Louisville football RBs bring unique style and new identity in Year 2 under Jeff Brohm
Having a nickname seems to be a rite of passage for Louisville’s running backs. If you don’t have one, running backs coach Chris Barclay will assign one to you.
Freshman Isaac Brown is “Mosquito.”
“I don't know why, but I've coined him mosquito,” Barclay said. “Some of the guys mess with him a little bit. ... As I go, I kind of come up with (nicknames).”
Along with their nicknames, the running backs bring a unique style of play that will provide them with a different identity than last year’s group.
With added size and physicality to complement their speed, the Cardinals expect to have stronger pass protection when opposing defenses try to load the box. Last season, U of L struggled against a crowded line of scrimmage at times. Like at N.C. State, when quarterback Jack Plummer was sacked four times.
“We're gonna need some physicality. We're going to have to create our own space at times. Smaller backs can't do that,” Barclay said. “It's just when you have a bigger, more physical back in those scenarios, you can create your own room more frequently, as opposed to trying to find the space necessarily. ... I want to make sure that we have the proper pieces in place. So that we have answers for those scenarios.”
Although Barclay isn’t sure how he started referring to Brown as Mosquito, his speed could have something to do with it. Maurice Turner said Brown reminds him of former Louisville running back Jawhar “Jaws” Jordan with how quickly he can get up the field.
Turner finished his sophomore season with 284 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and his first collegiate touchdown. He credits Jordan and Isaac Guerendo with helping him develop.
“Jawhar and Isaac played a big part in me growing in my game," Turner said. "Learning from both of those guys, whether it was making people miss from Jaws or being a strong runner as well like Isaac, and speed guy. But this year, I feel like I grew in reading defenses because I know I struggled with that last year a lot."
Toledo transfer Peny Boone brings an elevated level of physicality and elusiveness to the group. Hence, the nickname: Baby Bus, which was inspired by fellow Detroit native and former NFL great Jerome Bettis’ moniker, The Bus.
“I ain't that big,” the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Boone said of the 5-11, 252-pound Hall of Famer, "but I'm one of the biggest guys coming up here, so I just kind of embraced it.”
Boone’s willingness to use his size to run over defenders is one of the things that makes his game unique.
At Toledo last season, he recorded 1,400 yards on 194 carries, which ranked eighth nationally. He also ranked among the top 12 in touchdowns (15, tied for 11th), yards per game (107.9, 11th) and yards per carry (7.2, third).
“He's one that you have to kind of pull the reins back on him sometimes,” Barclay said. “He's just like a raging bull at times. I haven't seen that level of physicality in a while. He gives us an element where you can really wear some people down if you really want to, because they're just not going to want to tackle 230 pounds over and over for four quarters.”
Boone’s size among the running backs is rivaled only by Miami transfer Donald “Don” Chaney. The 5-11, 220-pound redshirt junior averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season for the Hurricanes and finished the year with 478 yards and two scores.
“You have a lot of different type of skill sets in the room,” Barclay said. "It's been really interesting to see those skill sets emerge at various points this spring in certain situations. You've got some power in there and some bigger bodies. You've got some speed in there and some wiggle and some finesse. With all of our skill sets, we can cover a lot of territory.”
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football RBs bring new identity in Year 2 under Jeff Brohm
