Bearcats' RB competition will 'be fun to watch'
Abernathy IV, Green are position's top contenders
Mar. 23, 2013 8:23 PM



With the departure of George Winn, Ralph David Abernathy (19) is a lead candidate for UC running back. / The Enquirer/Joseph Fuqua II

Written by
Tom Groeschen


Choices in the backfield

• Ralph David Abernathy IV: ran for 366 yards and three TDs last year.
• Tion Green: rushed for 70 yards on 16 carries and one TD last season.
• Rodriguez Moore: Juco transfer rushed for 2,205 yards and 18 TDs.
• Hosey Williams: Juco transfer rushed for 1,269 yards and 14 TDs.

Tommy Tuberville wants to have a balanced offense for his 2013 Cincinnati Bearcats, but the UC coach thinks run-first. The big question is who will run first?

“We’ll be 50-50, run-pass,” Tuberville said. “It will all start with the run.”

George Winn was the man for UC last season, rushing for 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior year.

With Winn gone, who becomes the primary running back? Top candidates include:

• Ralph David Abernathy IV (Atlanta native), junior-to-be, 5-foot-7, 161 pounds. UC’s top returning rusher (366 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, three TDs). Also UC’s top kickoff returner (25.0 yards per return).

• Tion Green (Sanford, Fla.), sophomore-to-be, 6-foot, 211 pounds. Appeared in seven games last year with 16 carries for 70 yards (4.4-yard average, one TD).

• Rodriguez Moore (East Mississippi CC), junior-to-be, 5-10, 185 pounds. Moore, from Bastrop, La., was rated the No. 1 junior college running back by 247Sports.com. Totaled 2,205 yards and 18 TDs in two junior college seasons.

• Hosey Williams (ASA College, N.Y.), junior-to-be, 5-11, 205 pounds. Williams, from Miami, Fla., was NJCAA first team All-America. Last year, he rushed for 1,269 yards and 14 TDs.

Tuberville does not know who will start, especially since Moore and Williams will not be in camp until summer. With spring football in progress, Abernathy and Green are among several backs trying to impress their new coach.

“Tion has done really well and Ralph has done really well,” Tuberville said. “There’s going to be a battle when we get the two juco players in. It’ll be fun to watch.”

Tuberville said UC basically will be a pro-style, tailback running team, with a fullback sometimes in front of the tailback. The quarterback will be under center about 25 to 30 percent of the time, Tuberville said.

“You need four good running backs going into a season, especially with what we’re going to do on offense,” Tuberville said.

Abernathy, grandson of the late American civil rights leader by the same name, is up for the challenge. With his relatively small stature, Abernathy knows he is not an every-down back, but his speed and elusiveness make him a valuable asset.

“Having a new coaching staff is just like starting over from high school,” Abernathy said. “You have to build your whole reputation again. I want to do whatever helps us win games, whether I have a big role or a small role.”

Green, five inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Abernathy, has power and speed but needs more game experience.

“It’s competitive right now, but Ralph and I see it as just helping one another,” Green said. “George Winn helped me a lot. He said stay in the weight room, go to class, go to study table. Do the little things that make you great. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

SPRING NOTES: The Bearcats took the past week off, with the school on spring break. Practice is scheduled to resume Monday.

UC began spring practice March 1 and has had nine workouts. There are six practices remaining, including a scrimmage March 30 at Paul Brown Stadium (closed to the public).

Spring drills conclude April 6 with an open practice for fans (10 a.m.-noon) at the Sheakley Athletics Center practice field.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...fun-watch-

Good rundown. No mention of Deionte Buckley though?

I get the impression Buckley might be a FB.

Buck might be a fullback in name, but not really in his role. The reference point is Lonnie Pryor who was the starting "fullback" for Florida State. However Florida State only went with two backs on less than 20 per cent of all snaps, and they had a different fullback for short yardage and goal line situations. The rest of the time Pryor was just in the Noles regular tailback rotation as a change of pace back. He and James Wilder Jr., both at 6'+ and 225 pounds, changed the pace from the smaller contingent of Devonta Freeman and Chris Thompson, both 5'9" or under and around 190 to 195 pounds.