Texas A&M football has question marks on its roster, but not on the running back depth chart. A blend of future NFL talent and proven productivity has the room poised to be foundational to the team’s success in 2025.
Before his season-ending knee injury against South Carolina, senior Le’Veon Moss was A&M’s fastball — a consistent source of production who thrived in offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s pin-and-pull concepts. In nine games, Moss racked up 765 yards and 10 touchdowns on a Southeastern Conference second-best 6.3 yards per tote.
The zoom to Moss’s boom, redshirt sophomore Rueben Owens II brings an electricity to an otherwise somewhat one-dimensional backfield. The speedster had his 2024 season derailed after a Lisfranc injury suffered in a fall camp scrimmage forced him to miss all but two games. Last time Owens was healthy, he amassed 743 all-purpose yards on his way to a 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team honors.
Fifth-year senior Amari Daniels was a faint but faithful echo of Moss after the latter was lost for the season. With a similar bruising running style, Daniels allowed Moss to recover without having to change the playcalling. Daniels had a moment in the starting role, rumbling for a 71-yard touchdown against New Mexico State, but averaged only 2.82 yards per carry as a starter without that run.
In a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation, the Maroon and White have sixth-year senior EJ Smith providing veteran experience. In limited action last season, the son of legendary Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith churned out 207 yards.
Coach Mike Elko gave the group a shot of adrenaline with a pair of true freshmen: three-star Jamarion Morrow and four-star recruit Deondrae “Tiger” Riden Jr. — a first-ballot Name Hall of Famer. While neither are expected to play significant roles, Riden has an opportunity to come in and be a change-of-pace ancillary weapon.
Will the group have a true alpha?
With questions tied to the health of an otherwise deep and talented rotation, A&M has the unique opportunity to split reps without sacrificing talent. Moss proved to be the do-it-all leader last season, but can be maximized if Owens blossoms into the ideal complement.
Elko has confirmed that Moss will be “100%” for fall camp, but in order to manage his health — and the rest of the room’s — it would be ideal to reduce his 48.6% carry share among running backs in the games he played. The last time the trio of Moss, Owens and Daniels was healthy in 2023, the workload was split evenly, with each back getting at least 96 carries.
The last time that A&M had a pair of backs as talented as Moss and Owens was in 2021, when Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane combined for 1,921 yards. While nobody compares to Achane’s literal track speed, Owens has NFL-caliber wheels with the ability to turn an inch of space into acres of green.
Not only does emulating A&M’s past tandem model — with a shot of Daniels, of course — allow for both runners to maximize their strengths, but it should keep the tread on the tires of a room that expects to be making a playoff push late in the year.
How creative can Collin Klein get with the running game?
When wizkid OC Klein made the jump from Kansas State to A&M, the playcaller brought with him a diverse running scheme designed to create explosive plays. Now, for the first time, Klein has all the toys at his disposal to get in the lab and create something truly twisted.
While Moss and Daniels have the ability to square up their pads and get downhill, Klein never had the opportunity to get Owens’ the ball in space to weaponize his athleticism. Klein uses a blend of zone running plays and pin-and-pull changeups to keep defensive lineman on their toes and linebackers hesitating.
In addition to Owens, redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed’s legs allow the Aggies to truly play 11-on-11 in the run game. By using Owens’ big-play potential as eye candy for the second level of the defense, the Aggies could have similar success on the ground that Kansas State had in 2022, when it racked up almost 3,000 yards.
Like most college offenses, the Aggies majored in 11 personnel with only one back on the field and three receivers last year. With a fully healthy room — and with other skill players like wide receivers Terry Bussey and KC Concepcion comfortable carrying the ball — Klein can now line up multiple playmakers in the backfield and build a dream running game.
Bold prediction: Three running backs cross the 500-yard threshold
A three-headed monster may be lying dormant in the A&M running back room. By platooning the workload and keeping Moss, Owens and Daniels fresh, Klein could pull the strings of one of the SEC’s most potent ground games. The Aggies had three runners cross 350 yards in 2023; this time, they can be even more productive.
