Wallace likes the running back room, says the group is "stacked"

Jonathan Wallace will soon be faced with tough decisions, but they are the kind of decisions he will not making. Last year Wallace faced depth issues late in the season when he only had one running back on scholarship healthy.

Going into 2022 things look a lot different.

Right now, there are five running backs factoring into fall camp getting a lot of the snaps including Devin Neal, Sevion Morrison, Ky Thomas, Daniel Hishaw and Tory Locklin.

One of the good signs is every back fighting for a position went through spring football.

“It's a process,” Wallace said. “Here we are in our, what we would say is our second week. And in terms of what we're trying to find, we've had spring to evaluate. The beauty of our situation in the spring, we had every back that's out there for us was there in the spring.

“And so, we're able to have the summer with them, and now we're in fall camp. We're seeing who is able to carry over the information. Those reps, who's been working. It's really starting to come to light.”

Neal is back after his true freshman year leading the team in rushing. Morrison and Thomas transferred in from Big 10 programs and Locklin can play different positions on the field. Hishaw told Jayhawk Slant he is healthy after missing last season.

Although the competition is strong, Hishaw said everyone is helping each other. He added this is the best running group he has seen at KU.

“This is the best running back room I think we probably had since I've been here,” he said. “Just family wise and brother wise, we are all unselfish. Nobody really cares who just getting the ball right now. It's just as long as our room is doing good because that's what expected of us.”

Wallace said he has seen the group grow together.

“I mean, anytime we can take the field, man, it's a lot of fun,” Wallace said. “This group of guys, they've been doing a really good job each and every day, just meetings, walkthroughs, the focus. I mean, it's been there. And they're having a lot of fun doing it and working together doing it.”

But there is going to be a point coming soon in camp where Wallace and the staff start to narrow down the group. In the upcoming days Wallace will have to figure out who the main guys are heading into the opening game against Tennessee Tech.

They will have to give practice reps to the players at the top of the depth chart.

“At the end of the day, it's about who's the most consistent,” Wallace said. “As a runner, as a pass blocker, a route runner, you have to bring that consistency every single day. And that's the beauty of having a stacked room. If somebody's not doing it, somebody else is.

“Whoever's the most consistent guys, whoever's the most reliable guys, those are going to be the guys getting the reps. And it's not a secret. That's something that's really important in having a room like this, is the communication aspect from us as coaches, is making sure that we communicate properly to these guys.”