Arizona's Running Back Room is Standing Out

Arizona overhauled part of its roster and some of it was focused on the running backs room with two additions in the portal in Ismail Mahdi and Quincy Craig. Plus, two running backs from the recruiting class in Wesley Yarbrough and Cornelius Warren.

The additions along with the return of Kedrick Reescano gives Arizona a dynamic backfield that has speed, power, agility and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Running backs coach Alonzo Carter is known as one of the best coaches at his position and one of the better recruiters nationally.

However, for incoming freshmen, there is one major rule that Carter has for all his running backs when it comes to on field performance and that is that you must be able to play.

Carter has the slogan “no block, no rock,” hanging in his office and it has become something that players are extremely familiar with.

“You know what I say, no block, no rock, that’s on my wall. You have to learn that because that’s the transition from high school to college. Then when you go from college to the pros, you better be able to protect that multi-million dollar quarterback,” Carter said. “So, I think it’s important to emphasize that. We put a lot of emphasis on it. We’re really physical, that’s something we pride ourselves in.” 

For a lot of freshmen, that is one of the hardest things to get adjusted to when it comes to the college game along with the speed of play compared to the high school level.

The majority of these running backs in high school aren’t asked to block much at all and it is more about making plays in the running game and in the passing game.