MAC Daddy Series Part II. (RBs)
Chaos isn’t a pit, chaos is a ladder.
- Peter Baelish, Game of Thrones
People often ask me (not really, but let’s pretend anyway) why I claim that the Mid American Conference (MAC) is my favourite CFB league. Well, it’s not because of the talent, nor the pageantry, and it sure as shit isn’t the quality of the coaching. It is because the MAC is the conference of chaos. Nobody knows anything about anything over there. In many cases, even the beat writers tasked with covering these prestigious programs are left daft.
Last year, WMU’s redshirt RB Jalen Buckley came out of absolutely nowhere in week one vs. SFPA after (I assume) literally not being rostered on any CFF roster that summer (if there’s someone out there who drafted Buck last summer, let me know). This was not unusual. Experienced CFFers know this conference is a gold mine for unexpected heroes, particularly in the latter stages of October and November when MACtion commences.
If you’ve been following along at home, you hopefully read the last edition of this series on QBs. To put it frankly, that group was a total shit show—more so than usual that is. The RB position is much better in my opinion, which admittedly maybe isn’t saying much. But, there are several players that actually get drafted in your typical CFF draft in this group, so that’s a start. Without further ado, let’s get into it (P.S. the names aren’t in any order).
Jalen Buckley (5’11, 210 ) — WMU
2023 PPG: 16.6
Señor Buckley was summoned last year in the aforementioned week one breakout vs. those hapless nerds over at SFPA. He became an immediate want for CFF players shortly thereafter, unfortunately many of said players ended up dropping him a few weeks later after some tough sledding vs. Syracuse and Iowa. A shortsighted approach indeed.
Those of us who’ve been around the block before know that these MAC guys are pretty much MIA for the better part of September. A word to the wise for the uninitiated: when you acquire a guy like Buckley via the draft or waivers, understand that he won’t be valuable to you until the conference schedule kicks off.
That’ll be the case this year for Buckley too. WMU made sure to schedule back-to-back BIG10 cupcakes in Wisconsin and Ohio State to start the year. Yummy. After that, it’s game one—kind of. They play Bethune Cookman and then immediately go on BYE. On their return they play Marshall and then embark on the conference schedule. Not ideal but it could certainly be worse.
A source who covers the program said explicitly this offseason that it’ll be “the Jalen Buckley show” this year, per the G5 Hive, and I believe him. The Broncos offence moved quickly last year under first year head coach Lance Taylor, and that’ll probably be the case again in 2024. Without knowing how improved the passing attack will be, I’d guess that a steady diet of Buckley’s medicine will be administered to all who stand in the Broncos’ path.
Ky Thomas (5’11, 200) — KENT ST.
2023 PPG: NA
Thomas originally began his career with a known degenerate, PJ Fleck, at Minnesota. A slew of injuries in October to Minnesota’s backfield provided the runway for Thomas to break out in his second year of CFB. Shortly thereafter he transferred over to another pig farmer’s program—Lance Leipold’s Kansas Jayhawks. Those of us around here know Leipold as a degenerate pig farmer, a fierce competitor, and a great man. Or at least, he used to be. We’re not really sure what has happened at Kansas. Maybe it’s true what the old CFF wisemen used to say: the MAC has an uncanny way of bringing out the degenerate in all of us.
Things didn’t exactly turn out as planned for Thomas with the Hawks, unfortunately, which prompted his move to the conference of chaos last offseason. Puzzlingly, he was ruled ineligible for the season (apparently the NCAA still enforces this from time to time) and sat out all of last year.
Now, the reigns appear to be his. He’ll have to battle Gavin Garcia and Xavier Williams for touches, but Thomas is probably a lot better at Football than either of those two. After all, we are talking about a former P4 prospect here—one that learned under PJ Fleck’s tutelage as well.
Thomas is definitely a name where once MACtion starts, he could turn into a league winner before you know it. Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping a vigilant eye, and should the pig signal be lit at any point, his name will be included in the weekly pig market articles.
Terion Stewart (5’9, 220) — BGSU
2023 PPG: 13.1
Stewart’s had an odd career so far. He broke out as a freshman in 2020, and then was basically missing for the following two seasons. He had a resurgence this past year, finishing 2023 averaging around 14 PPG. He isn’t used at all as a receiver, but when BGSU hands him the rock (which they started doing after Week Four last year), he is extremely effective. He finished last year going over 100 yards rushing in four out of his last six.
