When Texas A&M landed a commitment from Stanford transfer running back E.J. Smith, the son of NFL legend Emmitt Smith, it was a luxury in a stacked running back room. But last weekend, the decision suddenly became a far more important move.
Last week, running back Rueben Owens reportedly suffered a season-ending injury during a scrimmage. The former 5-star posted the second-most carries on the team and finished with 743 all-purpose yards during a sensational freshman campaign. Following the injury, there’s even more need for all-purpose talent.
Granted, Texas A&M’s top rushers Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss are both back in 2024. The pair combined for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground a year ago for Texas A&M. But heading into a transitional season, Smith helps bring some stability to the Aggies.
Smith was a blue-chip player out of Dallas when he committed to the Cardinal. Unfortunately, his arrival coincided with diminishing returns along the offensive line at Stanford. No running back on the team cleared 500 yards rushing during his three seasons of action post-redshirt and Stanford went a cool 9-27. Smith also suffered a season-ending injury during what looked like a promising 2022 campaign.
Now, Smith teams up with Daniels and Moss to create a three-headed monster for Texas A&M under first-year coach Mike Elko. More significantly, Smith shows the power of finding quality depth in the portal, especially as the season carries on longer.
Leaning on flexibility
Smith transferred to Texas A&M as a three-year contributor at Stanford. After two years playing in David Shaw’s power system, Troy Taylor let Smith show off his versatility. In addition to a career-high 218 yards on the ground, Smith caught 33 passes for 242 yards for the Cardinal to rank among the top pass-catching backs in college football.
Owens was that dynamic pass-catching back for the Aggies last season, leading the way with 12 catches for 109 yards. More significantly, Texas A&M is moving to a new offense under first-year coordinator Collin Klein. Klein was never shy about using either running backs or H-backs as pass-catchers out of the backfield. Running back DJ Giddens caught 29 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns for KSU last season.
Misdirection and space is the name of the game for Klein, which means leaning on multiple running backs and playmakers. Smith is a key figure in the room.
Maintaining depth
On paper, Texas A&M didn’t need help at the running back position heading into the offseason. Between Owens, Moss and Daniels, the Aggies boasted one of the better running back rooms in college football. However, experience and leadership comes at a premium, especially in the SEC.
Interestingly, Texas A&M’s success comes in direct contrast to its rival down the road. Texas lost starting running back CJ Baxter to a season-ending injury during fall camp. Junior Jaydon Blue will likely step into a starting role, though he posted only 80 carries in his career. The rest of the running backs on the roster are talented, but all are underclassmen.
Granted, resources are limited and spending time and money on a depth running back might not be an efficient priority for every program. But when a player of Smith’s pedigree comes home looking for a landing spot, making the right moves on the margins can bolster a season.
