Fresno State Athletics
2022 Position Spotlight: Running Backs
8/18/2022 3:56:00 AM | Football
RUNNING BACK OUTLOOKÂ
Fresno State returns a familiar name in Jordan Mims, who looks to make this his breakout season as the Bulldogs' premiere running back.Â
Fresno State graduated its all-time touchdowns leader in Ronnie Rivers.The duo had split time in the backfield since 2017 under Jeff Tedford, during his first stint at the helm of the program.Â
The running backs are coached by first-year assistant James Montgomery. Montgomery joins the Bulldogs after two seasons at Cal Poly. He served as the Mustangs' running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2020-21.
Who's back: Mims was named a preseason All-Mountain West honoree and selected to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college running back.
Mims finished 2021 as the Bulldogs' second-leading rusher with 710 yards and six touchdowns on 127 carries. He ended the season as the PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, finishing with 29 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over UTEP with an additional five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The 'Dogs also return Malik Sherrod, who saw action in eight games last season and looks to be an important piece to the rushing attack and the special teams efforts.Â
Additional Returners: Johnathan Arceneaux, Jevon Bigelow, Elijah Gilliam.Â
Who's new: Simi Bakare, Justin Guin, Caden Rodgers and Ryan Warkentin.
Bakare is a Division I transfer from Missouri, where he played four seasons and averaged 4.7 yards per carry in limited action. Three freshmen also joined the roster as walk-on players in Guin, Rodgers and Warkentin. Rodgers and Warkentin are Valley products, playing their prep football at Buchanan High and Reedley High, respectively.
What to watch: There is no doubt that Mims will get his chance to step into the starting role, but throughout his career coach Jeff Tedford often has deployed a duo of backs, whether J.J. Arrington and Marshawn Lynch, Lynch and Justin Forsett or Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen at Cal, or Rivers and Mims with the Bulldogs.Â
Mims can be the lead back, as Rivers was in 2019 when his backfield mate was out with injury. But the competition to be that second back is one of the most heated in camp.
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