Nebraska running backs coach EJ Barthel met with members of the media following the team’s fall camp practice on Friday. Barthel spoke on key characteristics in a running back, the running back room overall, and maturity. He touched on what he’s looking for in a starter.
“I think you’re looking for three characteristics,” he said. “You’re looking for big play ability. You’re looking for a guy that can pound the football four yards in a cloud of dust. The third part of that would be protection. Whether that’s one person or that’s three different people, that’s kind of what you need in that room for that 1, 2 and 3. Every team in football nowadays usually has one to two guys. Most average probably have three. That’s kind of where we’re at. We’ll see who that person is. We want to make sure that whoever that is, whether it’s one person or three guys, that all those elements are covered.”
Barthel then spoke on where he wants the running back room to be.
“My objective right now as the running back coach is to make sure we have three guys that can go win the game for us, and I think that’s exactly what we’re doing right now,” We’re going to have three to four guys that can go play and win the game for us. That’s where we need to be. Let me rephrase that — guys that we can win the game with. I think that’s what we’ve got right now, that’s what we’re working towards. We’re really trying to push the tail end of the room with Kwinten (Ives) and Dante (Dowdell) and really raise those guys. They’ve answered, Dante especially, he’s really shown a lot of positive things in camp so far. I think it’s about getting to game six and what does that room look like and right now making sure the first half of the season, we have a solid 1, 2 and 3.”
Barthel also spoke on the maturity of the group.
“I was fortunate enough to be assistant running back coach in Carolina (Panthers) and I got a chance to work with (Christian) McCaffrey and coach McCaffrey a lot,” he said. “The maturity of the group, especially the guys that have been with me, we’re at the point now where I think last year as a staff and as an offense we were trying to establish how we run the ball. Our DNA of running the ball. They had to learn that last year. I think the maturity we’ve kind of shifted gears, they know the standard of how we run the ball. They understand the run schemes. They understand where their eyes need to be. Now it’s about the details and focusing and harping on these second-level reads, making guys miss in open space, how do we cut properly? Your first year you have to get the base down. This year you can tell by Emmett (Johnson) and Rahmir (Johnson) at practice how they’re focusing on making guys miss at the second level.”
The Huskers will scrimmage on Saturday. Head Coach Matt Rhule will follow practice with another media availability.
