We are about two months away from the start of fall camp and three months until the start of the season. Over the next few weeks we’ll be taking a quick look at each position group. Up today is the running backs.

The Roster:
Running Back:
Keola Antolin 5-8, 195 SR 143-695 4.7 7TD/28 rec 204 yds)
Daniel Jenkins 5-9, 190 SO* (8-26 3.2)
Kylan Butler 5-8, 180, SO*
Ka’Deem Carey 5-10, 190 FR
Jared Baker 5-9, 180 FR
Terris Jones 5-9, 180 FR*

Full Back:
Taimi Tutogi 6-1, 250 JR (1-(-1) –1.0/5 rec 63 yds)
Ross Oltorik 6-2, 225 JR*
David Hill 5-9, 230 SR

OVERALL:
This is a group that no one is giving any credit to and some of it is warranted. Gone is Nick Grigsby, and for the year Greg Nwoko, the team’s second and third leading rushers. Keola Antolin is an overlooked player who gained nearly 700 yards last year and is a threat to break off a big run at any time. Antolin had 143 carries last year, the rest of the unit had nine and six runners have never had a D-I carry.

In addition to inexperience, the group will be running behind an inexperienced line and of the six halfbacks on the roster, five of them are under 5-10.

SAY GOODBYE TO:Nic Grigsby and Greg Nwoko. Grigsby graduated and Nwoko was lost for at least half of the season when he tore his ACL during spring practice. They were the second and third leading rushers on the squad.

SAY HELLO TO: Carey and Baker. Both are well-regarded true freshmen running backs who will get a chance to see the field right away. They are very similar to each other and similar to the rest of the running backs on the roster.

BIGGEST QUESTIONS
Can they establish the run? The Wildcats have not been able to get a consistent ground game going the past few years, especially late in games when they are trying to milk a lead and keep the ball out of the other team’s hands.
Will they even try to run? In the final spring scrimmage the Wildcats hardly ran the ball and a lot of evidence points to the Wildcats running less than 15 times a game, at least until the young offensive line gets used to run blocking and the rigors of D-I football.
Can Antolin carry the load? Antolin has battled injuries every year, and that is without being the featured back for an entire season. Truth be told, no one knows if Antolin can carry the load the whole season, but it is likely that he will not be asked to.
Will Carey qualify? The signs look good. Carey graduated with no issues and is already working out with the team. Word is that he has the necessary GPA to enroll on his transcripts and the only hurdle left will be getting through the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Will Nwoko be back? Right now Nwoko is set to come back in late October or early November, but the early prognosis is that he, and the rest of the players with knee injuries, are doing great in their rehab and are a little ahead of schedule

Nic Grigsby (Rick Faust/WildcatSportsReport.com)

Arizona has not finished the 2010 season but it is not too early to look ahead to 2011. A lot is still to be determined thanks to position battles, possible departures and recruiting, but we can get a basic idea of how things will look next season. In our second look we focus on the running backs.

OVERVIEW: The Wildcats struggled to run the ball at times this season, but did have some great flashes. Keola Antolin was a bright spot as he stayed relatively healthy and did some good things. Greg Nwoko also had some real good minutes, while Kylan Butler and Daniel Jenkins await their chance.

SAY GOODBYE TO: Nic Grigsby. Grigsby will be in all the Wildcat record books, but he’ll be largely forgotten. His final year has been forgettable, and barring a great bowl game, he’ll ride off in the sunset with a whimper, much like Clarence Farmer eight years before.

SAY HELLO TO: Jared Baker and Ka’Deem Carey. The Cats have verbal commitments from two talented running backs. Baker is from Los Angeles. Carey, from Canyon del Oro High School, is still taking visits.

GET TO KNOW: Jenkins. He showed some really good things in the preseason, but only had eight carries for 26 yards and did not get a carry after the second game.

QUESTIONS: Can Antolin become an every-down back? Will Nwoko be the bruising runner that can get a tough yard when the Cats need it? Will Carey stay committed?

