and ability to make players miss is extremely impressive. He also is a player you can get in space to create plays because of his skill-set. London's agility is so impressive when he gets to the edge. Tacklers have no shot because of his strong stiff-arm and speed. He can run very effectively between the tackles too, which is an added bonus.
Final Analysis:
The Gophers have one of the best running back duos in the country. The idea of Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks running in an offense that is more balanced and versatile is very intriguing. They have yet to run within a system that has a passing threat, especially vertically. The offense will set up the passing game with intermediate routes, forcing teams to respect the running game in run-pass option looks. If Demry Croft wins the quarterback job, the Gophers add another dual-threat option for defensive units to monitor on the ground. With that being said, the Gophers have the chance to continue making some noise with their running game in 2017.