South Florida Football: Two-deep 2017 depth chart projection
By Zach Bigalke
Running Backs
Starting running back: D’Ernest Johnson
Backups: Darius Tice
The South Florida running game has centered for the past three seasons on standout back Marlon Mack. He started immediately and rushed for at least 1000 yards every year from 2014 to 2016. Mack also offered a reliable safety valve for Quinton Flowers in the passing game, catching 65 balls over his time as a Bull. Deciding to leave school early, Mack parlayed his success at USF into a fourth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft.
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Now that Mack has moved on to the NFL, the door is open for D’Ernest Johnson to step in to a featured role in the South Florida backfield. Johnson has been stuck in a backup role behind Mack for the past three seasons. Since 2014, Johnson has carried the ball 226 times for 1,000 yards and caught another 62 balls for 756 yards. He has racked up 22 total touchdowns in three seasons, including a punt return TD and two passes for scores on trick plays.
Johnson will be spelled in the running game by fellow senior Darius Tice, who received an extra year of eligibility with a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending injury last September. Tice is a more straightforward runner and presents less of a threat in the passing game. If he is healthy after recovering from his ankle injury, though, Tice presents a great change of pace for South Florida on the ground.
As always, South Florida will also depend heavily on their quarterback to run the ball. Last season Quinton Flowers outpaced Mack in per-game averages, and will be relied upon to heft a heavy load once again.