Fall Camp 2016 preview and prediction: Running Backs

PROVO - By the time September 3rd rolls around for the season opener against Arizona, it will have been 22 months since the last time Jamaal Williams carried the ball for BYU in a game.

Williams suffered a terrible ACL injury against Middle Tennessee in that game and then the following season withdrew from school days before fall camp.

The delayed senior campaign for Williams is now being viewed as a positive with Williams being added to a running back unit that looks to be the deepest it has been in nearly a decade.

There’s speed, there’s youth, there’s experience, and there’s a new focus on the fullback position in Detmer’s pro-style offense.

This is an intriguing group that has the potential to get back to rushing numbers the Cougars enjoyed three years ago as one of the nation’s best rushing teams.

Starters

Jamaal Williams | Senior

Williams arrived at BYU as a 17-year-old boy who set freshman records in rushing yards and touchdowns and is now entering his senior season as a 21-year-old man who needs 929 yards to pass Harvey Unga and become BYU’s all-time leading rusher.

During spring ball, any doubts that were raised about Williams’ shape and condition were put to rest right away. Williams entered camp at 225 pounds, the heaviest he had ever been at BYU and was less than 4% body fat. There was always a feeling that Williams had the potential to be an NFL running back, but now when you see his physique, he looks the part of an NFL back.

Now for the “Swagdaddy” or “Baby J,” whichever nickname you prefer for Williams, he needs to stay healthy. When he was healthy during his shortened 2014 season, he was rushing for over 100 yards per game early in that year.

Algie Brown | Senior (Fullback)

BYU’s leading rusher from a year ago (709 yards, 11 TD’s) returns in a new role this fall. Brown will be BYU’s fullback this season.

Brown took over as the full-time starter after Adam Hine suffered a season-ending injury against Michigan and Brown brought life to a running game that was struggling the first month of the season.

Brown is a hard-nosed rusher and he knew that if he wanted to have a career in the NFL a move to fullback was inevitable. How often will we see Brown carry the rock in this role? I’d expect a good number of carries for Brown as he has shown he is a tough runner to bring down after the first line of defense. But don’t expect a similar workload to a year ago.

Next in Line

Squally Canada | Sophomore

Canada, a transfer from Washington State, had one carry last season in the Vegas Bowl and it resulted in a fumble that went to Utah. It was a tough debut for Canada who has a promising future at BYU.

In the first day of camp last year, Canada took the first carry in 11’s and took it for 45 yards. He had a burst and speed that was definitely void in BYU’s backfield last year. During spring ball, you saw flashes of Canada’s speed, but he still needs to work on ball security.

The speed and athleticism are great, but if Canada can’t improve his ball security, it could cost him the opportunity for playing time. Canada and Williams have the potential to be one of the most dynamic running back tandems at BYU since the days of Brian McKenzie and Ronney Jenkins in 1996. There’s a ton of potential here.

Trey Dye | Junior

Is it do or “dye” time for Trey Dye to get playing time at BYU? Entering his junior season, Dye hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase his talents on the field.

In Detmer’s new offense, Dye could be used in a variety of ways. Don’t plan on him being a conventional running back. Best bet would be seeing Dye catching balls out of the backfield so he can get out in space and make plays. That’s when he was at his best in high school.

Riley Burt | Sophomore

Was it just I, or did it feel like anytime Riley Burt touched the ball last year he was making big plays?

Burt’s impact as a true freshman a year ago was felt particularly in the return game as he led BYU with 318 yards on 13 kick returns. Burt also quietly racked up six yards per carry on 14 carries for 86 yards. Fans were clamoring for more Burt where BYU clearly lacked that burner out of the backfield.

With a track and field background, Burt is one of the faster guys on the team. He is a name that folks are sleeping on right now but with a productive camp, there could be a chance he’s the primary backup to Williams.

Brayden El-Bakri | Sophomore (Walk-on)

For being a walk-on, El-Bakri is a pretty good athlete at the fullback position. Multi-sport star when he prepped at Brighton High, El-Bakri made in-roads for playing time during spring ball with his play. A hard-nosed fullback who will lay it all on the line, and could be an unsuspecting target to catch passes out of the backfield.

Quick Hits on Walk-Ons

KJ Hall | Redshirt Freshman: Son to former BYU running back Kaelin Hall. Played defensive back in spring ball.

Creed Richardson | Junior: Bull of a back at 6’1”, 244 pounds.

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Pre-Camp Prediction: Jamaal Williams rushes for 1,200+ yards this season

When asked at Media Day if Williams could be the workload back this season, head coach Kalani Sitake said that Williams is definitely capable of doing that. But did mention the carries will likely be by committee early on in the season.

As the season progresses, Williams would get a larger workload and will become BYU’s all-time leading rusher in the process.

Mitch Harper is the Publisher of CougarNation.com and host of Cougar Center Podcast on 1320KFAN.com where he serves as 1320 KFAN's BYU Insider. Follow Mitch on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.