Spring review: Is Virginia Tech's running back rotation any more defined than the start of spring?

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Today: Running backs

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Burning question

Is Virginia Tech's running back rotation any more defined than the start of spring?

Depth chart best guess

1. Steven Peoples, Sr.

2. Deshawn McClease, r-Jr.

3. Jalen Holston, So.

4. Coleman Fox, r-Jr.

5. Terius Wheatley, r-Fr.

6. Caleb Steward, Fr.

What we learned

That there are going to be a lot of running backs who carry the ball again this year. That wasn't necessarily gleaned from the spring game split of reps (everybody's going to get some carries in a setup like that), but Justin Fuente and running backs coach Zohn Burden didn't really give any indication that there was a player who is head and shoulders above the rest, which is a pretty good way of saying it's going to be by committee again. That's not necessary stubbornness on the coaches' part. If a roster doesn't have a player who's far and away the best and ready for a 20-carry workload, this staff isn't going to force it. And the story of the running back room since Fuente arrived in Blacksburg is that there are a lot of players who are able to contribute in bits, but there hasn't really been that total package back that Hokies fans crave so much.

Biggest surprise

That there wasn't really much of a surprise. The Hokies appear to be, for lack of a better term, running things back from last season, minus Travon McMillian, who transferred to Colorado for his senior season. Usually you hear of someone in the spring making some sort of big jump. That didn't seem to be the case this spring for any of the running backs. That's not necessarily a slight on their progress, just an observation that it sounds like they all made incremental improvements but still remain largely a group that's going to have to succeed as the sum of its parts rather than one individual taking on the majority of the workload. 

Wild card

Holston was listed as injured at the start of spring, and it wasn't clear what the rising sophomore was going to be able to do during spring drills. But he ended up doing quite a bit, and he's an interesting option as he enters Year 2. You generally know what you're going to get in Steven Peoples, a bowling ball of back who is probably the most reliable runner of the group. Deshawn McClease has been around a while too and you've seen glimpses of what he's capable of. Holston's progress at the end of last year came with less fanfare. He had 12 carries for 52 yards against Pitt, then got hurt against UVa and played a minor role in the bowl game. But he was a true freshman adjusting from an option offense in high school where he basically was the dive option. Fuente's offense was a whole new world. He dropped some weight this offseason to add a little more explosiveness and the coaches liked what they saw, even if he only had five carries for 19 yards in the spring game. Of the backs who could make a major step forward, he might be it.

Arriving soon

Cole Beck was a running back at Blacksburg High and legitimate burner, one who set personal records in the 100 (10.37 seconds) and 200 (21.28 seconds) in his final home track meet late last month. He's no doubt fast, though you have to wonder if he'll be used as a running back in the traditional way. That part of his game probably will take some work if that's indeed where the coaches want him to develop, though Fuente and Co. have certain ways they like to use their speedsters, especially on jet sweeps. If nothing else, having someone with this kind of straight-line speed will allow them to get creative with how they get him the ball in space when he's ready to contribute.

Odds and ends

Had Peoples not injured his ankle last year, this whole post might be different. It's a good bet he would have started the majority of games in 2017, just because Fuente likes what he brings to the table so much, even though his explosiveness might be lacking. ... McClease answered some of the critics about the Hokies' lack of big plays by ripping off a 49-yard touchdown run in the spring game. Would you believe that the last time a Hokies running back had a run that long in a real game was when McMillian broke free for a 69-yard touchdown in the Battle at Bristol? ... Fox isn't going away, despite not being able to get many non-garbage time reps. He had 10 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown in the spring game. It seems like he can help this team somehow. ... Wheatley was hurt for the spring game, though coaches were excited about his speed. ... Not much was said about Steward, an early enrollee, which might be the fault of those of us who didn't ask any questions about him than anything related to how his spring unfolded.

They said it

"Our biggest thing is the little things. It’s hold on to the football. Get north and south. And honestly, yards after contact and making guys miss on the second level. I think we struggled with that last year and definitely want to improve on trying to make some big plays. Turning those 7- or 8-yard runs into touchdowns. ... There were definitely times when the blocking was perfect and I think we as a group knew we left a lot of plays out there last year that we definitely don’t want to leave on the field this year."

-- Burden on his group's lack of explosive runs last year

Just the facts

As a trio, Peoples, McClease and Holston combined for 248 carries, 1,023 yards and eight touchdowns last season. That's a 4.13-yard average, which could be better, but it's still decent production as a whole. Add Fox and that total jumps to 1,246 yards and a 4.34-yard average.

Last word

This doesn't seem like a group that's going to wow you with a sudden leap in production, but the Hokies could churn out yardage a lot better than they have in recent years with just some small advances. Certainly, breaking more big plays would be a big boost. Tech's seven rushing plays of 20 or more yards last year ranked last in the ACC and tied for 124th nationally. That's hard to believe for a school that's produced the likes of Kevin Jones, Lee Suggs, Ryan Williams, Darren Evans and David Wilson. There's hope that big help could be on the way down the line, with four-star back Devyn Ford making his college decision later this month and the Hokies trying to fend off Penn State for his services. But that's with 2019 and beyond in mind.

The 2018 crew will be pretty much the same, but there's still a lot to like from the backs. Peoples is still a load and, when healthy, a solid though not spectacular option in the running game. McClease started to show signs of breaking out at the end of last year, certainly in a 124-yard effort in the bowl game. Holston might see things click now that he's got some comfort in Year 2. Fox has some shiftiness and ability if he gets a shot. Is there a 1,000-yard rusher in that group? Probably not. In fact, I'd be willing to wager quite a bit that nobody gets to that mark. But Fuente's best rushing teams haven't necessarily have a stud running back. Those groups found ways to grind out yards in the aggregate, and Fuente has no qualms about rotating them at will. That might be how the Hokies have to do it again this fall.