Marcus Carroll proved to be one of the better running backs in the nation last season, rushing for 1,350 yards on 274 rushing attempts with the Georgia State Panthers. After transferring to Missouri last season, he will now play a split-carry running back with Nate Noel, who transferred from Appalachian State.
According to head coach Eli Drinkwitz, the question of how the carry will work at the beginning of the year is answered since Noel is the first to take the field.
“I think we have a plan on how we’re going to approach it. Nate Noel will go out first and he and Marcus will alternate,” Drinkwitz said.
The question mark has now been erased and it seems that Carroll is ready for the change.
“It’s nice not to have to carry all the load. But having a big running back room and a lot of experienced players is definitely refreshing,” Carroll said in a press conference on Sunday.
Noel will be his partner in the running back room this season. From the outside, they appear to have very different skills as runners. Noel appears to be faster and more agile and Carroll appears to be stronger and more powerful.
Although they have different skills, they have been able to complement each other well so far. According to Drinkwitz, they were able to support each other during fall camp.
“I think these guys have good, complementary football skills and know how to support each other,” Drinkwitz said.
They can support each other on the field, but they’ve built a relationship off the field as well. If the two play side by side this season, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to connect as friends.
“I mean, Nate and I are close friends,” Carroll said. “We went out together, ate something, did all kinds of things.”
Carroll also mentioned that they do a lot of things outside of training, such as playing video games.
In short, Noel and Carroll may not be able to fill the void left by Cody Schrader after he graduated and moved on to the NFL. Schrader had a remarkable season last year, rushing for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns. Drinkwitz is aware that they no longer have Schrader and that a rotation between the two backs will be important.
“I think we realize that we probably won’t have anyone who can carry the ball as often in a game as Cody. So we have to do everything we can to get the starter into the rhythm, but also to make sure he’s fresh,” Drinkwitz said.
For Carroll, Schrader was one of the reasons he ended up at Columbia. The way Coach Drinkwitz built the program and the mindset it instilled was the biggest deciding factor.
“I would say Cody was part of it. But for the most part, it’s just the way this program is set up, the mentality of having something to prove. I think that’s something that stuck with me,” Carroll said.
The Tigers’ unofficial roster for Week 1 lists Noel and Carroll as both starters. Expect Noel to get the majority of touches and Carroll to be involved in short third-down situations and in the red zone.
Read more news about the Missouri Tigers:
Missouri’s preparation for Murray State before the season opener – The extra point
Quiet confidence: Jude James was overlooked as a candidate, but he was right
Multiple starters revealed in Missouri’s Week 1 depth chart
