During Friday’s episode of The Morning Run Live, Colorado running backs coach Johnnie Mack shared thoughts on his RB unit, which is officially in game week.
As the Buffaloes prepare to head to Georgia Tech, anticipation has grown among the staff and players alike for what the offense may hold. In coordinator Brennan Marion’s Go-Go scheme, running the ball is a demand.
“We've been hitting each other for weeks straight now,” Mack told TMR Live. “ I think the total team is just ready to be together, and go to war and get somebody else. The guys are excited. [Gameday] can't get here fast enough.”
Considering the heavy amount of run plays and use of two-back sets, multiple backs with varying skill sets are required. Throughout practice, several players have made a splash and competed for the football.
“We got a room full of dudes right now. We got some depth, which is a good thing,” Mack said. “We don't really say starters. We say 1A and 1B, because any one of our guys can go in and start the game.”
Here are the expected backs at the top of the rotation and their rushing yards in 2025: Damian Henderson II (565), JaQuail Smith (511), Micah Welch (384), DeKalon Taylor (83) and Richard Young (64).
Even less than a week away from competition, he hasn’t decided on which of his players will be the starter. However, he knows how his RB’s can get touches in the offense.
“Continue to earn the right to stay in there longer by the way you play, from running the ball, pass protection, and from catching the ball,” Mack said. “It may be somebody different every week. They’re gonna continue to battle until we get even closer.”
The biggest deciding factor in play is what the players have shown in practice. Although the stats from 2025 can help gauge success, they do not tell the full story of injury, usage or opportunity.
Mack is consistently evaluating tape and changing who he sees with the ball. He did mention one player who’s put him on notice.
“You practice like you play. If you go on out there, and you're treating it like a game, come game time, we're all ready,” Mack said. “Micah Welch, people don’t know that he’s a violent person. He’s running with a purpose right now…I think he has something to prove.”
Although there are many questions about Colorado’s offense in its first year of the Go-Go scheme, Mack does have an idea of how it will play out in Atlanta. Regardless of who is on the field, the standard will not change.
“You’re gonna see gonna see a lot of guys flying around, on both sides of the ball,” Mack said. “Like we talked about today, with our (kickoff luncheon), shoulder to shoulder. And I do believe that these guys made our shoulders a shoulder.”
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