Rb '15

[msstate7]

Since there's a thread about dak potentially leaving and our oline next season, what you think about Rb next season?

I think there's a real possibility jrob leaves, so who you think would replace him?

Anyone know how aeris looks in practice? I'm not sold on shump yet. Shump looked a little better last week, but I'm not sure he can be our feature back.

 

[thf24]

I'm not sold on Shump as an every down back either, think he'll always be more of a goal line back for us if he doesn't move to defense. I expect Aeris to get the bulk of the carries next year with Shump getting about what he gets now, as well as one or two of the freshmen in the mix. That scenario is a tad concerning though, since so much of the production would be coming from unknowns at this point.

 

[OzarkaNSW]

why aren't you sold on shump?

Is it because he doesn't break for 150 yds and 2 TDs on the 3 carries he gets a game?

edited: spell

 

[msstate7]

Just not sure he can hit a team outside the tackles. I like his power, but think he seeks contact a little too much. Seems he runs a little to high too. I hope I'm wrong on him. I didn't watch him in HS, so maybe he's just not used to running out of the gun or without a lead blocker.

He did look quicker Saturday to me though. Hopefully he's coming on

 

[57stratdawg]

The talk around the campfire is that Shump is likely headed for safety.

I don't think JRob has a great future in the NFL. I see an awesome college back, but not necessarily a great NFL back. I know he resembles Jones-Drew and Ray Rice, but both of those guys ran 4.4 or under in the combine. I don't think he's that fast.

 

[msstate7]

No way he's that fast. He's certainly fast enough though. I really, really hope he comes back. It would be great to at least keep one of dak and jrob

 

[sipDawg98]

I'd be suprised if JRob goes to the NFL. With that said, Shump is a stud, he's just behind JRob and Nick Griffin. He'll be a great RB if they don't move him to safety.

 

[esplanade91]

The talk around the campfire is that Shump is likely headed for safety.

I don't think JRob has a great future in the NFL. I see an awesome college back, but not necessarily a great NFL back. I know he resembles Jones-Drew and Ray Rice, but both of those guys ran 4.4 or under in the combine. I don't think he's that fast.

Doug Martin is probably a better comparison.

 

[Hammer Down]

I'm not sold on Shump as an every down back either, think he'll always be more of a goal line back for us if he doesn't move to defense. I expect Aeris to get the bulk of the carries next year with Shump getting about what he gets now, as well as one or two of the freshmen in the mix. That scenario is a tad concerning though, since so much of the production would be coming from unknowns at this point.

I agree. Shumpert runs to contact. Besides him we have Williams and whatever freshmen. Unless they are Leonard Fournette caliber, I don't think we can count on them. So yes it comes down to Aeris Williams. Don't see many JUCOs out there:

http://mississippistate.scout.com/a...RecruitVisitFlag=-1&OrderbyColumn=RatingValue

Unless we go after that Corbin White dude. Doesn't have many offers.

 

[bulldogbaja]

Shump is probably one of the most talented backs we've ever had... RB is one place we don't have to worry about the future.

 

[KurtRambis4]

This has been my

one complaint on him, from what I've seen so far. For instance, the play against UK where it was just him vs. the safety. A shifty back gets in there almost every time.

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

Shump does run to contact. But let him run to contact 10-15 times in the first half and watch the defense start to flinch. I don't think his skills as a runner can be fully utilized with the few carries he's getting.

 

[msstate7]

Shump does run to contact. But let him run to contact 10-15 times in the first half and watch the defense start to flinch. I don't think his skills as a runner can be fully utilized with the few carries he's getting.

Good point.

 

[drt7891]

So what you are saying is he doesn't have good pad level?**

 

[coach66]

I love Shump but I don't think he has the vision to be a great tailback. He is

tough as nails and gives great effort and can be a plus blocker but all the great RB's have the ability to see the whole field, find daylight and run to it. As someone else said Shump runs to contact.

