So what exactly do we have at RB with Ollison, James, and Hall?

[pittpitt]

We obviously haven't seen a lot from these 3 at the college level, but what can others add regarding what exactly we have at RB with this trio? Here's my take:

CHRIS JAMES played last year as Conner's backup. He relies more on his speed, but like many backs who rely on speed he also dances behind the line a bit before moving up-field. He had a long run right around 15 yards in 8 different games last year (season long of 18), and for the season he averaged 5.0 yds/carry with 4 TD's. He had 3 consistent & successful games last year (all of which looked nearly identical from a yds/carry and longest rush perspective), which were also the 3 in which he got the most carries (Delaware, Syracuse, Miami). He was a 4* recruit in 2014, ranked around 25th best RB in the nation, with top offers from Michigan State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Arizona State. The consensus from fans at this point seems to be cautiously optimistic, with some concerns that he can regularly get stopped for short yardage or a loss, and he may dance too much. He caught 2 passes out of the backfield on Saturday, 1 more than all of last season -- one went for 19 yards, the other was a loss of yardage on a pass that shouldn't have been made.

QADREE OLLISON made an instant impact on Saturday, showing he is fast for 230# and will make quick decisions on where to run and won't waste time doing so. He doesn't currently have the "dish out punishment" mentality/ability of Conner, but his size/speed/decisiveness combo has been noted as similar to Conner by some fans already. As he is a freshman and this was his first game, we don't know much about his blocking or if he can consistently produce. Ollison was a 3* recruit in 2014, with top offers from Wisconsin, PSU, Cincinnati, Boston College, and Iowa.

DARRIN HALL got his feet wet with 3 carries and a reception on Saturday. He's a little bigger and a little slower than Chris James (215# vs 210), and little can be read into what he did in his first game (carries for 5, 1, and -6 yards). I can't remember what happened on his run for a loss, but I'm thinking it was him getting the ball in a hopeless situation and hopefully not him running himself into a bigger loss than it needed to be (any help from someone with Tivo); it should be noted he only played in 2 series in the second half, and by that point the playcalling was pretty vanilla, but we did see him make a catch for 4 yards. Hall was a 4* recruit in 2015, ranked around 20th best RB in the nation, with top offers from Arkansas, Michigan State, Nebraska, and WVU. His high school highlights show him to have about B level strength and speed, but an A in picking & hitting holes, something that if continued in college could give him an advantage over Chris James for playing time.

I'll end with this quote from OC Jim Chaney after the scrimmage August 15, a quote that seems particularly pertinent based on what we saw Saturday: "We can run on the perimeter okay, and we are doing that adequately enough. Our interior run game is not where it needs to be."

 

[geeman2001]

We have 3 guys who, if they weren't adequately motivated 2 days ago, should be amped to the core to show what they are made of. This is a golden chance to shine. Ollison looks to have the edge right now, but what he did was against a low level opponent and not the end-all be-all. Hall and C. James (if healthy) should feel like they have every chance to become the Next Big Pitt Running Back ... which has been a pretty lucrative thing.

 

[jimmoyer]

You can't make it through a ACC season with 3 running backs. This means they will have to move at least one player back to that position. This means either Briggs or Poteat will have to provide the necessary back up to the position. Great opportunity for Jamal Poteat to regain his form that made him so highly recruited out of High School. The kid was very impressive out of McDevitt.

 

[geeman2001]

You can't make it through a ACC season with 3 running backs. This means they will have to move at least one player back to that position. This means either Briggs or Poteat will have to provide the necessary back up to the position. Great opportunity for Jamal Poteat to regain his form that made him so highly recruited out of High School. The kid was very impressive out of McDevitt.

I dunno why but it looked like Poteat wasn't active on Saturday. Was out there in his uni shirt, but not wearing pads. I wondered why at the time but didn't give it much further thought.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

Chris James is going to have a great year for PITT. There's a large contingent that believe he dances behind the line too much, ala Shady, but he is a very patient runner who likes to allow his OL to open holes. There's a substantial difference between nervous dancing, and being a patient runner who trusts the big uglies to pave the way.

Ollison, once he develops that mean streak, is going to be a beast at the RB position. He already has the ability to drag defenders down the field for a few extra yards; we'll see how he continues to develop.

