Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Running backs room loaded with talent
8/23/2020 11:38:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall has more than the reigning C-USA MVP in the backfield
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University running back Brenden Knox is Conference USA's reigning Most Valuable Player in the football, but he ranked second among Thundering Herd ball carriers in average yards per touch last season.
This isn't a story about quality or quantity. Position coach Pepe Pearson has both.
"That's a loaded room," MU offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said.
Knox is back as a redshirt junior who ranks fifth in 2019 rushing yards among returnees who are playing this fall. He's also already inside the Top 20 rushers in school history.
Fellow junior Sheldon Evans is versatile and will see more touches this season after averaging more yards per attempt – 5.43 to 5.12 – than Knox last season.
Then there's sophomore Knowledge McDaniel, sophomore Lawrence Papillon and freshman Rasheen Ali. Pearson calls McDaniel "Knox 2.0" and says Papillon – who the team calls "Pop" – a carbon copy of Evans.
Ali, who hails from Cleveland, is a newcomer in the position room but is a game-breaker with home run speed.
"There's a bunch of talent in that group," Pearson said. "A lot of them were highly recruited around the country and we were fortunate to get them here at Marshall. When you combine talent and coaching together, you can produce something special. That's all I'm trying to do."
Knox is a shining example. The biggest back in the room – 6 feet and 223 pounds – had 1,387 rushing yards in 2019, the seventh-most in a single season in program history. Not only was he C-USA's overall MVP, he was a first team all-conference selection, Marshall's Team MVP and the team's Offensive MVP. He has 10 career 100-yard rushing games in 18 appearances in the backfield, and he is one of five Herd running backs with two career 200-yard rushing games. No MU running back has ever had three in a career, and Knox could have 20-plus games left to achieve that.
"Brenden, we know he is a physical running back," Pearson said. "He's able to do it all. He's really great in pass (protection). He can make the long runs. He's obviously the Conference USA MVP. Every other coach can see he's performing at a high level at everything he does. He's the epitome right now of being an all-around back."
Evans, who is 5-11 and 200 pounds, rushed 69 times for 375 yards last season. Cramsey and Pearson expect the Georgia native's role to grow in 2020, giving him more touches and lessening the wear and tear on Knox.
"Sheldon Evans is coming into his own," Pearson said. "He's a shiftier running back; he's smaller; he can make you miss in space. He has gotten better in his pass pro; he can catch the ball out of the backfield."
"Sheldon to me is a special player who I need to start getting him in other places, other positions," Cramsey added. "We want to be able to get those two on the field at the same time because 'Shell' is dynamic. He has a true skill-set where you can split him out sometimes, you can put him in the backfield, swing him out of there as opposed to just handing him the ball."
McDaniel (5-11, 218) did not carry the ball in his first collegiate season, but did see action in six games. Papillon (5-9, 200) carried six times for 35 yards in 2019.
"Knowledge is more similar to Knox and 'Pop' is more similar to 'Shell' in what they can do," Cramsey said.
Both players will see an uptick in playing time this season in one of the most competitive position rooms on the team.
"Knowledge is physical; he can make you miss," Pearson said. "He is really good at catching the ball out of the backfield. Papillon is an explosive player. If you get him in space, he can make you miss."
Ali has been an eye-popping player during Marshall's preseason camp. The 200-pounder from Cleveland's Shaker Heights High School has the potential to break off a long run on any play.
"He can do it all," Pearson said. "He's a great overall athlete; he has great ball skills. He has that long speed. He's going to be explosive and exciting in that way."
Added Cramsey: "I've been impressed as heck with Ali coming in as a freshman. He doesn't mess around. He's a one-cut-and-go guy. As a freshman he might not always be going to be in the right spot, but he's going."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and an eight-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
