Ad Disclosure
Replacing Kelvin Taylor could reshape Florida’s ground game
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Replacing RB Kelvin Taylor won’t be easy for Florida in 2016.
Taylor gained 1,035 yards as the do-it-all, every-down back for the Gators last season. With 259 carries on the year, Taylor more than tripled the combined workload of his backups, Jordan Cronkrite (44 carries) and Jordan Scarlett (34 carries).
Whether UF needed a run to go for three inches or three yards, the coaches called on the NFL-bound junior. While Taylor is by no means a stereotypical big back at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, neither Cronkrite (5-foot-11, 204 pounds) nor Scarlett (5-foot-10, 213 pounds) offered a noticeable difference in size (and thus, power) for short-yardage situations.
If Taylor had opted to return for his senior year, it’s virtually guaranteed he would have received a break from the third-and-1 runs up the gut, and the punishment that comes with them, as the Gators finally have a big bruiser in 6-foot-2, 242-pound junior college transfer RB Mark Thompson.
Thompson’s size has led to comparisons to former Alabama RB Derrick Henry (6-foot-3, 238 pounds), last season’s Heisman Trophy winner. While the two backs may share similar builds and upper-body strength, it’s unfair to place the lofty expectations on Thompson that come with a comparison to Henry.
It’s certainly possible that the Florida coaching staff found a diamond in the rough in Thompson, but his 1,298 yards on 268 carries (4.8 yards per carry) last year against JUCO competition doesn’t stack up to Henry’s 395 carries for 2,219 yards (5.6 yards per carry) against SEC defenses.
The good news is that Florida doesn’t need Thompson to be a workhorse like Henry or Taylor. While coach Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier leaned on Taylor in all situations last season, their Alabama offenses regularly used a feature back and at least one complementary ball carrier. From 2008-2013, Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake were all part of tandem ground games for UA offenses coached by McElwain or Nussmeier.
The makings for the next effective ground game by committee are there with the size and speed of Thompson, Cronkrite and Scarlett. Now it’s up to the backs to make the case this spring that they’re ready to take on Taylor’s carries.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