Quadree Henderson, while not a RB, may end up lining up as a scat back or see more jet sweep action. With Boyd back on the field, a reverse to Henderson from Boyd would likely destroy the defense. Once Henderson's in the open field, forget about anyone catching him.

I'm not sure what Hall brings to the table yet, but I do like his ability to catch out of the backfield. He's not a shifty in the open field as James yet, but he can do some damage.

Overall, I'm really interested to see what the young guys bring to the table as the season unfolds; especially when they have the proper footwear. There were a ton of slips early in the game which cost PITT some longer runs.

 

[ChazzMo]

I have thought that one of the things that made Conner more productive than James was that I thought Conner saw the lanes and holes more quickly than James. James is incredibly good at tucking behind his blockers and getting yards that way (remember how Dion ran behind blockers so well?). But what I really liked about Ollison on Saturday was that he seemed, like Conner, to see the lanes and holes and got to them decisively. One half is too small a sample size, obviously, but I have very high hopes that Ollison may be as productive as Conner, because I see them as both having similar vision. Time will tell.

 

[deepelemblues]

I think Ollison does have the punish them mentality of Conner, he's just younger so it is not as mentally and physically developed.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

I think Ollison does have the punish them mentality of Conner, he's just younger so it is not as mentally and physically developed.

Definitely! He has the leg drive to carry defenders, and the stiff arm will come at some point when he is more comfortable carrying the ball at the college level.

If the current stable of backs can keep the production at a high level without the fumbles that plagued Conner (I know this was due to his trying to gain every inch possible), his injury may not be a massive setback on the field. Off the field, Conner was excellent at getting the team to rally off of his physical play. A couple of stiff arms and hard-earned runs by Ollison could go a long way in boosting both his and the team's confidence.

 

[thebadby2]

We obviously haven't seen a lot from these 3 at the college level, but what can others add regarding what exactly we have at RB with this trio? Here's my take:

CHRIS JAMES played last year as Conner's backup. He relies more on his speed, but like many backs who rely on speed he also dances behind the line a bit before moving up-field. He had a long run right around 15 yards in 8 different games last year (season long of 18), and for the season he averaged 5.0 yds/carry with 4 TD's. He had 3 consistent & successful games last year (all of which looked nearly identical from a yds/carry and longest rush perspective), which were also the 3 in which he got the most carries (Delaware, Syracuse, Miami). He was a 4* recruit in 2014, ranked around 25th best RB in the nation, with top offers from Michigan State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Arizona State. The consensus from fans at this point seems to be cautiously optimistic, with some concerns that he can regularly get stopped for short yardage or a loss, and he may dance too much. He caught 2 passes out of the backfield on Saturday, 1 more than all of last season -- one went for 19 yards, the other was a loss of yardage on a pass that shouldn't have been made.

QADREE OLLISON made an instant impact on Saturday, showing he is fast for 230# and will make quick decisions on where to run and won't waste time doing so. He doesn't currently have the "dish out punishment" mentality/ability of Conner, but his size/speed/decisiveness combo has been noted as similar to Conner by some fans already. As he is a freshman and this was his first game, we don't know much about his blocking or if he can consistently produce. Ollison was a 3* recruit in 2014, with top offers from Wisconsin, PSU, Cincinnati, Boston College, and Iowa.

DARRIN HALL got his feet wet with 3 carries and a reception on Saturday. He's a little bigger and a little slower than Chris James (215# vs 210), and little can be read into what he did in his first game (carries for 5, 1, and -6 yards). I can't remember what happened on his run for a loss, but I'm thinking it was him getting the ball in a hopeless situation and hopefully not him running himself into a bigger loss than it needed to be (any help from someone with Tivo); it should be noted he only played in 2 series in the second half, and by that point the playcalling was pretty vanilla, but we did see him make a catch for 4 yards. Hall was a 4* recruit in 2015, ranked around 20th best RB in the nation, with top offers from Arkansas, Michigan State, Nebraska, and WVU. His high school highlights show him to have about B level strength and speed, but an A in picking & hitting holes, something that if continued in college could give him an advantage over Chris James for playing time.

I'll end with this quote from OC Jim Chaney after the scrimmage August 15, a quote that seems particularly pertinent based on what we saw Saturday: "We can run on the perimeter okay, and we are doing that adequately enough. Our interior run game is not where it needs to be."

