JACKSON, Miss. -- Anyone wanting to be the starting tailback at one of Mississippi's two Southeastern Conference schools this season better be ready for a fight.
At least four players are vying for playing time at both Ole Miss and Mississippi State as preseason practice gets under way this week and there are no guarantees that today's depth charts will be relevant when the season starts.
``It's up for grabs,'' tailback Cordera Eason said of Ole Miss' starting job. ``May the best man win.''
After a painful two-year stint on the bench behind two-time 1,000-yard rusher BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Eason is ready for the breakout season he thought would come shortly after leaving high school as a highly touted recruit.
Problem is he's got a pack of would-be contenders chasing him and a new coach to convince he's the best back for the job.
``Cordera has it right now,'' first-year coach Houston Nutt said. ``But he's going to be pushed heavily from Brandon Bolden and Enrique Davis, and Devin Thomas and Derrick Davis had a pretty good spring, so there's gonna be a lot of competition.''
Nutt says the competition is necessary for success in the SEC.
``You've got to have three in this league,'' he said.
Eason doesn't mind leaning into the fray. After being a nonentity under coach Ed Orgeron, he's eager for the opportunity.
``Nobody just likes sitting on the sideline and waiting, but I guess coach had who he wanted to play and the way he wanted to run things so I just played my role,'' Eason said. ``But at the same time it was kind of frustrating a little bit. I dealt with it and I handled my situation well.''
Nutt's recent history shows it doesn't really matter who the starter is in his offense. The team's top two backs will have all the work they can handle.
Arkansas tailbacks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were taken in the first round of the NFL draft after totaling 3,155 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing, receiving and even passing in Nutt's last season with the Razorbacks. McFadden was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in each of the last two seasons.
The 5-foot-10, 225-pound Eason wants a piece of that action. The Meridian native rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries during the spring game. But he understands he'll have to share the load when the season gets under way Aug. 30 against Memphis.
His main challenger appears to be Davis, the headliner in Nutt's first recruiting class after spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy. Eason said he's spent the offseason helping Davis and the other tailback recruits with their technique and playbooks and isn't worried he'll be left out.
``It's just a friendly battle,'' he said. ``Whoever gets it, gets it. Personally I'm going to try to compete and keep my spot no matter what. They're going to try and compete and take it. It should make everybody in the backfield a whole lot better. We've just got one goal in mind and that's just to win.''
A similar scenario is shaping up in Starkville, though there's a little less fluidity in the competition leading up to the season opener at Louisiana Tech.
Anthony Dixon is the Bulldogs' top tailback after rushing for 1,066 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. But he's being pursued by Christian Ducre, Robert Elliott and Wade Bonner. The position is so deep, 200-pound Arnil Stallworth was moved to fullback.
Ducre finished with 487 yards rushing and three touchdowns last season, but may face competition for that backup job from Elliott and Bonner, two redshirt freshmen who entered the crowded picture during spring practice.
``There's no question those other guys are pushing (Dixon), but if Anthony plays like Anthony can play, he's the guy,'' Croom said. ``That's where it starts.''
Croom stripped Dixon of his starting job for a game midway through last season when he became dissatisfied with the Terry native's attention to detail and increased the number of carries for Ducre.
Dixon improved his effort and resumed as starter a week later. Croom said he's seen signs the 6-foot-1, 240-pound back has retained the lesson.
``It's the details,'' Croom said. ``He works at practice, but it's taking it to the next level. We need for him to practice and concentrate like Jerious Norwood did his senior year. If he does that, he'll be one of the best backs in the country.''
Friday
October 25th, 2024
4:19AM
