Florida State’s other running backs impressing in fall camp

With position battles galore going on during Florida State’s fall camp, one of the few position groups with the starting spots already decided is the running backs. Dalvin Cook will open the 2016 season as the starting running back. However, when, not if, those behind Cook in the rotation are called upon to deliver, head coach Jimbo Fisher has a lot of faith in what they are capable of.

“I like the way Johnathan Vickers is running. Ryan Green has stood out,” Fisher shared after Saturday’s practice. “[Green] made two really good runs the other day in the scrimmage. Broke tackles, strong.”

One player in particular who has been leaving a positive impact on his teammates in his first fall camp is true freshman tailback Amir Rasul, the four-star running back out of Coral Gables High School in Miami.

“The young guy, Rasul, he jumps out at you,” Fisher stated after a recent practice.

“Amir is a young guy but he’s as talented as anyone on this roster,” Florida State fullback Freddie Stevenson said, corroborating what Fisher had to say.

When asked what jumps out about Rasul’s game, he replied, “That speed, for one thing. But he’s real powerful too. He got a lot of power in his legs. He’s not just a little guy, he got a lot of power in them too.”

There’s no denying that Cook will play a major role in this year’s Florida State offense. Fisher even went on record saying that he will give Cook as many touches as it takes to get the job done. However, Cook’s 253 touches in 2015 was a truly daunting number, easily the most that a running back has gotten in the Fisher era, and he did that while not 100% for the majority of the season.

With all of this considered, it would come as a relief to Fisher and staff if the running backs behind Cook in the rotation stepped up this year, particularly as the season carries on.

Only time will tell if the other running backs are truly ready to be productive and lighten Cook’s workload. However, past the midway point of fall camp, they seem to be doing the right things.