Summer Snapshot: Assessing the SMU RB room

The summer snapshot assessment series on SMU’s 2025 roster will look in-depth at each position of the SMU football team. Today, we’re taking a deeper look at the Mustangs’ running back room, led by running backs coach Kyle Cooper.

The room

Derrick McFall – McFall redshirted at SMU during his freshman season. He now enters year two at SMU as a redshirt freshman with a high upside. McFall ran for 106 yards on 26 carries in 2024.

TJ Harden – Over the past two seasons at UCLA, Harden recorded 280 carries for 1,333 yards and 10 touchdowns. Harden led the Bruins in rushing yards last season.

Chris Johnson – In his two years at Miami, Johnson ran for 104 yards on just 17 carries with a touchdown. Johnson also recorded nine receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

Dramekco Green – Green was the No. 243 overall prospect, No. 16 running back and No. 35 player from Texas in 2025 according to On3.

Takeaways

Running backs coach Kyle Cooper did a great job reconstructing this room heading into 2025. Everyone knew that SMU could not replace Brashard Smith alone, so the Mustangs did not try to. Instead, they retained an elusive Derrick McFall and brought in another home run threat from Miami in Chris Johnson. To complement the two shifty running backs, SMU brought in a couple of power backs. The Mustangs snatched UCLA’s top rusher from 2024, TJ Harden, out of the transfer portal and brought in Dramekco Green out of the high school ranks.

It’s worth noting that SMU also brought in three running backs this offseason due to Jaylan Knighton, LJ Johnson and Camar Wheaton no longer being with the program.

The SMU coaching staff hoped Derrick McFall would emerge as the potential starter this spring after (barely) redshirting last season. McFall did not disappoint. Derrick showed his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, with his previous experience as a wide receiver. He also displayed his potential to break deep runs after hitting the hole.

Chris Johnson came to SMU and likely did not expect to rise up the depth chart as quickly as he did. From day one, Johnson made his elite straight-line speed known to everyone. At times, Johnson struggled to move laterally, but the Miami transfer flashed signs of improvement towards the end of spring ball. Similar to McFall, Johnson displayed home run speed on multiple occasions throughout spring.

When talking about Chris Johnson, coach Cooper said, “The way he had a couple of explosive plays, we can get him into a position where he can be a guy that is a problem for opposing defenses. That’s just with his straight-line speed alone. I think he’s hungry… he saw what we did with Brashard. I’m not expecting him to be Brashard, that’s not fair for him. He’s got three years left, so he is young. He wants to be good.”

TJ Harden comes to SMU with plenty of collegiate experience. Harden, listed at 6’2 220 lbs, led UCLA in rushing yards in the 2024 season and comes to SMU with one year of eligibility remaining. SMU is excited to get him to campus when he arrives in July. The veteran will have to get up to speed quickly, as Harden will play a pivotal role in the Mustangs run game in 2025.

Lastly, Dramekco Green adds youth and physicality to the running back room. SMU running backs coach Kyle Cooper was thoroughly impressed with Dramekco Green’s senior year of high school.

“He had a great senior year. He parlayed [his season] by making an All-American bowl appearance. He’s a fast riser, and we like him a lot.”

According to MaxPreps, Green ran for 1481 yards on 161 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Dramekco showed the ability to “hit the home run” by scoring 21 touchdowns in his senior season.

Early 2025 week one prediction

Heading into the 2025 season, the safe assumption is for Derrick McFall to start against East Texas A&M. For starters, McFall is the only running back with at least a season under his belt on the Hilltop.

McFall demonstrated he had the ability to play in the ACC with the limited opportunities he received while redshirting in 2024.

Behind Derrick, TJ Harden and Chris Johnson will both play. There may not be a defined “backup” role due to Harden and Johnson possessing opposite play styles. Harden will likely be used in short-yardage situations, but is also a viable receiver out of the backfield and can block on passing plays.

Chris Johnson has experience playing at wide receiver prior to SMU and can keep defenses on their toes with his versatility and speed.

Dramekco Green’s production will be limited in week one, as he arrived on the Hilltop this summer. That said, I do see Green seeing the field more often as the season goes on.

Brashard Smith, LJ Johnson, and Roderick Daniels Jr. were the primary running backs at points during the season, especially Brashard Smith. However, SMU does not have Smith in 2025. So, to try and create similar production, the Mustangs will rely on their depth at the position over one specific player.