BGSU actually has a pretty advantageous schedule this year compared to other MAC programs, opening with Fordham, an FCS school. They then play PSU and Texas A&M with a BYE week sandwiched in between, so you’ll have to put Stewart on hold for three weeks after that.
Antario Brown (5’10, 220) — NIU
2023 PPG: 16.4
Brown returns off a 1000-yard/200+ carry season. His ceiling appears to be limited by the NIU HC’s preference of using other runners at times.
The Savanna, GA native will be the primary bellcow this year, but Gavin Williams will also get some run. NIU’s staff have always relied heavily on the ground game, but it’s usually different runners that get #Pigged at different times. And for some reason, they keep finding caucasian RBs with eastern European last names to come in and steal all of the redzone TDs. One year… OK… multiple years… now it’s a pattern.
Rickey Hunt (5’11, 200) — OHIO
2023 PPG: 9.5
Hunt had a monster Bowl Game performance last December, rushing 17 times for 115 yards and four scores, plus an additional score on one reception for 18 yards. It was a coming out party for Hunt in lieu of Sieh Bangura. Last year’s RB1B Nolan McCormick returns, which has hampered my optimism with Hunt, and head coach Tim Albin has said that the RB room is one of the program’s deepest this year. His historical tendency also leans towards a committee.
Despite that, Hunt has stated this offseason that his goal is to lead the MAC in rushing (and the state of Ohio), he’ll need significant rushing volume to do so. Is it just player speak? Or an insight into what we can expect on offence this year? Only time will tell.
Marion Lukes (5’9, 200) / Myles Bailey (5’10, 225) — CMU
2023 PPG: 14.9 / 9.1
Lukes came on strong in October of last year, averaging 19.3 touches per game in his last six. Myles Bailey still returns, though he faded in his role in 2023, it remains to be seen what the split will look like in 2024.
I’ve got an article draft sitting idle in my inventory on the M&M boys, so I won’t spoil too much. This is an offence that will probably galvanize behind each runner at different times in the 2024 season. Lukes feels like the RB1A, but it could be a fairly even split when it’s all said and done.
Dylan Downing (6’0, 225) — MiaOH
2023 PPG: 3
Last year Rashad Amos (former South Carolina Gamecock, Colorado Buff, Mississippi State Bulldog, current Ole Miss Rebel) broke out in the latter half of the season. This staff at Miami are not known to dish out a lot of carries to one individual player, so it was sort of a surprise in that sense.
What triggered the sudden influx of carries to Amos was 1) the QB’s health was hanging by a thread and 2) Amos was extremely effective with his touches. Downing comes in with a similar story line: a former P4 player looking for more opportunities. I don’t know that Downing is going to come close to replication Amos (a 225 pound former SEC prospect), but he at least has a similar size profile. I no longer view Downing as a draft able prospect in CFF, but he’s a good player to keep on the waitlist.
The OOC schedule will all but guarantee Downing does next to nothing in the first four weeks. Miami of Ohio plays Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and Northwestern.
Lamar Sperling (5’10, 195) — UB
2023 PPG: NA
New UB head coach Pete Lembo last coached Ball State when he was a head coach back in 2011-2015. Of those seasons, three produced three seasons with a 1000 yard rusher. Jahwan Edwards was the player to do it each season.
In the seasons where Edwards went over 1000 yards, he carried the rock 262, 212, and 232 times. I prognosticated that Barksdale would be the starter this year, but it appears that the redshirt freshman Sperling will get the first carries to start the season.
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED on this backfield as we enter MACtion in October.
Braedon Sloan (5’11, 195) / Vaughn Pemberton (5’11, 220) — Ball St.
2023 PPG: NA / 6
The G5 Hive interviewed a source close to this program a few months ago and he mentioned both of these named when talking about the backfield rotation. Pemberton in the context of leading the backfield throughout spring, Sloan in the context of being a guy who could challenge for the lead role once he arrives on campus. Sloan didn’t announce his transfer until early May, so naturally nobody knows where he is on the rotation.
Normally I’d say Fall camp will be critical in telling us what to expect here, but this is the MAC after all. You’re dreaming if you think we’ll know anything until late September, or even early October.
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