As far as Aeris goes I am told he is one of the hardest workers on the team and is one of the most high character guys we have on the team. I haven't heard much about whether he can be a great SEC running back.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

Kentavious Thomas is a bad ***!

 

[BiscuitEater]

I never witnessed ...

Shump is probably one of the most talented backs we've ever had... RB is one place we don't have to worry about the future.

Shumpert in HS BUT so far at MSU, he has not done much to "indicate" that he is even close "to one of the most talented backs we've ever had." I understand that has only carried 14 times on the year but his long carry is 9 yards and he averages 3.0 Yards / carry.

Rushing ATT NET AVG TD
Josh Robinson 121 887 7.3 10
Brandon Holloway 26 153 5.9 0
Nick Griffin 25 103 4.1 1
Ashton Shumpert 14 42 3.0 0

 

[KurtRambis4]

Yeah I realize he

is more of a contact runner, it is just that sometimes you need to be able to make moves and I haven't seen that ability yet. He may be able to, who knows.

 

[maroonmania]

Shump does run to contact. But let him run to contact 10-15 times in the first half and watch the defense start to flinch. I don't think his skills as a runner can be fully utilized with the few carries he's getting.

Well I'm looking for a RB that can, in general, make people miss. That is what JROB does. He makes a quick, slight change in direction and the defender ends up trying to make an arm tackle that is usually futile. Just trying to run over people just gets you tackled quicker and puts more wear and tear on your body. Unless Shump's running style improves he will be relegated to short yardage situations primarily.

 

[bonedaddy401]

Well I guess you are smarter than a lot of NFL scouts. They love J Rob.

I think he is an NFL back for sure and it's really not debatable to be honest.
Shump ain't even the second best back on the team much less one of the best or most talented to ever come to Miss State. The A-Train will be the next back to impress the negative nancies that don't seem to quite get it yet.

I swear this team is going to take some of you to the promised land kicking an screaming. We have some of the worst fans in the country and looks like a bunch of them have computers.

 

[Palos verdes]

Josh Robinson is one of the best backs in MSU history. Guys like him don't come around very often, but we are secure at RB, esp with this class coming in.

 

[57stratdawg]

I don't know what has your panties all in a wad.

He's a great college RB, but msstate7 asked would he leave early. I think some of you lose sight of how special of a player you have to be, especially at RB, to leave college early and be a 1st round pick. Bleacher Report has an article about rising draft stocks and Robinson is #1, but it finishes with "Projection 3-4th round". NFLDraftScout has Robinson's 40 time around a 4.6 (which is about what I would expect).

If he declares early, goes to the Combine and runs a 4.55-4.65 he'll be making a mistake.

 

[bonedaddy401]

If he gets a round 3-4 grade he should jump....

Not sure what era of draft you think you live in but lemme help you:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/positions/_/id/9/year/2014/running-backs

Bishop Sankey	RB	Washington	2	22(54)	Tennessee
Jeremy Hill	RB	LSU	2	23(55)	Cincinnati
Carlos Hyde	RB	Ohio State	2	25(57)	San Francisco
Charles Sims	RB	West Virginia	3	5(69)	Tampa Bay
Tre Mason	RB	Auburn	3	11(75)	St. Louis
Terrance West	RB	Towson	3	30(94)	Cleveland
Jerick McKinnon	RB	Georgia Southern	3	32(96)	Minnesota
Dri Archer	RB	Kent State	3	33(97)	Pittsburgh
Devonta Freeman	RB	Florida State	4	3(103)	Atlanta
Andre Williams	RB	Boston College	4	13(113)	NY Giants
Ka'Deem Carey	RB	Arizona	4	17(117)	Chicago
De'Anthony Thomas	RB	Oregon	4	24(124)	Kansas City
James White	RB	Wisconsin	4	30(130)	New England
Lorenzo Taliaferro	RB	Coastal Carolina	4	38(138)	Baltimore
Alfred Blue	RB	LSU	6	5(181)	Houston
Lache Seastrunk	RB	Baylor	6	10(186)	Washington
Marion Grice	RB	Arizona State	6	25(201)	San Diego
Tyler Gaffney	RB	Stanford	6	28(204)	Carolina
Jay Prosch	FB	Auburn	6	35(211)	Houston
Storm Johnson	RB	UCF	7	7(222)	Jacksonville
Kiero Small	FB	Arkansas	7	12(227)	Seattle
Trey Millard	FB	Oklahoma	7	30(245)	San Francisco

