UCLA Football: Will we see more Soso Jamabo in 2018?
Jim Mora didn’t get much use out of Soso Jamabo in his first three years with UCLA football but will Chip Kelly utilize the back more?
When Soso Jamabo committed to UCLA in 2015, it seemed likely that the Bruins would have the Pac-12’s next great running back. He was a five-star prospect in the 2015 class, ranked the No. 32 player in the class and the second-best running back, per 247Sports.
Although UCLA’s offense was pass-heavy, he still managed to rush for 403 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman, recording 6.1 yards per touch. His future seemed bright.
As a sophomore, though, he carried the ball 16 more times (just 82 carries on the year) for 321 yards and three scores. His yards per carry average dropped over two full yards but he did become more of a receiving back, catching 16 passes for 197 yards. That didn’t make up for his lack of production in the run game, but Jim Mora didn’t seem focused on getting him more touches.
In fact, he carried the ball just 88 times as a junior for 447 yards and six touchdowns. It was his most productive season yet and he got back to his effective running, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
Still, Mora received plenty of criticism for Jamabo’s lack of touches. Not many coaches can blunder a great opportunity to have an elite back the way Mora did. He never dished out more than 100 carries to a former five-star back who averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in two out of three seasons — that’s mismanagement at its finest.
Enter, Chip Kelly.
The former Oregon head coach has had some top-tier running backs in his days and he knows just what to do with Jamabo. He can use him as a pass-catcher and a workhorse, although he’s had 20-plus carries in a game just three times in his career — he’s only reached double-digits seven times.
If Jamabo can average close to 5.5 or 6.0 yards per touch and 15-plus carries a game, we will finally see him break out.
Running backs have excelled under Kelly in years past, just ask Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James. He’s had a running back reach at least 1,500 yards in each of his seasons as a collegiate head coach. Jamabo should be the next to approach that mark.
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Fear now, Jamabo faithful, the senior will get plenty of carries and become the No. 1 back for the Bruins in 2018. We will finally see him used correctly.