Spring Football: A Look At Running Backs

The Boiling Point: Junior college transfer Akeem Shavers has a perfect opportunity to step up with Ralph Bolden still recovering from injury.

A year ago, Ralph Bolden, above, was coming off a breakout season and Purdue hoped to pair his running abilities with that of quarterback Robert Marve. That never happened as Bolden tore his ACL in the spring and Marve followed suit in the fall. Now, with Bolden still out, the spotlight is on a newcomer to take over.

What we know: Ralph Bolden won’t be doing everything this spring, which will leave a lot to be desired for the position. Bolden, who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2009, is still recovering from an ACL injury he suffered during last year’s spring practice and will be limited to drills without contact. It was a re-tear for an ACL that was ruptured in high school. In the mean time, we will get some good looks at a couple other guys in the backfield. It starts with junior college transfer Akeem Shavers. Shavers, who’s 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, possesses the speed to make big plays. From there it’s more inexperienced guys who will get reps with hopes to break through. The shortlist includes sophomore Reggie Pegram.

What we don’t know: Will Bolden ever regain his 2009 form? It would be nice if Purdue could learn that answer sooner rather than later because its running game and offense is going to change depending on that. If Bolden can be a 1,000-yard horse again, Purdue is obviously in much better shape. Also, is Shavers ready to carry a heavy load in the Big Ten? Unfortunately, if Bolden isn’t ever the same and Shavers doesn’t pan out, there aren’t many other options for the Boilers.

Moving forward: It’s Shavers’ time to make the best of his opportunity to play Division I football. If he can do that, ideally Purdue has a quality 1-2 punch come August. If he can’t, coach Danny Hope may have all footballs in Bolden’s basket.

Other spring football position previews
Wide receivers
Linebackers