Why Kansas State Wildcats could use four different running backs this football season
It’s easy to forget that Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman prefers to use a committee approach in the backfield.
Over the past two years, Deuce Vaughn became the definition of a workhorse runner for the Wildcats. He carried the ball a whopping 235 times as a sophomore and then 293 more times as a junior. No other running back could escape his shadow while he was on the roster.
Don’t be surprised if Klieman gets back to his roots as the Wildcats try to replace one of the top playmakers in school history. Fans could see as many four running backs split carries this season.
“I think we can go that route,” K-State running backs coach Brian Anderson said at the conclusion of spring practices. “We could definitely get back to a place where I feel comfortable having multiple guys carry the load.”
At the very least, K-State will ask two running backs to share a leading role this season.
DJ Giddens is back as a redshirt-sophomore after rushing for 518 yards and six touchdowns on 89 carries last season. Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward is also ready to make an impact after he amassed 1,451 yards and scored 13 touchdowns during his time with the Seminoles. But Anderson thinks two other running backs are worthy of complementary roles.
Anthony Frias, a former junior-college transfer, is playing well enough in training camp to deserve a spot in the rotation. And Joe Jackson, a 6-foot and 187-pound freshman from Haines City, Florida, is also making the most of his opportunities.
It sounds like Frias could be used for his blocking skills, almost like a fullback. But he brings more to the table than that.
“He ended spring on a high note and came back for fall camp and really worked his butt off this summer,” Anderson said this week. “He is trending in the right direction. He’s trying to find a role for himself on this team and he has done a really good with that.
“He’s doing a really good job in protection and he does a really good job as a lead blocker on some of our outside run plays and he does a good job catching the ball. He’s getting a lot better at running routes.”
Jackson is in more of a developmental stage at the moment, but he could also be used in certain situations this season.
“He has done some really nice things as a freshman,” Anderson said. “Is he ready yet? I wouldn’t say he’s ready, but he’s working hard and working in the right direction.”
That could lead to a more balanced rushing attack in 2023 that features fresh legs in all four quarters, a throwback to what we saw from the K-State offense in Klieman’s first few years with the program.
In 2019, James Gilbert led the Wildcats with 141 carries while Jordon Brown (114) and Harry Trotter were both used every single week. That doesn’t mention the 114 carries Skylar Thompson saw at quarterback, or the three other running backs who saw 20-plus carries.
You never knew who might lead the team from one Saturday to the next.
In 2020, Vaughn led K-State with 123 carries while Will Howard (78) and Harry Trotter (72) both topped 70 in a season that was shortened by COVID-19.
Klieman has tried to deploy a stable of running backs going back to his time at North Dakota State, when it wasn’t a surprise to see a new lead runner in every quarter.
Odds are K-State will find a happy medium this season with Giddens and Ward leading the way. But it’s not hard to envision a scenario in which the Wildcats choose a committee of rushers over just one.
This story was originally published August 10, 2023 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Why Kansas State Wildcats could use four different running backs this football season."