With CharMar Brown out for the season, Miami’s running back picture has suddenly opened up, and InsideTheU’s David Lake thinks the next man up could come from a familiar trio: Jordan Lyle, Javian Mallory and Girard Pringle Jr.
During his weekly appearance on CanesInSight, Lake said the first real clues should show up against Central Michigan, when the offensive line rotation and the first back to make a strong statement will help sort out who claims the RB2 job.
“I’m interested to see it, because the Central Michigan game is what it’s going to be. The things to watch are the O-line rotation and who makes the first statement that says "I'm going to be RB2." And I try not to be the guy who's enamored with freshmen, right?”
That said, Lake made it clear he’s drawn to Mallory.
“But there's something about Javian Mallory that is just different.”
He pointed to the ways Mallory can fill the same type of role Brown had in Miami’s offense. Brown was trusted in pass protection, useful on those swing passes into the flat on third down, and able to turn into a late-game hammer alongside Mark Fletcher Jr. Lake believes Mallory can handle those jobs, too, while offering even better vision and more natural running instincts.
At the same time, Lake said the freshman label could affect how quickly Mallory gets that chance, and he thinks Miami still wants to see what Lyle can do after a strong stretch in fall camp.
“I think they really want to see Jordan Lyle maximize his potential and the trajectory he was on during the first half of fall camp. He looked unreal. My guess is it'll be one of those two, and Pringle will be your classic change-of-pace back, which I think is a good role for him.”
Over the course of the season, though, Lake said he would lean toward Mallory.
“If I'm picking over the course of the season, I'd probably ride with Mallory. I think he's special, and I didn't see that coming when he signed with Miami.”
Mallory’s ability as a receiver came up, too. DMoney said he sees him as more than just a downhill runner, noting his hands and smoothness in camp work. Lake agreed, adding that Mallory brings more burst than he expected and still has room to grow physically in a college strength and conditioning program.
“He's much more of an explosive threat than I thought, too.”
Lake added that once Mallory reaches the second level, he tends to separate quickly.
DMoney also brought up Chris Wheatley-Humphrey, who moves up the depth chart after being hurt for FAMU. He compared Wheatley-Humphrey to Henry Parrish and said the back now sits in a much more realistic range to see the field this season if things break right.
Lake backed that up, though he stressed the physical nature of the position and the importance of staying healthy.
“I can't remember another year that's been this brutal with early-season injuries. But Hellcat can play.
If he gets his opportunity, it's up to him to produce. For any young player, when you get your chance, go out and produce, and then you get more opportunities.
It's very cut and dry.”
The conversation also touched on the reality that depth-chart movement can change fast. As DMoney put it, practice buzz doesn’t always hold up, and roles can flip quickly from week to week across the roster, including players such as SJ Alofaituli and Max Buchanan.
The full discussion went beyond the backfield, with Lake and DMoney also diving into the offensive line rotation, the secondary, WR3 and old recruiting classes.
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