Depth chart breakdown: Where Penn State football stands at running back in 2020
Penn State football’s best offensive position group this season should be running back. The unit features three returners who excelled last season and two incoming four-star recruits.
Let’s take a look at where the position stands heading into the 2020 season.
Projected starter
Redshirt junior Journey Brown
Few players around the country closed out the season stronger than Brown did for the Nittany Lions. He rattled off dominant performances in the final five games of the season, racking up 593 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 78 carries over that stretch. The performance put the running back on the national radar and all but locked up the starting job heading into 2020.
Brown’s performance was so good it caught the eye of teammate Noah Cain.
“That’s a testament to being ready when your number is called,” Cain said last week. “Beginning in the season when Ricky (Slade) was starting then I got my opportunity, Journey never hated or anything. He just waited his turn. ... He never looked back. He was playing like the best back in the country the last few games last year. ... I’m just excited, honestly, to see how he capitalizes off of that this season. I know he’s been working hard so it’s going to be good to see.”
The redshirt junior is set to lead Cain and the rest of the running backs this coming season and there’s no reason to think he can’t have a big year. Brown has a unique blend of power and speed, which he showed off on several big runs last year. He has good vision that took a big step forward last year. He showed off his vision and decisiveness by frequently finding gaps in the defense and getting through them. Once Brown hit the hole, he was able to shed arm tackles by opponents because of his strength and he frequently broke away from defenders after that point because of his high-level speed.
His combination of skills make him an ideal workhorse back for any team, and will allow him to flourish under new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Ciarrocca’s offense relies more heavily on running backs than Penn State’s previous system and utilizes several rushers to make plays throughout the course of a game. Brown will have plenty of help behind him, but he should have the talent and opportunity to cement himself as a true lead back.
He’s set to be the starter for a reason, and even with a loaded group of position mates, he stands alone at the top. Brown will have plenty of challengers ready to take his job, but if he plays like he did to close out the 2019 season, there aren’t many running backs in the country who can catch him. Even if he falls off from last year, Brown will be a key cog in the machine for Penn State’s backfield.
Key backups
Sophomores Noah Cain and Devyn Ford
Cain and Ford both showed plenty of talent in the 2019 season and could reasonably push Brown for the team’s starting job at any point this season. That’s not a knock on Brown, but rather an indication for just how talented the running back room is at Penn State.
Brown has legitimate NFL potential and could hear his name called as early as Day 2 if he decides to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. Yet, there are two sophomores behind him who could pass him on the depth chart before the year is out.
Cain had a much bigger role in the pair’s first season on campus in position coach Ja’Juan Seider’s by-committee system. He showed early that he was built to handle the college game and had the physicality to play in the Big Ten. Cain toted the rock 84 times in 2019 for 443 yards and eight touchdowns.
He became the bell-cow of the backfield for the Nittany Lions 17-12 road win over Iowa in a hostile environment. His 22 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown were crucial in the victory. Two weeks later he suffered the injury against Michigan State that opened the door for Brown to take over.
Now fully recovered, Cain will have an opportunity to prove why he can lead the backfield when it needs to grind its way through a tough Big Ten schedule.
It’s easy to forget about Ford given the impact Cain had in his first season on campus, but the other freshman running back had his fair share of flashes. Ford carried the ball 52 times for 294 yards and three touchdowns. The Virginia native may not have made the same initial impact as Cain, but he arguably has more upside than his classmate.
Ford is a high-level athlete who can use his combination of balance, power and speed to break big runs after contact. He’s more raw than Cain, but could potentially take a big enough leap to surpass him as the team’s No. 2 running back.
Both should see plenty of touches regardless of who wins the backup job. It wouldn’t be surprising to see both have big years and establish themselves as a two-headed monster heading into their third year on campus, if Brown plays like he’s capable and leaves for the draft after this season.
Freshman to watch
True freshman Caziah Holmes
Holmes and Keyvone Lee will both be joining Penn State as true freshmen from Florida this season and in a typical running back group, they’d be competing for a large role. Instead, they’re the fourth- and fifth-string running backs with the Nittany Lions. Holmes has the best chance of the duo to make an impact as a freshman on offense because of his versatility. He’s a high-level runner but can have an influence in the passing game as well.
The former four-star recruit is a good pass-catcher, considering his age and position, and could be the team’s best receiving threat out of the backfield in 2020.
While there won’t be many touches available because the room is loaded, Holmes has the talent to force his way onto the field early in his career.
He’s excellent in short areas and can make defenders miss in the open field, opening the door for him to contribute in passing situations. The Nittany Lions were able to rotate four running backs last season with Brown, Cain, Ford and Slade, who has since transferred from the program. If they decide to do the same this year, Holmes is the best candidate to fill the fourth spot. He could find himself in a situation where he takes Ford’s role and earns 50-60 touches on the season.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 4:53 PM.
