Kansas has a strong 1-2 punch at running back with Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. The two are both on the preseason Doak Walker Watchlist and are a strong component of what should be a strong Jayhawks offense. Running backs coach Jonathan Wallace talked to the media on Friday about the depth behind the duo, what he’s seen from Neal and Hishaw, and how he’s adjusted to working with a new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
How Wallace plans to work in Sevion Morrison
The former Nebraska Cornhusker seems to be the third running back behind Neal and Hishaw. Morrison has received a handful of carries over the past two seasons but there are elements of his game that might make him a bigger contributor this season.
“He’s flashy, right,” Wallace said of Morrison. “When he’s out on the field, he’s explosive, you know. And I’m not going to get into specifics in terms of where, how we would use him, but he has a unique skill set to be utilized in a lot of different ways.”
Wallace called Morrison a “change-up back” and said there are things that he does a good job at that he might not have to place on Neal or Hishaw. Morrison has improved pass protection to become more of an every-down running back.
“One area that he's getting really good at is pass protection, you know, as we've gone through fall camp and really seeing him, seeing some growth in that aspect for himself and it's going to help him be able to get in the game more,” Wallace said. “The way that we train our guys is to be all down backs. You got to be able to do everything, but there's still going be roles that we seek out for each of these guys to be able to play them. And he's starting to turn the corner in a lot of those ways as he continues to stay healthy.”
Young running backs continue to get acclimated
Kansas has a pair of young running backs, Harry Stewart III and Johnny Thompson Jr., who are beginning to stand out. Stewart, a true freshman, enrolled in the spring and started slowly but is getting more comfortable.
“You throw a lot at them early, you know, they come out the gate a bit slow, you know, thinking a little bit on runs or protections here and there,” Wallace said. “But as those guys are piecing together, I mean, he’s done a really good job so far.”
Wallace mentioned Thompson as well as someone who has started to turn the corner. Wallace said he had the same points of emphasis for Thompson as he does for Neal.
“Obviously, they're at different stages in their career, you know, Johnny being on the front end of it and still understanding the offense, still, you know, trying to piece together the fundamentals of the position and putting it all together, you know, as he gets reps, it's really starting to piece together for him really well,” Wallace said.
Kansas’ experience ahead of Stewart and Thompson has made it easier for them to adjust to playing college football. Compared to Neal, who was thrust into action as a freshman, Stewart and Thompson have been able to learn from running backs who’ve had a lot of playing time.
“The pressure isn’t quite there, so to speak,” Wallace said. “So the process for him [Stewart] is just being able to learn as much as he can from Dev and Deuce and Sevion, and he’s really done that and he’s taken a good approach in that round.”
Expectations for Neal and Hishaw
Neal and Hishaw have not been taking a majority of the reps throughout fall camp. Wallace said Hishaw was nicked up and missed Friday’s practice but he’ll be fine. Neal has also still gotten “a lot of good work” in.
Wallace said Neal and Hishaw are focused on cleaning up the details of the running back position. He mentioned ball mechanics, eyes in the second and third level, pass protection, and technique as some of those details.
“We’re highly focused on the details of the position and mastering those skills,” Wallace said. “So those guys have done a really good job throughout camp challenging each other, challenging the room to be their very best.”
Wallace says having two running backs as skilled as Neal and Hishaw helps keep both of them fresh on game day. He has confidence in both of them and is looking forward to throwing them both out there.
“They’re even more dangerous when they’re on the field together, you know,” Wallace said. “But when you get to the latter end of those games, the third and fourth quarter, both of those guys, you know, they still got juice left in the tank per se.”
Kansas’ running back coach called them “complimentary” not just in style of play, but in personality as well.
“I think that their relationship and the way they handle playing together and being in the same room and challenging each other is one thing that I think stands out the most about them,” Wallace said. “They’re selfless, you know, that there is no selfishness there. Now they’re both hungry and they’re eager and they want to be the one either with the ball in their hand or just in the game blocking.”