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I believe you said "I don't think JRob has a great future in the NFL" - look at some of the 11 backs drafted in the 3-4 round last year and tell me he is worse than most of them. If you do then I will really know you don't know what you are talking about.

 

[57stratdawg]

To me a 'great' NFL back basically means you're a feature back for 5+ years. I don't see that with Robinson. Look at the 3rd and 4th round picks from from 2009:

Shonn Greene	RB	Iowa	3	1(65)	NY Jets
Glen Coffee	RB	Alabama	3	10(74)	San Francisco
Mike Goodson	RB	Texas A&M	4	11(111)	Carolina
Tony Fiammetta	FB	Syracuse	4	28(128)	Carolina
Andre Brown	RB	North Carolina State	4	29(129)	NY Giants
Gartrell Johnson	RB	Colorado State	4	34(134)	San Diego
Quinn Johnson	FB	LSU	5	9(145)	Green Bay
Frank Summers	RB	UNLV	5	33(169)	Pittsburgh
Javon Ringer	RB	Michigan State	5	37(173)	Tennessee

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That's 9 backs. Six of them aren't on NFL rosters at the moment. The three that are are Shon Greene, Tony Fiammetta, and Frank Summers. Fiametta hasn't played in a game this year, Summers is a FB, and Greene's career is all but over. Those guys are just a dime a dozen. There is always someone younger and faster at RB in the NFL.

I'd hate to see Robinson leave school a year early to have his career ended by 2018.

 

[bonedaddy401]

I hate to break it to you but the 3-4 round is the new 1-2 for running backs....

Lets look at RB's drafted in the first and second rounds since the year you went with, 2009.


2010 - 7
2011 - 5
2012 - 5
2013 - 5 (not a single one picked in the 1st round
2014 - 3 (again, not a single RB taken in the first round)


If he is getting a third round grade he is considered one of the very best backs in the draft. You leave and its an pretty easy decision.

 

[dannyripms]

Josh Robinson reminds me of a emmit smith type back. Short and shifty. Emmit never had blazing spped either, he just had the ability to make people miss and turn on a dime. That describes josh to the tee

 

[57stratdawg]

I'm not sure why you think that. Here's a list of the top 20 RBs in the NFL per NFL.com (Sept 2014) and the round they were picked in

1. Adrian Petersen - 1st Round
2. LeSean McCoy - 2
3. Jamal Charles - 3
4. Marshawn Lynch - 1
5. Eddie Lacy - 2
6. Matt Forte - 2
7. Demarco Murray - 3
8. Ryan Matthews - 1
9. Doug Martin - 1
10. Arian Foster - Undrafted
11. CJ Spiller - 1
12. Alfred Morris - 6
13. Mark Ingram - 1
14. Levon Bell - 2
15. Monte Ball - 2
16. Frank Gore - 3
17. Giovani Bernard - 2
18. Ray Rice - 2
19. Andre Ellington - 6
20. Rashad Jennings - 7

I don't see many guys being drafted between rounds 3 and 6 making big splashes in the NFL. Why leave to go early to just fight for a roster spot?

 

[CadaverDawg]

Well I guess you are smarter than a lot of NFL scouts. They love J Rob.

