Barclay Has the Pieces to Replace the Lost Production
August 05, 2024 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Losing two running backs who combined to rush for almost 2,000 yards, isn't an easy task. However, University of Louisville running backs coach Chris Barclay is confident he has the pieces in place to have a productive running game.
Beginning his second season, Barclay produced two running backs who were drafted in the 2024 National Football League Draft oin Isaac Guerendo and Jawhar Jordan, who were picked by San Ftancisco and Houston, respectively. Jordan led the Cardinals in rushing with 1,128 yards and Guerendo added over 800 yards to pace the rushing attack.
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"Everyone assumes there's going to be a natural drop off and you know, that's where I challenge these guys that it's time to now step up and search yourselves," Barclay said. "I mean, because if we were wind back just 365 days ago, I don't know if many of the national publications were talking about Jawhar Jordan and Isaac Guerendo as being national guys that could be possible draft picks and things like that. It's about what they did in the body of work during the season, so they had to go out and earn it."
Junior Maurice Turner returns and Donald Chaney, a redshirt junior transfer from Miami, are the experienced backs in the group this season. The pair are joined by redshirt freshman KeJaun Brown and two freshmen in Isaac Brown and Duke Watson.
Turner was bothered by all the talk about the Cardinals loss of production in the running back room, especially being confident in our ability as a group.
"It gave me a knot in my stomach," Turner said. "We know what our strengths are and what we can do. We have high expectations for ourselves. We know there is competition everywhere so we are just trying to prepare."Â
Barclay is confident his group has the ability to be a productive group. Turner is the top returner out of the backfield after he rushed for 284 yards and a touchdown last season. Chaney rushed for 852 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons with the Hurricanes.
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"The guys are pushing each other," Barclay said. "I think we are pretty deep in our running back room. I feel good about them. We have a lot of tools in the tool box, which gives us some versatility. I drew question marks, all the way down the board...because from the outside in we must not have anybody in the room because they all graduated away," Barclay continued. "So, we just have lint and moth flies in here. There's no one even in the room, so you all have to prove yourselves. You should embrace it.
"And for me as a coach, I embrace it as well, because there's a lot of people that think, 'oh, he had two guys get drafted last year, hit the lottery. That's just it doesn't happen much. He just got lucky.' So I've got to prove myself. And I embrace those things, I like to challenge myself. How can I elevate these guys? They may not be the top end players, but we're going to find a way to be productive and and elevate our play to where, yeah, we'll make some defenses fear us as well."
Brown saw action in one game last season, rushing 11 times for 65 yards in a win over Murray State. He's been nursing an injury and been limited in fall camp.
"He's another player with some ability,"Barclay said. "He can be an effective player for us when he gets back on the field full time."
The Cardinals signed a pair of backs last winter in Isaac Brown and Duke Watson, two freshmen who give the Cardinals some depth in the backfield.
The Cardinals return to action on Tuesday morning at 9:45 a.m.
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