2013 Wake Forest Roster Breakdowns: Running backs and Fullbacks

Wake Forest fans celebrated last week after learning that senior running back Josh Harris will be eligible for the 2013 season. The news jolted the running back position from a major question mark to a big exclamation point.

The NCAA has approved my appeal. WF I'm coming home!

— Joshua Harris (@JoshHarris25) August 9, 2013

With Harris in the fold, the Demon Deacons return their two dynamic running backs from last season, along with sophomore DeAndre Martin. The Demon Deacons anticipate the versatile duo will usher the team into the ground-and-pound misdirection offense that won the ACC in 2006 and compiled a 28-12 three year record.

The return to a run-heavy offense fits the personnel and the blue-collar mindset of this team. It will buy Tanner Price more time to scan the field and should confuse opposing defenses—something that was never achieved last season. The offense should also allow the fledgling offensive line more margin for error.

With a renewed emphasis on running the football, Jim Grobe has openly challenged the running backs' toughness. He has demanded a tough-minded back in the mold of former ACC Player of the Year Chris Barclay who can handle 20-25 carries a game. Grobe has made it clear the running back position is an open competition and he is seeking a gritty, hard-nosed runner.

Martin, the team-leader with six rushing touchdowns last season, took to the press to ensure his teammates and the coaching staff that he could handle a heavy workload, "Like 25 to 30 carries a game," Martin said. "What Coach Grobe has told us is we’re going to be running the ball a lot this year, so if I can get that many a game, that would be good."

Though it appears unlikely that any individual will receive over 20 carries due to the depth that Wake Forest possesses, Martin’s confidence and swagger sings music to the fans’ ears.

This year’s offense will be an ideological reversal from last season’s pass-happy team. In 2012, the Demon Deacons threw the ball 427 times (52 percent) versus 402 runs. Meanwhile, the 2006 campaign, Wake Forest attempted 287 passes compared to 542 running plays (63 percent).

In addition, only two players carried the ball more than 20 times last season—Harris and Martin. Meanwhile in the glorious 2006 campaign, seven players received more than 20 carries.

Below the two seasons are compared thru rushing statistics (courtesy of ESPN.com).

2012 Wake Forest Rushing Statistics

	Name	Yr	Pos	G	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD	Att/G	Yards/G
	Josh Harris	JR	RB	11	137	608	4.44	5	12.45	55.27
	Deandre Martin	FR	RB	12	128	484	3.78	6	10.67	40.33
	Michael Campanaro	JR	WR	10	16	82	5.13	1	1.6	8.2
	Tyler Jackson	SO	RB	5	11	36	3.27	0	2.2	7.2
	Brendan Cross	JR	QB	4	2	27	13.5	0	0.5	6.75
	Lovell Jackson	SR	WR	12	6	24	4	0	0.5	2
	Ben Emert	SO	RB	5	1	1	1	0	0.2	0.2
	Tommy Bohanon	SR	RB	12	2	1	0.5	1	0.17	0.08
	Terence Davis	SR	WR	11	2	0	0	0	0.18	0
	Sherman Ragland III	FR	WR	11	1	0	0	0	0.09	0
	Kevin Sousa	FR	QB	2	2	-1	-0.5	0	1	-0.5
	Patrick Thompson	SO	QB	3	1	-2	-2	0	0.33	-0.67
	Orville Reynolds	SO	RB	9	5	-6	-1.2	0	0.56	-0.67
	Team			12	11	-22	-2	0	0.92	-1.83
	Tanner Price	JR	QB	12	77	-26	-0.34	2	6.42	-2.17
Total				12	402	1206	3	15	33.5	100.5

2006 Wake Forest Rushing Statistics

Kenneth Moore	105	507	4.8	37	2
Kevin Harris	78	393	5	41	6
Micah Andrews	58	256	4.4	23	2
Rich Belton	51	227	4.5	33 (TD)	3
Kevin Marion	23	210	9.1	81 (TD)	1
Willie Idlette	25	138	5.5	30	1
Travo Woods	32	58	1.8	23	0
Nate Morton	6	28	4.7	8	0
Damon McWhite	8	24	3	8	0
Mike Rinfrette	6	18	3	6	1
Ben Mauk	7	6	0.9	16	0
Totals	542	2099	3.9	81	16

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This season the Deacs are employing an offense similar to 2006 and have the personnel to thrive.

The Deacs have some young, talented bodies behind Harris and Martin. Redshirt freshmen Dominique Gibson and Joshua Wilhite possess rare athletic ability and should fight for carries. True freshman Dezmond Wortham is coming off an ACL injury but has drawn rave reviews in camp.

