UCLA Football: A look at the running backs after early signing day

The UCLA football team picked up two solid running backs on Early Signing Day which only added to the plethora of solid players they will have in the backfield in 2019.

Can UCLA football become the new “Running Back U”? That is a possibility, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Bruins have a lot of talent in the backfield and with Chip Kelly and new offensive coordinator Justin Frye evolving run game, UCLA is setting up the next few years of their run game with some very impressive athletes.

Last season, we saw the run game slowly evolve. By season’s end, UCLA seemed to have things worked out on the ground with Joshua Kelley leading the way. He emerged as not only the go-to ball carrier, but he drew attention around the conference.

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Pro Football Focus recently listed Kelley as the second highest rated back in the Pac-12. The peak of his production came against USC when he ran for 289 yards, the most anyone has run between the two teams in that matchup.

He finished the season with 1,243 total yards, averaging 113.0 per game. Considering what UCLA’s run game has been like in the previous two years, this is a major step up.

Kelly slowly put his offense in motion and it is starting to pay off. It is not exactly the Oregon Blur but it has increased in pace. This past season, UCLA was 26th in adjusted pace, meaning they were the 26th fastest team in the nation.

A big reason for this is the improvement in the offensive line which became innovative and more cohesive as the season went on, aiding in not only moving the ball but setting the backs up for big gains.

UCLA Football Runnings Backs for 2019

15 Martell Irby, 5’8, 200, So.
19 Kazmeir Allen, 5’8, 175, So.
20 Brandon Stephens 6’0, 206, Sr.
22 Kenroy Hopkins, 6’0, 165, So.
27 Joshua Kelley, 5’11, 204, R-Sr.
28 Cole Kinder, 6’0, 196, R-Sr.
— Jahmon McClendon, 6’2, 210, Fr.
— Keegan Jones, 5’9, 170, Fr.

For the majority of the season, Chip Kelly primarily ran one-back schemes, but those did not solely involve Joshua Kelley. True freshmen Kazmeir Allen and Martell Irby, two RBs Kelly brought in late during his first recruiting class in 2017, dipped their toes into the offense and have the experience to build off of.

Both players brought in unique talent with Allen being the speedster and Irby as the up-the-middle/grind-it-out type of back. Both should increase their roles in 2019 now that the coaches know what type of attacks they can run. Next season, the Bruins will be better at putting Allen and Irby in positions to succeed.

Now that Kelly has several players (and combination) in his possession, we should expect the running game to make another leap in 2019.

But the Bruins also added a few players that can help expand the running game. Outside of Kelley, Allen, and Irby, the Bruins only went with Cole Kinder among the returners, which might continue. That is because the Bruins added two more RBs that fit Kelly’s needs during the early signing period.

Jahmon McClendon is an interesting player, particularly because he is large, in fact, he will be the largest RB on the roster. What would Kelly be doing with a player of this build and skill? Only he knows, but with the coach ever-evolving his offense, could we see a new position? With McClendon essentially a fullback, or a small tight end, could we see a “tight back” that sets up at the end of the line and is called upon for sweeps and options?

As for Keegan Jones, he is another speedster that Kelly can use. Though Jones was under the radar, he has the skills that can be easily inserted in a variety of ways with this offense. With his speed, combined with that of Joshua Kelley, UCLA could have a deadly 1-2 punch.

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The cornerstone of Kelly’s offense is the running game and it should be even more potent heading into next season. Now that Kelly has several players (and combination) in his possession, we should expect the running game to make another leap in 2019.