The Chaney quote is an indictment of the O line play, not the backs. We should have had a rock solid O line this year, but naturally we had to have a couple of key guys go down injured so we had to shuffle the OL around-again.

We'd better make some adjustments and get big Jaymar in the backfield in front of our tailbacks more often like he was a lot last year. He is a road grader lead blocker.

 

[thebadby2]

You can't make it through a ACC season with 3 running backs. This means they will have to move at least one player back to that position. This means either Briggs or Poteat will have to provide the necessary back up to the position. Great opportunity for Jamal Poteat to regain his form that made him so highly recruited out of High School. The kid was very impressive out of McDevitt.

You can't make it through a ACC season with 3 running backs.

Sure you can-as long as nobody else goes down.

That said, you're right-we'll need to move someone back there as a safety precaution.

 

[MajorMajors]

The Chaney quote is an indictment of the O line play, not the backs. We should have had a rock solid O line this year, but naturally we had to have a couple of key guys go down injured so we had to shuffle the OL around-again.

We'd better make some adjustments and get big Jaymar in the backfield in front of our tailbacks more often like he was a lot last year. He is a road grader lead blocker.

Concerning your Jaymar comment - he was an awesome blocker last year. But if you check out the YSU game hightlights, you will see that #35 George Aston played a heck of a game at FB and on special teams.

I guess that's why Jaymar isn't back there - I presume the coaches think they can do more things with Jaymar at TE/H-back, as long as Aston is solid at FB.

Go Pitt.

 

[Teh Teh]

We obviously haven't seen a lot from these 3 at the college level, but what can others add regarding what exactly we have at RB with this trio? Here's my take:

CHRIS JAMES played last year as Conner's backup. He relies more on his speed, but like many backs who rely on speed he also dances behind the line a bit before moving up-field. He had a long run right around 15 yards in 8 different games last year (season long of 18), and for the season he averaged 5.0 yds/carry with 4 TD's. He had 3 consistent & successful games last year (all of which looked nearly identical from a yds/carry and longest rush perspective), which were also the 3 in which he got the most carries (Delaware, Syracuse, Miami). He was a 4* recruit in 2014, ranked around 25th best RB in the nation, with top offers from Michigan State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Arizona State. The consensus from fans at this point seems to be cautiously optimistic, with some concerns that he can regularly get stopped for short yardage or a loss, and he may dance too much. He caught 2 passes out of the backfield on Saturday, 1 more than all of last season -- one went for 19 yards, the other was a loss of yardage on a pass that shouldn't have been made.

QADREE OLLISON made an instant impact on Saturday, showing he is fast for 230# and will make quick decisions on where to run and won't waste time doing so. He doesn't currently have the "dish out punishment" mentality/ability of Conner, but his size/speed/decisiveness combo has been noted as similar to Conner by some fans already. As he is a freshman and this was his first game, we don't know much about his blocking or if he can consistently produce. Ollison was a 3* recruit in 2014, with top offers from Wisconsin, PSU, Cincinnati, Boston College, and Iowa.

DARRIN HALL got his feet wet with 3 carries and a reception on Saturday. He's a little bigger and a little slower than Chris James (215# vs 210), and little can be read into what he did in his first game (carries for 5, 1, and -6 yards). I can't remember what happened on his run for a loss, but I'm thinking it was him getting the ball in a hopeless situation and hopefully not him running himself into a bigger loss than it needed to be (any help from someone with Tivo); it should be noted he only played in 2 series in the second half, and by that point the playcalling was pretty vanilla, but we did see him make a catch for 4 yards. Hall was a 4* recruit in 2015, ranked around 20th best RB in the nation, with top offers from Arkansas, Michigan State, Nebraska, and WVU. His high school highlights show him to have about B level strength and speed, but an A in picking & hitting holes, something that if continued in college could give him an advantage over Chris James for playing time.

I'll end with this quote from OC Jim Chaney after the scrimmage August 15, a quote that seems particularly pertinent based on what we saw Saturday: "We can run on the perimeter okay, and we are doing that adequately enough. Our interior run game is not where it needs to be."

Well... We aren't replacing James Conner, the guy is special. We will be left with less experience and probably less production. But as the billy west example shows, strange things can happen. After one game the backs look good, they should continue to progress. However the passing game HAS to get better.

