Matt Rhule details running back depth chart entering season

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has some options to turn to in the running back room this season with players like Gabe Ervin Jr., Anthony Grant, Emmett Johnson and Rahmir Johnson all on his Cornhuskers team.

During a media availability Saturday, Rhule looked at the room and explained where he sees everyone fitting in at the moment.

“We feel like Gabe is clearly the No. 1 guy,” Rhule said. “Rahmir, clearly the third down back and still a runner right but Rahmir’s ability to track protections and catch the ball out of the backfield is pretty special. Every scout that comes in here, I tell them all like, hey, I had JaMycal Hasty at Baylor, still playing. He’s just like him. He can run option routes, choice routes. So I think Rahmir’s got a future. Rahmir has a little tweak to his hammy…should be back this week. Just kind of got tight on him the other day so we held him, but should be fine.”

Ervin and Rahmir Johnson both featured minimal carries last season for Nebraska. Ervin ran the ball 20 times while Johnson had 19 carries.

Grant was last season’s leading rusher with 915 yards on 218 attempts on the ground. However, he is not in the mix for the starting role because of some turnover issues in camp.

“When the ball is in his hands, Anthony’s elite running the football,” Rhule said. “He’s put the ball on the ground too much. He’s fumbled the ball too much. And no matter how talented you are, if you fumble the football, you can’t play for us. We’re gonna continue to work on it with AG. He’s had a good camp up until the last couple days in terms of turning the ball over, but it’s been an issue. I normally wouldn’t say that out loud. But I’ll say it because Anthony, he knows exactly, hey, I’ve got to conquer this. But when he’s right, he sees it as well as anybody. To me, we have a 1, 2, 3 punch.”

Emmett Johnson is also someone Rhule expects to play a part in the success of the team — even if it is not just in the running game.

“Then I’d say Emmett Johnson, he’s in the running to be starting kick returner,” Rhule said. “He’s a versatile all-around back. I think he can help us as well.”

But at the top of the depth chart for the foreseeable future will be Ervin, the junior running back out of Buford, Ga.

“From the day I got here, I was like, wow, that’s how they’re supposed to look like,” Rhule said. “He’s big. He’s powerful. He can run behind his pads. He can run inside zone, outside zone, power counter, anything you want to run, duo. He’s good in protection. He’s consistently still trying to work on his hands. His hands are the No. 1 thing that keeps him from being on the field all three downs. He can catch — it’s what he’s working on. But it’s very rare that you have a guy that’s 225 pounds and also runs 4.4 and has lateral movement. I know he started as a freshman. I know he had that injury, but I can’t imagine them any better than that kid. I’ve been impressed them since the day we got here.”