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Off-season Rank 'Em: Hurricane RBs since 2002

Honestly just loved saying "Cooooooooooooop" after every graig cooper run. One of my favorite memories growing up at canes games.
 
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DTP said:
Based on production It's
Duke Johnson
Frank Gore
Mark Walton
Lamar Miller
Mike James

Gore was definitely the most talented of the group but health has to be consideredl and he was injured or coming off injury a majority of his UM career.

Lamar Miller only actually played one season so that's his only knock.

I'm totally on the Mark Walton bandwagon after not being crazy about him his freshman year. His balance is otherworldly and he's an incredible receiver and solid blocker. He still struggles a bit when the hole isn't right there for him but he's gotten much better at reading blocks and finding creases.
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If it's based on production we wouldn't need an opinionated forum. I'm approaching this as best player.
 
dstuart4 said:
caneaddict said:
um willis mcgahee?
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I think Ghost means since the END of the 2002 season. I think we all remember how Willis' season ended that year. If you want to go back a year, to '01, then Willis gets my vote. IIRC he rushed for around 1700 yds. that year, or was it 1800?
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While this is a post 2001 list, Gore was ahead of Willis going into the 2002 season before he got hurt
- His frosh year 9.1 YPC

What was crazy about 2001 team - is that we would be up and playing the 3rd string and Gore or Roscoe or Winslow would come in to the game and you would ask - "this is the 3rd string
 
Here's the list of Miami RB's Career YPC who have played since 2002 (with 100+ carries):

Duke Johnson - 6.69
Willis McGahee - 5.92
Lamar Miller - 5.73
Frank Gore - 5.68
Jason Geathers - 5.55
Joe Yearby - 5.39
Damien Berry - 5.35
Gus Edwards - 5.25
Graig Cooper - 5.12
Jarrett Payton - 5.00
Tyrone Moss - 4.71
Mark Walton - 4.62
Derron Thomas - 4.46
Mike James - 4.41
Javarris James - 4.28
Dallas Crawford - 4.06
Charlie Jones - 3.88

Not saying this is exactly how I'd rank them - but if you just look at YPC, it gives you a pretty accurate list.

I continue to be amazed at how underrated Duke has become, and how overrated Walton has become.
 
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You would like to see Walton's YPC a little higher. However, his TD numbers are probably near the top of the list and he's only played 2 years. I think it says a lot that he always finds a way into the endzone.
 
bshaw28 said:
Here's the list of Miami RB's Career YPC who have played since 2002 (with 100+ carries):

Not saying this is exactly how I'd rank them - but if you just look at YPC, it gives you a pretty accurate list.

I continue to be amazed at how underrated Duke has become, and how overrated Walton has become.
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Walton's ypc is dragged down by his freshman year. He was still learning the ropes and had a bunch of runs called back.

As a sophomore, he put up 5.3 ypc, 1,117 yards and 14 TDs. That's a big-time year.

Gore is the opposite. His ypc is inflated by his freshman year. His last year he had 945 yards at 4.8 ypc and 8 TDs. He wasn't all the way back yet.
 
bshaw28 said:
Here's the list of Miami RB's Career YPC who have played since 2002 (with 100+ carries):

Duke Johnson - 6.69
Willis McGahee - 5.92
Lamar Miller - 5.73
Frank Gore - 5.68
Jason Geathers - 5.55
Joe Yearby - 5.39
Damien Berry - 5.35
Gus Edwards - 5.25
Graig Cooper - 5.12
Jarrett Payton - 5.00
Tyrone Moss - 4.71
Mark Walton - 4.62
Derron Thomas - 4.46
Mike James - 4.41
Javarris James - 4.28
Dallas Crawford - 4.06
Charlie Jones - 3.88

Not saying this is exactly how I'd rank them - but if you just look at YPC, it gives you a pretty accurate list.

I continue to be amazed at how underrated Duke has become, and how overrated Walton has become.
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So now YPC is the end all be all?

Nice to know that the only things running backs do is run with the ball.
 
DMoney said:
bshaw28 said:
Here's the list of Miami RB's Career YPC who have played since 2002 (with 100+ carries):

Not saying this is exactly how I'd rank them - but if you just look at YPC, it gives you a pretty accurate list.

I continue to be amazed at how underrated Duke has become, and how overrated Walton has become.
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Walton's ypc is dragged down by his freshman year. He was still learning the ropes and had a bunch of runs called back.

As a sophomore, he put up 5.3 ypc, 1,117 yards and 14 TDs. That's a big-time year.

Gore is the opposite. His ypc is inflated by his freshman year. His last year he had 945 yards at 4.8 ypc and 8 TDs. He wasn't all the way back yet.
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I hear you. I hope Walton keeps improving, I just think he is what he is. To me, Gore's 4.8 ypc coming of his 2nd ACL being higher than Walton's 4.6 career ypc show's they're in 2 completely separate categories.

I just don't see why it's become pretty much accepted that Walton to gets a total pass on what was a historically bad year as a Freshman, and for being bad half of this past year, despite the final stats looking good.

It was the same thing about Yearby last year - he had a 1,000 yard year behind "the worst OL ever".

I could throw out stat after stat after stat as to why Walton isn't that good, on top of the fact that I just don't see it when I watch Walton play. But he's gonna be the workhorse back again this year, so we'll just have to ride with him.
 
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Cane Dynasty said:
bshaw28 said:
Here's the list of Miami RB's Career YPC who have played since 2002 (with 100+ carries):

Duke Johnson - 6.69
Willis McGahee - 5.92
Lamar Miller - 5.73
Frank Gore - 5.68
Jason Geathers - 5.55
Joe Yearby - 5.39
Damien Berry - 5.35
Gus Edwards - 5.25
Graig Cooper - 5.12
Jarrett Payton - 5.00
Tyrone Moss - 4.71
Mark Walton - 4.62
Derron Thomas - 4.46
Mike James - 4.41
Javarris James - 4.28
Dallas Crawford - 4.06
Charlie Jones - 3.88

Not saying this is exactly how I'd rank them - but if you just look at YPC, it gives you a pretty accurate list.

I continue to be amazed at how underrated Duke has become, and how overrated Walton has become.
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So now YPC is the end all be all?

Nice to know that the only things running backs do is run with the ball.
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It's definitely not perfect, but career ypc is pretty accurate.

Look at the list. Are the best backs at the top? Are the worst backs near the bottom? Are the ok backs in the middle?

You may move 1 or 2 around, but for the most part they're falling on the list where their talent level would suggest.

You can go back 20 years and the RB's would fall where you'd expect them to:

Edge - 6.0
Portis - 5.7
James Jackson - 5.5
Davenport - 5.3
Danyell Ferguson - 4.9
Darryl McMillan - 4.6

It's pretty consistent.

And this certainly doesn't take into account things such as a RB like Walton being a good receiver, or pass blocking etc. But a RB's main job, by far, is to run the ball. Like a QB's main job is to pass the ball, or a WR main job is to catch the ball. IMO - I don't think you should be considered "great" at your position if you're not that good at the main requirement of the position.
 
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