Without Wilkins: Ole Miss searches for right mix at running back
OXFORD | The absence left by Jordan Wilkins in the offensive backfield is a difficult one for any one running back to fill for Ole Miss this season.
Wilkins finished his final 12 games with 1,011 rushing yards, the fifth most in school history for a season, and parlayed the productive last chance into a fifth round NFL Draft selection by the Indianapolis Colts.
As good as Wilkins was in 2017, Ole Miss needs to be better in certain rushing categories. And if that happens it is up to a cast led by junior college transfer Scottie Phillips. Before Phillips even arrived on campus, he was pointed to as the answer. So far he’s been impressive, coaches say, and the real tests start in September against Texas Tech.
The 5-foot-8, 212-pounder was a three-star prospect out of Jones County Junior College following a sophomore season with 1,070 which ranked 12th nationally in the NJCAA.
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“We knew he was really physical and then when he got here and you learned he’s a blue collar, lunch-pail guy who goes to work and listens to whatever coach (Derrick) Nix tells him,” offensive coordinator Phil Longo said. “The thing we waited to see in the spring is does he have that running ability to play here, and he does. I don’t think there was any doubt about Scottie once spring play was over.”
Ole Miss offered Phillips in June between his two junior college seasons. He picked the Rebels over Mississippi State, Miami, TCU, Missouri and Connecticut, giving Ole Miss hope for a newcomer to take over the bulk of the work left by Wilkins.
Eric Swinney was a four-star prospect out of high school but two separate leg injuries have thrown some doubts on the explosiveness that was expected out of Sandy Creek (Ga.) High School. Swinney is averaging 4.8 yards per carry during his career on 42 touches. D’Vaughn Pennamon, another four-star high school signee, suffered a serious injury late in 2017, and his 2018 status is in jeopardy.
Swinney is the only healthy returning running back who had more than eight attempts last season. Isaiah Woullard may also factor in, but anything past Phillips (who has zero Division I experience) and Swinney on the depth chart has more question marks. It’s why the Phillips’ evaluation needed to be spot on — on and off the field. The off-the-field portion has met expectations.
“You want to know about him athletically and academically and then can they play in the SEC,” Longo said. “Then you do character research which isn’t always easy and takes time and leg work but you can get the homework to get the feel for what he’s like. We were comfortable with everything we learned about Scottie and he’s been the same guy since he got here.”
Ole Miss should be in the upper portion of the Southeastern Conference in offensive line play, anchored by expected first round pick Greg Little and senior center Sean Rawlings. It’s that group that needs to guide improvement in the running game in multiple categories.
Even with Wilkins, Ole Miss, in a continuing trend, remained in the bottom of the top 100 in offensive stuff rate. The Rebels — in 2017 — gained zero or negative yards on 25.9 percent of their runs, good for 12th in the SEC and 96th nationally. That was down from 84th in 2016 and 87th in 2015.
Ole Miss will of course throw the ball as its primary weapon, but there’s a certain respect that needs to happen with the running game. It’s not about balance. It’s about forcing a mismatch or a defensive change.
“We want to be efficient and you’d like to manufacture some explosive plays each game,” Longo said. “I don’t care if we run it 10 times or run it 50 times. If you’re gaining five or six a pop then the defense has to respect it and work on a way to defend it. If we’re running it 50 times but gaining two yards a pop there’s no respect to the run game and they don’t have to add a guy. When you do it efficiently it creates conflict for opposing players and that’s what we want.”
Longo is known to adapt to his team’s talent as a coordinator. In 2015, at Sam Houston State, Longo’s offense was top 10 nationally in rushing yards per game, yards per carry and rushing touchdowns. The next season his quarterback, Jeremiah Briscoe, threw 57 touchdowns.
While the bad runs need to be better, Longo did help improve the explosiveness. Last season Ole Miss gained five or more yards on a rush 41.1 percent of the time. That was 16th nationally and close to the 42.8 percent from 2015.
Ole Miss needs the running game to be a complement to its prolific wide receivers, creating schematic advantages and being a viable option in situations. That requires several things to work out, including Phillips or someone else meeting the hopeful expectations. Wilkins won’t be replaced by one person, but the Rebels hope the group gets it accomplished.
“They have to catch it well enough out of the backfield and they have to pass protect,” Longo said, emphasizing the less talked about parts of the job. Then you have to be a gifted runner. Its not an easy position, but we have to figure it out.”