CRAFT, DORCEUS LIKELY TO START
CA reporter Tom Schad is breaking down the 2016 Tigers, position by position, in a 9-part series. Today: Running backs.
The University of Memphis football season is fast approaching, with players scheduled to report Aug. 3 and open the season a month later against Southeast Missouri State. So we’re breaking down the 2016 Tigers, position by position, with projected starters, newcomers to know and other summer tidbits. In part two of our nine-part series, we look at running backs.
Projected starters: Sam Craft (Sr.), Doroland Dorceus (R-Jr.)
Returners: Coach Mike Norvell announced Monday afternoon that Jamarius Henderson will be granted a release to be closer to his son, which means two of the Tigers’ four top running backs from a year ago are no longer with the team. (Jarvis Cooper transferred to Central Arkansas in May.) However,
Craft and Dorceus both return and are projected to start alongside each other in Norvell’s two-back-heavy offense. Dorceus ran for 661 yards as a redshirt sophomore and could have a breakout year in 2016. Craft will be used in a hybrid wide receiver-running back role, which should play to his strengths. Senior Tearris Wallace will also return.
Newcomers: Here’s a name you’re going to be hearing a lot this fall: Darrell Henderson. The former Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year enrolled at Memphis in January and was one of the most impressive offensive players this spring. He’ll get a lot of touches, both rushing and receiving, and should make an immediate impact in 2016. Memphis native Tony Pollard is another guy to keep an eye on. After redshirting a year ago, he’ll fill the same hybrid role as Craft and could create some serious mismatches in the passing game. Patrick Taylor Jr., who is listed at 6-3 and 216 pounds, may also work his way into the mix as a true freshman, depending on how quickly he can pick up the nuances of the offense.
The skinny: Memphis is worse off without Jamarius Henderson. There’s no debating that. But his departure should not be blown out of proportion. Between Craft, Dorceus, Pollard and Darrell Henderson, the Tigers still have solid depth in the backfield — and perhaps a group that is now better suited to Norvell’s offense. Expect all four of them to be involved in the passing game, Craft and Pollard in particular. And if his fall mirrors his spring, Darrell Henderson may very well become one of the team’s most explosive playmakers.