Spring Preview: The Running Backs

Iowa State will start its spring practice season on March 24th. Cyclones.com will highlight each position group in the next two weeks. Today we look at the Running Backs.

Running Backs
Synopsis
New assistant coach Mick McCall, who was the offensive coordinator at Northwestern the last 12 seasons, will inherit a veteran running backs group in 2020.

Heading into the 2019 campaign, there were a lot of question marks on who would replace one of the best running backs in school history in All-American David Montgomery, who turned pro early and is now the starting running back for the Chicago Bears.

That question was answered with one of the biggest surprises in college football in the emergence of true freshman Breece Hall (6-1, 205, So., Wichita, Kan.).

Hall saw limited carries in the first five games, but exhibited he was ready by game six and proceeded to post numbers on par with the best running backs in the nation.

Hall averaged 101.6 rushing yards and had nine TDs in the last eight games of the season and ended the year ranking second in the Big 12 in rushing and earning second team All-Big 12 accolades.

The rookie proved to be a tough, elusive runner with outstanding hands. He finished the season as the only true freshman in school history to record over 1,000 yards from scrimmage (1,149) en route to Freshman All-America accolades.

Hall ended the season with 897 rushing yards, the second-best rookie total in school history, four 100-yard rushing performances and his nine rushing TDs broke the ISU freshman school record.

As Hall improved his blocking, his versatility increased because of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. He finished the season with 23 receptions for 252 yards to rank in ISU's freshman top-10 in both categories.

Against Texas Tech, Hall had 256 all-purpose yards (183 rushing, 73 receiving), the ninth-best scrimmage yards total in school history.

The sky is the limit for Hall as he enters his second collegiate season.

Johnnie Lang (5-8, 193, Jr.#, Palmetto, Fla.) will also provide depth in the backfield. Lang started four games before Hall took over at running back and ranked third on the team in rushing with 238 yards.

Lang had three rushing TDs on the year, including a two-TD, 72-yard performance in the Cyclones' victory over TCU.

Kene Nwangwu (6-1, 205, Sr.#, Frisco, Texas) is also back. Nwangwu has two starts in his career and was third on the team in rushing yards (115), averaging 7.2 yards per carry.

Nwangwu, who led the team in rushing vs. Iowa (54), is also one of the best kickoff returners in the nation. His career 26.3 kickoff return average is No. 3 in Iowa State history and No. 8 in Big 12 history. His 1,920 career kickoff return yards is the most in school history.

Another player to watch is Jirehl Brock (5-11, 200, Fr.#, Quincy, Ill.), who played in four games last season before securing a redshirt.

Brock had nine carries for 48 yards in his limited time, but has outstanding potential. A four-star recruit, Brock was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois in 2018 and a top-250 player nationally by both Rivals and 247Sports in the class of 2019.

Rory Walling (5-11, 195, Jr.#, Des Moines, Iowa), a special teams star in 2019, will also give the Cyclones depth at running back.

Campbell On The Running Backs
"There are a lot of guys we trust in that tailback room. You talk about a guy like Kene Nwangwu who still fought through injuries last year, and when healthy is certainly a true weapon for us on our football team. Johnnie Lang is in the same situation. He fought through some injuries last year, but when healthy he is a true weapon. We have two young guys that we think are high-end talents. Certainly we saw what Breece Hall can do, and now adding consistency, can he take the next step from good to great in our football program. Then obviously Jirehl Brock has got those same qualities and traits. Another guy that is worth talking about in is Rory Walling. He is such a key contributor in special teams, but is a guy that has got value in his ability to run and catch out of the backfield too. It is a group we think really highly of."

Players Mentioned

Jirehl Brock

Breece Hall

Johnnie Lang Jr.

David Montgomery

Kene Nwangwu

Rory Walling

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