Wake Forest 2013 RB/FB Roster

14	Dominique Gibson	TB	10-May	205	RS FR	Belle Glade, FL (Glades Central)
20	Joshua Wilhite	TB	10-May	190	RS FR	Fresno, TX (Hightower)
21	Deandre Martin	TB	2-Jun	235	RS SO	Miami, FL (Hialeah-Miami Lakes)
24	Dezmond Wortham	TB	Jun-00	205	FR	Frisco, Texas (Hebron)
25	Josh Harris	TB	11-May	210	RS SR	Duncanville, TX (Duncanville)
32	Charles Argenzio	FB	Jun-00	245	FR	Richmond, VA (Fork Union Military Academy)
43	Jordan Garside	FB	10-May	235	RS JR	Jacksonville, FL (The Bolles School)
44	Ben Emert	FB	1-Jun	235	RS JR	Ball Ground, GA (West Forsyth)

And don’t forget, Campanaro (and possibly Orville Reynolds) will take some wide receiver handoffs. And while Price is not exactly fleet afoot, he has proven to be a capable and timely runner to avoid the oncoming pass-rush. Remember, he was a 1,000 yard rusher in high school and his legs will be integrated in the run-heavy offense.

Running Back Characterizations by Player

The Veteran: Josh Harris. The Deacs leading rusher for two of the last three seasons, Harris has been a key contributor for several years. While showing flashes of greatness, ranked 14^th on the school rushing list with 1,760 yds—and should graduate in the Top 10—the oft-maligned senior has faced the skeptics on several different issues, including his injuries and academics. He was given a gift (from none other than the NCAA); Deacs fans have waited for years for the Texan to take the next step after a stellar freshman campaign. Will he end his career on a high note?

The Bruiser: DeAndre Martin. Martin barreled and trudged his way through tackles in a strong freshman season. At a solid 6-2, 235 he’s a big fella to take down and he has some giddy-up. I expect him to take a step forward and mostly run between the tackles. While he only managed 3.7 ypc, he had a knack for scoring, leading the team with six rushing TDs. Also, I am intrigued to see if Lobo brings back a Wildcat package with Martin at the helm. We all know the Deacs are always good for having a few trickerations up their sleeves and Martin has a cannon.

The Speedster: Joshua Wilhite. Grobe has effusively praised the redshirt freshman. The speedster ran a 4.4 40 yard dash and, while not as strong or as good of a blocker as Martin or Harris, he is improving. The Texan should vie for carries immediately. And expect the Deacs to use him as a kick returner and pass-catching back.

The Youngster: Dezmond Wortham.  The 6-0, 205 lbs bulldozer was fully recovered from an ACL tear last season and turned some heads in camp., but suffered a torn achilles tendon and will now likely be out for the season. Hopefully he can bounce back from this injury as well as he has from his ACL.

The Wild Card: Dominque "Boobie" Gibson. Grobe has lauded Gibson, calling him one of the team’s best athletes; Flavarsity.com ranked him the No. 4 athlete in the state of Florida. The redshirt freshman moved from safety in the spring and is still getting acclimated to offense, but Gibson’s tireless work ethic makes him a quick learner. I anticipate him to receive an opportunity to demonstrate his athletic prowess.

The 4 headed monster #RBs pic.twitter.com/uQkIAZuW9F

— Wake FB Recruiting (@DeacsRecruiting) August 14, 2013

Fullbacks Preview

Ben Emert: Following in the footsteps of Tommy Bohanon—the projected starter for the New York Jets—is no small task, but the junior should handle the starting fullback position with competence. At 6-1, 235 lbs, Emert possesses the necessary size to create space in the running game and protect the quarterback. But expectations need to remain tempered as a receiver and a runner.

Jordan Garside: The junior played on special teams the past two seasons. He should push Emert, the likely starter, for playing time. At 5-10, 235, Garside provides much-needed depth as a lead-blocker and pass-protector.

Charles Argenzio: The freshman walked-on to the Deacs in the spring and will likely redshirt.

Clearly, the running game is critical for Wake Forest to achieve bowl eligibility. In a system that likely will feature two running backs on field at once, it is important to note the amount of different backs who receive consistent touches. It means the Demon Deacons are dominating the clock, controlling the line of scrimmage, and most importantly, playing at their own pace. Using a variety of backs will keep their players fresher throughout the game and keep the opponents off balance.

Key Statistic: how many different players are receiving consistent carries (about 2 a game, hence 20 carries in a season)

2012-2

2006-7

2013 Projection: 6- Harris, Martin, Wilhite, Gibson, Campanaro, Price

Other Possibilities- Wortham, Emert, Reynolds