I think he is an NFL back for sure and it's really not debatable to be honest.
Shump ain't even the second best back on the team much less one of the best or most talented to ever come to Miss State. The A-Train will be the next back to impress the negative nancies that don't seem to quite get it yet.

I swear this team is going to take some of you to the promised land kicking an screaming. We have some of the worst fans in the country and looks like a bunch of them have computers.

Before Saturday, JRob wasn't in the top 75 RB's in the draft projections, and he wasn't in the top 1,000 overall prospects. Maybe he will be by year end, but I agree with Strat. I feel like he will be back next year unless he gets bad advice. Which is certainly possible.

 

[paindonthurt_]

Describes Dicenzo Miller pretty well also.

I think J Rob is great and will get a chance to play in the NFL. He may or may not be a feature back there. I don't think he has done enough yet to leave early though. Key word being yet.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I think he will be back at MSU next year or should be. If he leaves for the draft and goes in top 2 rounds, I was wrong.

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

I gave up worrying about Bulldog tailbacks years ago

There's no WAY we can replace the Michael Davis/Kevin Bouie 2-headed monster. Yet along came Robert Isaac who was serviceable. Then it was Keffer (RIP). No WAY his production can be replaced until we handed the ball to J.J. Johnson. 1999 was a learning year until Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker got comfortable. And then there was Jerious Norwood who couldn't possibly be replaced...until Anthony Dixon did ok. Then lightly recruited Vick Ballard turned into an NFL back before our eyes. Perkins/Robinson was quite serviceable until Robinson came into his own.

Bottom line....we know how to develop tailbacks. Robinson is certainly outstanding. But we'll be fine.

 

[dogfan96]

Because that's the way the NFL is trending..

in 2013 the first RB came off the board at 37... this year it was 54... it's a passing league and nobody is taking a RB in the 1st round anymore unless it's Adrian Peterson (or Todd Gurley)

 

[tenureplan]

We certainly weren't "fine" last year.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Last year was an anomaly

in the recent history of MSU rushing. The last thing I'll ever be worried about, for the time being, is our running game.

 

[Irondawg]

i think Dicenzo is an excellent comparison for JRob. There are some differences but they both lack elite top end speed but made up for it with great balance and feel for the running lanes. I thought Dicenzo would make it as a E. Smith type, but I was dead wrong.

For J-Rob is all comes down to with team/scheme picks him up and his ability to show he can pass block.

My gut says he probably goes, especially if he thinks he'll be drafted at all. If he does I'm going to be very curious if he can translate to the NFL or not.

 

[coach66]

Miller was the master of the spin move and I haven't seen JRob do that, he is

just a baby bull with incredible leg strength and the heart of a lion.

 

[johnson86-1]

We certainly weren't "fine" last year.

I would say we were fine last year. JRob was plenty good enough to give us the production we needed last year. I'm guessing that since JRob was only unofficially suspended for one half last year, he could have played without it destroying the team, even if maybe it set a better precedent for Perk to continue to get the carries.

I am a little worried about next year though if Robinson doens't come back. We'll either have average RB production or we will have a freshmen (RS or true) bust out. I'm not worried about us ever being bad at RB, but even with Dak I don't think we have a good season with average running backs.

 

[JackShephard]

Well I guess you are smarter than a lot of NFL scouts. They love J Rob.

I think he is an NFL back for sure and it's really not debatable to be honest.
Shump ain't even the second best back on the team much less one of the best or most talented to ever come to Miss State. The A-Train will be the next back to impress the negative nancies that don't seem to quite get it yet.

I swear this team is going to take some of you to the promised land kicking an screaming. We have some of the worst fans in the country and looks like a bunch of them have computers.

Good gosh, why dont you at least try to have an original thought? I dont have a strong opinion on this matter, but damn I hate the "worst fans in the country" mantra. Somebody has a different opinion. That doesnt make them wrong, or stupid, or a bad fan. Groupthink is not a requirement to be a good fan. Get over yourself.