Breaking Down the Husky Running-Back Competition

They line up like they're waiting to see a first-run blockbuster movie, wondering if there will be any good seats left once inside the theater.

These are the University of Washington running-back candidates, some looking forlorn, others a little distracted by their new surroundings, no one exactly sure what's going to happen.

They stand seven deep as scholarship candidates likely competing for just two spots that will put people to work on game days this season, more if guys get injured.

From the outset of fall camp, Virginia transfer Wayne Taulapapa and Nebraska newcomer Will Nixon, new on campus, have drawn most of the practice carries, followed by returnees Cam Davis and Sam Adams, getting long looks, too, after coming off injuries.

Add to this collection of backs New Mexico transfer Aaron Dumas, who arrived in the spring, and Jay'Veon Sunday, one of the few pro-style backs left on the roster, both of whom were the only healthy runners during spring ball; and finally Richard Newton, in uniform but still coming back gingerly from a knee injury suffered against UCLA. 

"First and foremost, we wanted to get those guys we haven't seen take a lot of reps," coach Kalen DeBoer said. "I told Aaron Dumas and Sunday back in May that we got to see you guys a lot. Now that we're in a few practices, those guys are getting their reps and balancing out again."

With three weeks to go before the opener, Davis and Taulapapa might be the best fits for this competition, with the former turning in a highly favorable audition with new Husky offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb watching with great interest.

"I think he's a fantastic kid, super smart and tough," Grubb said of Davis. "He had two [runs] yesterday that probably surprised me a lot. He had a different gear than I thought."

In DeBoer's new spread offense, which is a significant change from Jimmy Lake's pro-style attack that struggled to fool anyone very long, the backs need to be able to run the ball, catch it and block effectively, with no exceptions.

The change in offensive style prompted the post-spring departures of a pair of Texas running backs in Caleb Berry and Emeka Megwa, neither likely voluntarily, and maybe the precursor to other transfers.

With that, here's a breakdown of each of the seven scholarship running backs trying to make inroads in DeBoer's offense:

1) Cam Davis, 6-0, 208, Soph. — Davis has started two games in his career, against Colorado last season and against Boise State in the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl. As mentioned before, this Californian is deceptively fast. He's such a tough football player that former defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said he easily could have turned Davis into a linebacker. He might have the best combination of rushing, receiving and blocking skills on the team.

2) Wayne Taulapapa, 5-11, 207, Grad. — The former ACC back is the most experienced of every player on this list after starting 27 games for Virginia. He looks quick getting to the hole and shifty coming out of it. The Hawaiian native comes off modest season totals of 62 carries for 324 yards rushing and 11 catches for 62 yards in 2021, collectively scoring 3 times. He should be dependable in all areas.

3) Will Nixon, 5-11, 192, R.-Fresh. — Nebraska saw a receiver in this Texan. The Huskies view him as a running back who can catch. He looked physical enough in his many chances so far and could play right away. He should know what he's doing in the backfield at all times. Nixon is the son of Jeff Nixon, the Carolina Panthers running-backs coach and a former Penn State tailback. 

4) Sam Adams II, 6-2, 198, R.-Fresh. — Injured for two seasons, Adams is a versatile athlete who took significant Husky snaps for the first time just this past week. He looked creative enough in finding holes yet his blocking skills appear a little suspect. He's a third-generation Adams whose father and grandfather played in the NFL. However, they were linemen.

5) Aaron Dumas, 5-9, 208, Soph. — He's a low-gravity player who has the only 100-yard rushing game on the college level among these candidates, 143 against Fresno State and DeBoer. He comes off a team-best 658-yard rushing output with the Lobos. He's not particularly fast nor did he did a single catch a pass in 2021, which might hurt his chances at winning the job outright or a lot of snaps. He's tough enough he could be a special-teams player. 

6) Jay'Veon Sunday, 6-0, 203, R.-Fresh. — Yet another Texas-raised back, he might not be a good fit for this offense for the same reason that Berry and Megwa are no longer on the roster. He looks capable enough running the ball as a power back, but his receiving and blocking skills might not be enough to get him on the field. He seems devoted to the UW program, though.

7) Richard Newton, 6-0, 212, Jr. — He ranks at the bottom here simply because he's still not healthy. Great things were projected for him following a 2019 season in which he scored 11 times coming off the bench. After a pandemic season in which he fell out of favor with Jimmy Lake's staff, great things were projected for Newton once more this past season. He started three games, got hurt twice and was lost for the rest of the year. If he can ever regain his health and his good standing as a dependable player, he could be a good fit for DeBoer's offense.

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