2010 Running Backs
Key Departures: possibly Royster
Projected Depth Chart: RB - Evan Royster (Sr), Stephfon Green (Jr), Brent Carter (Sr), Curtis Dukes (Fr) FB - Joe Suhey (Jr)
Other Depth: RB - Brandon Beachum (Jr - knee surgery may keep him out the first month or so), Shaine Thompson (Jr) FB - Michael Zordich (So)
Incoming Commits: RB - Silas Redd FB - Zach Zwinak
If Royster leaves, I may have a little concern about our depth, at least experience-wise. Green and Carter have shown a tendency to get knicked up, while Beachum may be out for a while with his ligament tear. The drop-off in talent is not that great, however. That said, Royster has been a solid all-around back, and I'm sure I'll appreciate him more when he's gone. Carter is a nice backup to have, and I can't wait to see what Dukes can show us. Zordich showed some nice burst out of the FB spot against MSU, but I wonder if they'll leave him to concentrate on LB next year with Lee, Hullstache, and maybe Bowman all leaving. I like the speed of Redd coming into the fold, and Zwinak seems to be a freaking unnatural beast at RB in high school. He has size and speed, much like Dukes. The two of them could pair up to make one large, fast, and imposing set of options in the future. Whoever is lined up in the backfield next year may have to carry the load more than they're used to, with Clark leaving and a true sophomore likely taking over. Teams may stack the box to make the new QB beat them, so the O-Line's maturation will have a lot to do with the RB success next year, as well.
NOTE: PSU is still hoping to land the #1 RB recruit in the country for 2010, Marcus Lattimore. Stay tuned.