Will this be the season ASU goes RB-by-committee after years of featuring a bell cow?

TEMPE — Arizona State has churned out productive running backs year after year over the past two decades, as the last full season it played without a running back who reached at least 1,000 scrimmage yards was 2008.

It’s even more impressive to look at just the tenure of current running backs coach Shaun Aguano since he arrived at ASU in 2019.

Excluding the four-game 2020 season, the only time Aguano hasn’t coached a 1,000-yard rusher was Cam Skattebo’s first season as a Sun Devil in 2023 when he had 783 rushing yards. Skattebo still reached the 1,000-yard scrimmage mark (1,069) and more than made up for falling short of the rushing total with 1,711 in his outstanding 2024 campaign.

But ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said it’s not in his nature to feature one bell cow and that he’d prefer to spread touches around, especially when there’s as deep and diverse a room as there is this season.

 

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Skattebo was a special exception to the workload concerns Dillingham usually has, and last season’s team was on track to feature both Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown before the former’s ankle injury derailed his season. The latter capitalized with the second-most rushing yards in the Big 12 (1,141).

In his previous stops, Dillingham shared the wealth as the offensive coordinator at Oregon (2022) and Florida State (2021), as his top rushers were 17 and nine carries apart, respectively.

Going into a season where Dillingham will have more of an active role in play-calling, he said he “could see a tier” of running backs getting consistent action.

“That’s what you want. You want to keep backs fresh,” Dillingham said. “Normally, I’m a multiple back guy. I want multiple guys to touch the ball. I want to get those guys touches all around the field, and you have to do that with multiple guys.”

Who is in top tier of ASU running backs?

The RB depth chart has to start with Kyson Brown, a senior who has spent his entire college career playing for Dillingham and Aguano.

He was voted by his teammates to the Tillman Leadership Council, and the Camp T scrimmage provided insight to his leadership as he went up the sideline talking up his offensive line before drives.

“He’s played that coach in the room a little bit, and before I get to lose my mind on them, he kind of takes care of it and we’re all good,” Aguano told Arizona Sports. “Having that kind of person who knows exactly what I want the last four years, he gets it.”

Brown entered last season getting more of the primary reps than Raleek Brown and had 13 touches for 145 yards in the season opener before the injury at Mississippi State the following week. He had just 11 touches over the final 10 regular-season games.

He’s the best blocker and receiver in the room, two key traits Aguano identified as factors in earning his trust.

Delaware State transfer Marquis Gillis has had days where he’s been just as impressive, having learned from former NFL running back Clinton Portis at his previous stop.

“He’s fundamentally sound,” Aguano said. “Coming into a new playbook is always hard, so just being consistent on the playbook. But fundamentally, I think he’s learned a lot from coach Clinton.”

Freshman Cardae Mack has to factor in as someone who provides a versatility that goes back to his days playing quarterback at Atascocita High School in Texas, and he’s more physically ready than his age would suggest at 220 pounds.

“Just diversification if we ever go with two backs in the backfield type of deal,” Aguano said of what Mack brings. “People can’t sleep on him because he can throw the football and throw the football like a quarterback. So that just gives us another element to our offense.

“(Mack) has the right character, the right intellect and loves football. So he has all the important traits of a good back and his balance is very good for a younger guy.”

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