Even when Chip Trayanum returns, Kentucky must keep young running backs involved

Chip Trayanum was cleared to return to practice this week after suffering a broken hand in fall camp. He will be featured in tonight’s injury report. Mark Stoops is unwilling to say if Trayanum will be in action against Ole Miss until after a week of practice.

When Trayanum returns, it’s unclear exactly how much he will be used or what exactly we should expect from the Kentucky running back. After watching a couple of freshmen excel in his absence, offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan isn’t ready to relegate Jamarion Wilcox and Jason Patterson to the sideline.

“It’s so unique because they’re so young. With them being so young and really doing a lot of good things, you have to keep bringing guys along,” Hamdan said Tuesday.

“I think it’s a good problem to have, now hopefully we’re getting to a point where we have a lot more depth, but we think we need to continue to bring those guys along. That position’s a tough position to keep guys healthy and we have to keep them in the mix.”

Patterson missed the last two games due to injury but averaged 5.2 yards per carry on 14 rushing attempts. Wilcox has been Kentucky’s most explosive runner out of the backfield, popping a few 20-yard runs against Ohio to rush for a team-high 82 yards.

“The other running backs are really doing a good job, but Chip, he was No. 1 for a reason,” Vince Marrow said.

“He’s getting back in slowly, but when he does come back, he’s a veteran. Blitz pick-up is really big for him. He understands it. He played a lot of big games at Ohio State. I think when he gets back he’s going to be a guy that can run between the tackles, be physical, wear guys out along with the other backs we got.”

Trayanum has Big-Game Experience

Trayanum transferred to Kentucky in December and after about 10 months, we have yet to see him in live action. He was a power-back often used in short-yardage situations at Ohio State, but Kentucky didn’t tackle in the spring game. How well can he break tackles if we’ve never seen him against a tackler?

The coaches are confident he will be able to bully defenders. More importantly, he has something none of his peers have, big-game experience.

“Leadership, he’s a guy that’s played in big games, knows what it’s supposed to be like. I think the second thing is just from a size standpoint. He’s a big, physical back. We’re anxious to get him back and obviously taking it one day at a time,” said Hamdan.

He continued, “He’s tough to bring down. When the room is as young as we are, I think first you’re looking at it from a veteran leadership standpoint. Second, you’re looking at him as a 225, 230-pound running back that can carry the load. We’re taking one day at a time with that. We’ll be excited if he gets back.”

Trayanum’s number was called with only seconds in the clock last fall at Notre Dame. He punched the ball into the end zone as time expired to give Ohio State a hard-fought victory. During his first season at Ohio State, injuries forced him to be the primary option in the rivalry game against Michigan. He toted the rock 14 times for 83 yards. That’s one reason why Steve Clinkscale told Marrow that Michigan would’ve pursued Trayanum in the portal if they didn’t leave Ann Arbor for the NFL.

“He played so well against them,” said Marrow. “Then we watched Chip play against Notre Dame, that was a high-stress situation and he handled it well for them. Even if he’s not playing, he’s been good on the sideline, talking to these guys and talking to the whole team.”

His leadership and experience sure could come in handy when Kentucky faces No. 5 Ole Miss in the first road game of the 2024 season.