No clarity yet in race for Purdue's backup running back

More from Day 5: Purdue cautious with Jones for good reason ($) | "The Point After" audio analysis ($)

It'd seem DeAndre Smith's decision on which Purdue running back gets the backup job to Markell Jones could be difficult.

With Richie Worship, Brian Lankford-Johnson, David Yancey and Tario Fuller as options, Smith has players with a variety of strengths but not one who is well-rounded enough quite yet to be the clear-cut No. 2.

Each player has a "signature," as Worship called it. Worship is 243-pound bruising back who could be best-suited for red zone situations; Lankford-Johnson is the team’s fastest back — and one of its fastest players overall; Yancey has been with the team the longest so, likely, understands the system and what’s expected the best; and Fuller’s athleticism can’t be rivaled.

But none has extensive game experience — Yancey, actually, is the only one who has any, but it’s mostly on special teams.

So no wonder, then, that Coach Darrell Hazell said Tuesday after Purdue’s fifth training camp practice that there’s no clarity for the No. 2 spot and Smith said there’s no timetable for it either.

“I’d love to have it set pretty soon, but I think it’s going to go for awhile now,” Smith said. “We’re just going to keep fighting and, hopefully, someone will separate themselves from the pack. But until then, we’ve just got to keep going.

“They all do different things. Depending on what we need them for, I might be able to use a different guy until, again, I feel like somebody is complete and can go in there and carry the load.”

The “load” behind Jones, of course. He’s the one proven commodity and one of the team’s few unquestioned starters. Hazell said he could see Jones easily getting 30 touches per game this season, presuming his health.

The backup battle didn’t open up until recently, either, because D.J. Knox was going to provide Purdue with a potent 1-2 punch from the backfield. But Knox is out after ACL surgery, leaving an opening that has four younger players excited to grab.

“When D.J. went down, it was more I knew, ‘I have to step up.’ I was redshirted (last year), so I got into that lackadaisical mindset. I wasn’t playing, but I realized, ‘Hey, this is my chance to step up in the depth chart,’ ” Worship said. “My biggest focus during the offseason was just, ‘Get in shape.’ Because that was my problem, at the beginning, I was out of shape.”

It’s not anymore.

Worship had an incredible summer, shedding as many as 30 pounds by Maymester after coming into Purdue at 260. By the offseason summer program, though, he worked to add muscle and, with that, came more weight and strength. He posted PRs of 600 back squat, 385 bench press and 310 power clean, while he was chiseling his frame to a well-packed 243 pounds.

It’s a weight that has Worship feel “at home,” knowing he still is able to keep his relative speed — he made sure to do extra cardio and footwork drills — but not lose much of his big-time power.

The latter is where he makes the biggest impression, especially during days like Tuesday when Purdue loaded up in full pads for the first time this camp and did a bunch of pounding.

“Me personally, I love that type of contact,” Worship said. “I always say that the pads cracking is like birds chirping in the morning — it’s paradise for me.”

But Worship admits he’s not a finished product by any means. He’s struggling in pass protection with blitz pick-ups, and he’s putting in extra time in film study to better learn defenses. He knows that’s imperative in him landing game snaps. So he’s approached Jones and Knox, guys with firsthand game experience in that area, for help. Especially considering inside the running backs’ room, Smith has a sign that says “missed assignments = less assignments.”

“Missed assignments means you lose your job,” Worship said. “I have to just keep progressing with the offense, blitz pick-ups, just get to know the offense in and out.

“Instead of me trying to be that macho man and, ‘Hey, I’m better than everybody,’ I’m picking up on, ‘Hey, what do you guys see? What do you guys know?’ I want to have the same experience.”

Perhaps the most knowledgeable of the backs is Yancey, a fourth-year junior. He’s oftentimes referred to as “reliable” and as a back coaches “trust.” He’s earned it by being a guy who loves getting in the playbook and watching film to build his football IQ. He figures the more he knows, the faster he can play, and that’s what he strives to do.

But don’t say that’s an area that can separate him in the race, implying there are other options who are faster and who are stronger. Yancey doesn’t go for that.

If I didn’t think I was the fastest or I didn’t think I was the strongest, I shouldn’t be out here. When I come out here every single time, I think I’m the fastest. I think I’m the best blocker and everything. You’ve got to have that mindset every single time. It doesn’t matter what other people say. Every time I come out here, I’m the best. I love every guy out here. We respect each other. We coach each other up. We congratulate each other. But it’s competition, and I think I’m the best.

“I’ve been waiting awhile for an opportunity like this. It’s been rough at times, but I’m grasping it and I’m trying to take my opportunity and run with it.”

Lankford-Johnson, who had to rush to a freshmen meeting after practice and was unavailable for an interview, has what Hazell called "legitimate" speed. Though Purdue didn't do 40s in the summer, Lankford did clock one of the team's fastest 20-yard times before he'd even really trained with the team.

Already in camp, Lankford-Johnson's shot through holes up the middle, showcasing that breakaway element. And that speed is such a factor, it seems like it alone has Hazell saying the rookie needs to get 10 touches per game, somehow.

But Lankford-Johnson has significant work to do, too, before Week 1.

"As fast as he is physically, that’s how fast his brain is going right now trying to figure it out. Might be faster than that," Smith said. "It takes a lot. You’ve got to think, he’s coming from high school, got here a little late (in July instead of June), he’s trying to figure out what the plays are (and) go fast (and) know who to block. It's a tremendous challenge for any kid.

"I think we have to bring him along. He’ll be able to do some things Game 1, there’s no question about it, but to expect him to be able to handle everything, I don’t think Markell started until middle of the season, maybe. It’s going to take some time. That kid is a conscientious kid, and he’s working at it."

Membership Information: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.