LSU redshirt freshman running back Jakhari Gore is thrilled to be back at the position he loves most this spring.
Gore switched between running back and wide receiver during the 2010 preseason camp, but he said running back has always been his comfort zone. After suffering a soft tissue injury and redshirting his freshman season, Gore is on the depth chart with four other running backs — sophomores Michael Ford, Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue and true freshman Kenny Hilliard.
Gore, who stands at 5 feet 9 inches and 175 pounds, is the only one of the five running backs who weighs less than 200 pounds, but that hasn’t seemed to hinder him in LSU’s spring scrimmages so far.
Gore had a 35-yard run to set up a touchdown March 26 and a 30-yard scoring scamper April 2.
“The runs I had in the scrimmages were pretty tough inside the tackles,” Gore said. “At first they were really trying to use me in different types of packages. I was shown I can run in between the tackles and I’m not scared, so that’s when everything opened up for me.”
Ware ended his true freshman season on a high note, rushing for 102 yards on 10 carries in the Cotton Bowl. He said pass protection has been a priority for the running backs this spring.
“Most of the time last year it was Richard Murphy in there blocking on crucial third-and-longs and fourth downs where we needed perfect pass protection in order to get the ball off,” Ware said. “Every running back can run — that’s why you call it a running back. But the question is if they can block.”
With Saturday’s spring game marking the end of spring football, Ware will be able to return full-time to baseball, which he said he is looking forward to doing.
Ware, an outfielder, has played in eight LSU baseball games this season, going 3-for-7 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
“I’m eager to get back to baseball right now because they’re playing games and we’re just practicing,” Ware said. “But football is my first priority, and I have to handle my business here first before I go back over there.”
Blue, a second cousin of LSU senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson, said the competition at running back has been open throughout the spring.
He added that the running back corps has not let the departure of Stevan Ridley cause much worry.
“We’re coming along, all running hard right now because we all want that starting spot,” Blue said. “In the SEC, one person just can’t take the whole season by themselves, so we know we’re all going to be in it. We’ll just be joking around in the cafeteria, telling each other to seize the moment.”
Ford also has a year of playing time under his belt, as he finished third on the team with 244 yards on 45 carries with three touchdowns as a redshirt freshman.
Jefferson said the running backs have not let their lack of experience prevent them from developing this spring.
“We have young backs, but they’re doing a great job learning this system and staying disciplined with it,” Jefferson said.
Gore can attest to that assessment, saying that being successful at running back requires both strength and awareness of your role at specific times.
“I do love to show my teammates a little bit and ran a couple of guys over [this spring],” Gore chuckled. “After, I pat them on the butt and just say, ‘Try harder next time. Try to stop me.'”
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