Today, we move back to the backfield! We’ve covered the quarterbacks and the wide receivers already, but now we have yet another volatile group, and Miami’s RBs are the most volatile of the three this season.
2025 Recap
Last year, we saw Jordan Brunson carry the ball 164 times for 767 yards and 4 TD’s. He was not a receiving threat, however he put up solid numbers and anchored the backfield. Brunson graduated and moved on after last year. The RedHawks 2nd leading rusher was QB Dequan Finn, who also departed Oxford after this past season. He rushed for 395 yards, and 4 TD’s on 89 carries.
Miami’s third leading rusher was D’Shawntae Jones, who accounted for 277 yards on 63 carries. Jones found the endzone 7 times. Kenny Tracy was next with 49 carries for 272 yards and a TD on the year, though he also has departed. Keith Reynolds came into the rushing attack from his WR spot to add 27 carries for 186 yards. While Reynolds is back, his focus will be on route running not ball carrying. Thomas Gotkowski (QB) carried it 31 times for 115 yards and a TD in his action when Finn was out. The final player to get 20+ carries was Josh Ringer who carried it 20 times for 53 yards.
Out of last year’s 2,104 yard rushing attack, just 578 yards return (27%). Now, Jones will absolutely be expected to step his numbers up this year, but you hafve to believe that the staff won’t want Reynolds rushing the ball 27 times as a receiver. However, I think that asking the QB position to rush 120 times for 510 yards is reasonable with the QBs we talked about a couple of weeks back. The hardest part is going to be finding the other 1500 yards that this offense produced last year. Miami prefers to lean on the run (496 rushes to 371 passes last year), and the coaching staff is working to divide up those carries.
Catch the QB Preview Here:
The Triple Threat
Assuming that QB’s take around 100 carries of a projected 500, who makes up the remainder? The Next man up. That’s who this year’s Miami RB room looks to have three guys leading the charge.
D’Shawntae Jones
Last year, we saw D’Shawntae Jones establish himself as a legitamite scoring threat in the backfield, scoring 7 times in his 63 carries and 277 yards. Was that success a sign of things to come, or was it him showing his full potential? Only time will tell, however, he comes in first in the room for me with proven success in the MAC and a familiarity with the RedHawk system.
Cade Yacamelli
After Jones, the Miami RB grouping get a bit more convoluted. Cade Yacamelli from Wisconsin will be a hot name because he transferred from a p5. He graduated from high school and spent 3 years at Wisconsin where he was an All-Big Ten honoree all three years. He comes to Oxford ready to break out after carrying the ball 107 times for 571 yards over 32 career games in Madison. Last season, he carried the ball 38 times for 128 yards. The potential is there for Cade, however, it’s up to him to show what he can do. When he left Wisconsin, he told triblive.com that he “wanted to go where he was wanted”. He also indicated that he felt underutilized at Wisconsin and is looking for somewhere to showcase his abilities. Cade will immediately push for the starting RB spot.
Rodney Nelson
Speaking of competing immediately for a starting spot, Rodney Nelson transferred in from Monmouth after a career year last year. He carried for 294 yards, 1805 yards, and 18 TD’s. He also added 30 receptions, 229 yards, and 1 TD. Of course, stepping up from Monmouth to Miami is a challenge and will require a massive adjustment. Nelson won CAA Offensive Player of the Year and was 2nd in the FCS in rushing. He is the 2nd leading single year rusher for Monmouth. Nelson will have 2 years remaining. I expect him to start the year below the other two on the depth chart, but this is a player who the coaches will likely not be able to leave off the court.
These three guys should immediately come in and share the backfield; I expect the three to split the remaining 400 or so carries. If I had to project the starters right now, I’d go with the same order I have them listed above. However, current information indicates this race wide open at this time.
The Unknown:
Lazaro Rogers from NIU is a bit of a wildcard and I had a hard time placing him within the Miami RB room. I’d currently sit him just behind the top 3, but above the freshmen. He transfers over from NIU after playing 7 games, rushing for 189 yards (98 of those against Miami), and showing some big play ability. He averaged 10.8 yards per carry against the RedHawks. He’s a great wildcard who could develop into a legitimate backfield threat moving forward.
The Freshmen:
Chancellor Sparks graduated from A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham, AL. He rushed for 2,333 yards over his career, and won a state title in 2024. Sparks also ran track setting records in the 60m and 100m. He was a 3 star prospect, coming in as the 162nd overall RB in the class per 247Sports Composite.
Ike Steward graduated from Mona Shores High School where he rushed for 3,120 yards over his historic career. He was a 3 star recruit, coming in as the 148th overall RB in the class per 247Sports Composite.
Final Thoughts:
As I said about the WR room this RB room is packed with potential, now they just need to go out an put it on the field. The triple threat of a backfield makes for a team that should be able to absorb the inevitable injury or two, and the different player styles should mesh into every different gameplan.
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