AMES, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa State’s football team may not have the most experience, but there is a lot of potential in the running back room this season.
“My goal is for this to be a race to maturity,” said Tyler Roehl, Iowa State’s assistant head coach and running backs coach.
Senior Jaylon Jackson is the oldest of the group, but the transfer from Eastern Michigan has not played a single snap for the Cyclones.
“I think he was the only one over 20 until about a week or 10 days ago,” Roehl added.
Abu Sama led the group as a freshman last season with an average of 7.3 yards per carry. He also scored six touchdowns.
“How dynamic he is. He has a combination of speed and power that you often see in young guys, but at this pace, where he was just a freshman last year, what he did was incredible,” Jackson said of Sama.
Five of Sama’s six touchdowns came in two games last season. Roehl would like to see more consistency from the young running back.
“Working with him means precision, in all the details,” Roehl said. “When you have that and he’s in a good mood, he’s in a good mood.”
Another sophomore, along with a number of freshmen and redshirt freshmen, make up the rest of the position group. Having participated in several fall camps, Jackson has already helped this young group grow.
“I’ve just been trying to teach them what I’ve learned playing college football, but they’re also helping me learn because I’m so new,” Jackson explained.
“We have to grow up every day. We have to learn what we’re doing every day, and his leadership and guidance have been invaluable,” Roehl added.
Jackson also brings other skills to the room.
“That’s one of my strengths. I manage to shoot the guys out of bounds, even if it’s only in a very small space,” he said.
“He can run the ball from the A-gap to the D-gap and the perimeter. You can split it up and play select routes and hitches. He offers a wide range of skills and I appreciate the work he does because guys rally around him,” Roehl said.
There is fierce competition every day for the best starting positions.
“If you don’t appear ready and competitive, you will be exposed,” Roehl said.
Iowa State opens the season on Saturday, August 31, against North Dakota.
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