 

[WNYPanther]

Concerning your Jaymar comment - he was an awesome blocker last year. But if you check out the YSU game hightlights, you will see that #35 George Aston played a heck of a game at FB and on special teams.

I guess that's why Jaymar isn't back there - I presume the coaches think they can do more things with Jaymar at TE/H-back, as long as Aston is solid at FB.

Go Pitt.

Aston was an absolute beast at FB. Loved what I saw from him Saturday.

 

[Pghfan]

3 running backs is more than enough. If someone else goes down, then we can panic. Don't move Briggs back, that would do absolutely nothing for Pitt and screw him up even more. Hopefully our QB and WRs can figure out what they are doing and maybe we can have some sort of vertical passing game to alleviate some pressure off of running the ball 50 times a game..

 

[VAPITTALUM]

I've seen a few people ask, but no one answer; what's up with Poteat? Is he physically unable to play? You would think he would get a shot at playing since he's a RS SR.

 

[Pghfan]

I've seen a few people ask, but no one answer; what's up with Poteat? Is he physically unable to play? You would think he would get a shot at playing since he's a RS SR.

He was moved to OLB. Was actually getting some reps in the spring but once summer camp started, nothing. Think he might have been injured in summer camp and sunk on the depth chart but not positive. Regardless, he is at OLB.

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

Obviously, I'd feel much better if Ibrahim was still in the mix and James wasn't nursing an unspecified injury. But, that said, Ollison sounds hungry, skilled and ready. James produced in big spots last season. And, Hall was hyped all camp as being smart, prepared and talented. I like it. Again though, if James and Ibrahim were 100%, I'd almost love it.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

He was moved to OLB. Was actually getting some reps in the spring but once summer camp started, nothing. Think he might have been injured in summer camp and sunk on the depth chart but not positive. Regardless, he is at OLB.

Thanks for the info. I looked right at his name and missed the LB designation by his name...a sign that I need more coffee!

 

[pittpitt]

What exactly happened on Hall's run for a 6-yard loss? How much was the blocking, how much was him?

 

[#99HUGHgreen]

"I too am excited about all of the quality RBs we have, but there is just something about having a guy with the bigger Conner-like frame who can bang ahead for a few yards next year when it is really needed. Ollison is big, strong, cuts well and is fast for his size. He has all of the tools to be a really special player."

This is what I posted back on August 17 about Ollison. I just want to thank Qadree for helping me look good (in return for believing in him).

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Werner said he 's injured, Poteat

 

[The Loaded Italian]

Ollison looks fantastic... but just side to side, Conner is just physically imposing right now. Ollison will be that and be there with Pitt's terrific off season work-outs, but I will wait to say he is there after a few more games. He made some BIG, long runs, but take those out and he averaged under 4 yards a carry (I know that is a dumb thing to say, but just managing high expectations for the guy that set a Pitt record)

 

[VAPITTALUM]

Poteat just moved back to RB from LB per Sam Werner. Wasn't available last week, but will dress this week.

 

[#99HUGHgreen]

Ollison looks fantastic... but just side to side, Conner is just physically imposing right now. Ollison will be that and be there with Pitt's terrific off season work-outs, but I will wait to say he is there after a few more games. He made some BIG, long runs, but take those out and he averaged under 4 yards a carry (I know that is a dumb thing to say, but just managing high expectations for the guy that set a Pitt record)

Yeah, I hear what you're saying. It's only been one game. And someone will want to remind everyone that it was a FCS team he did so well against. All fair points.

On the other hand, He was indeed fantastic in the game. He didn't just have one long run, he had multiple long runs. He didn't just run for over 100 yards- he ran for over 200. And he did it all in one half.

Yes, we've only seen him in one game and against a non power five conference team, but in that one game he sure looked like someone who is ready for the spot light.

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

Well, Georgia lost Gurley early last season and Chubb did a heck of job replacing him. And, Arkansas lost superstar Jon Williams in the off-season, but Alex Collins seems to have stepped up to the plate. Hell, Pitt lost Shady McCoy after his SO season to the NFL draft and unexpectedly replaced his yards with Dion Lewis and Ray Graham the following season... Two TR FR running backs. It's certainly not a done deal with Ollison, James and Hall. But, no doubt, it can be done and has been at Pitt in Pitt's recent past.