Young running backs getting early jump on pivotal season

For the first time entering his fourth season as Nebraska’s running backs coach, Ryan Held has a full room in the spring.

With a slew of returning players and both transfer Markese Stepp and freshman Gabe Ervin enrolling in January, the Huskers are getting a jump on the 2021 season with their full compliment available in the backfield.

Given how inexperienced NU’s running back group is at the moment, the early start couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I definitely have more depth and more guys to work with…” Held said. “We’re not going to use any inexperience as an excuse. There are no excuses. We’ve got to grow up, and we’ve got to make it happen.

“But the good thing is we have everybody here. I’m not waiting on two more guys, three more guys. We’re all here. So now we’ve got to be able to go out there and grow up and get it done.”

While he’s only been on campus for a few months, many have Stepp penciled in as Nebraska’s No. 1 running back for this season.

The 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore from USC played in 16 games over the past three years with the Trojans, rushing 100 times for 505 yards and six touchdowns.

His 2019 season was cut short after seven games due to injuries, but Held said Stepp had already shown the physical brand of running he could bring to NU’s offense.

“He’s a downhill runner,” Held said. “I think he can definitely give us that element, which we definitely need from an older guy.”

After Stepp, though, the backfield depth chart looks wide open.

The good news is that not only are all of the Huskers’ running backs already on campus, but they’re also all finally healthy.

Ronald Thompkins opened 2020 as the No. 2 behind starter Dedrick Mills, but he only played in two games before being sidelined by what Held called “a nagging injury.”

Sevion Morrison is back in the fold as well after missing three weeks last fall with COVID-19 and sitting out the season. Held said Morrison likely would have played in games had he been healthy with NU’s depth issues at the end of the year.

Marvin Scott, Rahmir Johnson, and Ervin will all make their case for playing time this offseason as well.

Held said this was a “big year” for Johnson to solidify his place in the rotation while adding that Ervin had already shown plenty of flashes in his first few practices.

The competition at running back will likely run through fall camp and maybe on into the season. But regardless of who gets on the field in 2021, Held said his group had to be significantly better than it was a year ago.

“It wasn’t good enough, obviously,” Held said. “We’ve got to get more production out of that position. We have to.”