Previously: First look: Quarterbacks

Nic Grigsby (Rick Faust/WildcatSportsReport.com)

Last year the running game was really good for the Wildcats, but they battled the injury bug. Four different players led the team in rushing and the top four backs all missed time with injury. Nic Grigsby will get the opportunity to get the most touches, but you can bet Keola Antolin and Greg Nwoko will also get their chances. All three are different enough that there are a variety of things the staff can do with them.

Grigsby is more of a speed runner, who can get to the outside. He is not afraid to run up the gut, but he’s at his best with some daylight. The best news is that Grigsby remained mostly healthy in camp. The shoulder and groin that plagued him last season and in the spring look healed and other than a stepped on toe that cost him a handful of plays, Grigsby was the model of perfect health in fall camp.

“He wants to win,” said Offensive Co-Coordinator Seth Littrell. “He wants to lead this team to a Pac-10 championship.”

Antolin may lack height, but he gives the Cats a power runner who can still breakaway for a big gain. The junior did miss some time in fall camp, but should be at full strength for the season opener. The only question is can he remain healthy during the season?

With Antolin ailing, it was Nwoko who benefited. One fumble aside, Nwoko looked very strong in the final fall scrimmage and Wildcat coaches have been raving about the big, bruising runner behind the scenes. Expect Nwoko to challenge for carries and could be a serious option in short yardage situation.

Redshirt freshman Daniel Jenkins has looked good in his opportunities, but is behind the other players at this time.

One of the stars of spring ball was fullback Taimi Tutogi. The physical sophomore not only showed that he could play fullback and H-Back, but could play some halfback as well. Unfortunately, Tutogi did not get a chance to showcase his skills in the fall. He suffered a bad ankle sprain early in camp and has been limited throughout. Without Tutogi, tight end A.J. Simmons has had to play some fullback and the Cats will also experiment linebacker C.J. Parish at the spot.

Week One Depth Chart:

• Running Back
• Nic Grigsby 5-10, 190, SR
• Keola Antolin 5-8, 186, JR
• Greg Nwoko 6-2, 220, SO*
• Daniel Jenkins 5-9, 187, FR*
• Kylan Butler 5-8, 180, FR*
• H-Back
• Taimi Tutogi 6-2, 258, SO (likely out for Toledo)
• A.J. Simmons 6-3, 255, SR*

This story was adapted from the Wildcat Sports Report 2010 Football Preview e-zine. Learn how to get your FREE COPY.

Although the Cats run the spread, they still put a huge emphasis on the running game. In fact the Cats were pretty close to a 50-50 split last season, running the ball over 47% of the time. With that, we take a look at the Wildcats’ running situation.

Depth Chart

Nic Grigsby

• Nic Grigsby 5-10, 190, SR (79-567 7.2 5 TD)
• Keola Antolin 5-8, 195, JR (114-637 5.6 5 TD)
• Greg Nwoko 6-2, 228, SO* (76-273 3.6 3 TD)
• Taimi Tutogi 6-1, 258, SO (11-50 4.5 1 TD)
• Daniel Jenkins 5-9, 187, FR*
• Kylan Butler 5-8, 180, FR*

Honest Evaluation:

If healthy, this should be a really good group, but you really can’t count on it. Grigsby is among the better runners in the Pac-10 if he can stay on the field. Stoops was noticeably agitated with Grigsby’s injuries in the spring and you have to wonder if the opportunity to steal carries from the senior are there. Antolin is a more than capable back and Nwoko had a few flashes, especially against Oregon State. Antolin, with his big play ability, will see plenty of time, especially if Grigsby is banged up again.

Tutogi had a great spring and could see his role increased. His ability to pass block, combined with an apparent ability to carry the ball as a tail back, could see him shoot up the depth chart. He will be used more as a H-Back/fullback, but he could see time as a lone setback.

Jenkins showed me some talent in the spring, but has a lot to prove.

Did You Know?:

• Grigsby, Antolin and Nwoko each led the Cats in rushing at least once last season.
• The Cats did not sign a running back in the 2010 class, but already have to verbally committed for the 2011 class.
• The top four rushers are back, but five and six are gone (Nick Booth and Delashaun Dean).

For a more detailed look at the Arizona running backs, go to WildcatSportsReport.com