While throwing the football is the main focus of Mike Leach's Air Raid attack, the running backs still play an important role. The Bulldogs bring back a duo of juniors with plenty of experience and have a talented redshirt freshman that could break through this season.
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Leading the way in the backfield for the Bulldogs this year will be a pair of juniors in Jo'quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson. The duo of running backs were thrown into the fire as true freshmen in 2020 after Kylin Hill opted out of the season but were able to develop along the way and parlayed it into a solid 2021.
When Marks first arrived on campus as a freshman, he weighed just 179 pounds, which may have hurt his run after catch ability as a freshman, but after getting up to 205 pounds as a sophomore, the Atlanta native improved on his yards per catch in year two. In 2020, Marks totaled 580 yards from scrimmage, including 60 receptions for 280 yards, while finding the endzone three times on the ground. This past season, Marks led all FBS running backs with 83 catches and saw his yards per catch increase from 4.5 to 6.0, as he had 502 yards through the air and 416 on the ground. Marks also scored nine touchdowns and tied WR Makai Polk for the team lead.
The bigger of the two backs, Dillon Johnson, comes in at 6-feet tall and 215 pounds. Johnson brings some power to the running back position and works as a nice compliment to Marks' quickness, as he rushed 89 times for 485 yards, good for 5.4 yards per carry, an increase from 4.4 yards as a freshman. The product of St. Joseph High School in Greenville, MS, also was a factor in the passing game, hauling in 65 passes for 422 yards, which was 2nd among SEC running backs in both categories behind his teammate Marks.
State welcomes back starting quarterback Will Rogers, as well as all three interior offensive lineman. With two seasons of starting experience and continuity with their teammates, both Marks and Johnson could be in for a big 2022.
One of State's top recruits in the 2021 recruiting class was Ruston, LA, all-purpose running back Ke'Travion Hargrove. A 4-star recruit and the 7th ranked APB nationally, Hargrove chose the Bulldogs over offers from Florida State, Penn State, Baylor, and Michigan State. The 5'11" 200 pounds running back redshirted his first season in Starkville and has put on 20 pounds since arriving on campus. Hargrove has blazing speed as he ran the 100-meter in 10.6 seconds, winning an Indoor Track State Championship at Ruston High School. Now, Hargrove has the size of an SEC caliber running back and could factor in both the backfield and the kick return game this season.
Senior J.J. Jernighan could also play a minor role. The former walk-on earned a scholarship during last season, catching 12 passes four 84 yards. Catching the football of course is one of the primary focuses for Air Raid running backs, so Jernighan's ability should make him a solid depth piece.
Redshirt Freshman Simeon Price has been chomping at the bit for some action, but injuries kept him out of last season, and limited him during spring practice. Originally a South Carolina commit, flipped to the Bulldogs after Will Muschamp was fired, and also held offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. The Pensacola, FL, product played both wide receiver and running back in high school, and possesses the important ability of being a pass catcher. Price doesn't project to factor in this year after dealing with injuries, but 2023 could be the year where we start to see him break out.
