44 Days to Miami Football: Fullback Realus George 2018 Preview
The Miami football team’s signing of the nation’s top fullback in the Class of 2018 should greatly help their running game this season. The Hurricanes played without a true fullback in 2017.
Linebacker Mike Smith and offensive lineman Corey Gaynor were used at fullback when the Miami football team absolutely needed one last season. George’s arrival has made Miami Head Coach Mark Richt and Offensive Coordinator Mark Richt very happy.
Returning running backs Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas and George’s classmates Lorenzo Lingard and Camron Davis are also likely to be appreciative of George’s presence on this year’s roster.
George is ranked the top fullback in the Class of 2018 according to 247Sports composite rankings. He is only one of two fullbacks signed by a team in a Power Five Conference. Stanford has the nation’s second-ranked fullback, Jay Symonds.
Richt and his staff went into his former territory when he was the Head Coach at Georgia and prime a Florida State recruiting area in Georgia to sign him. At 6’2 245 pounds, George is the prototypical fullback.
Richt briefly spoke about George’s importance to the Miami running game this season during his appearance at the ACC Kickoff held yesterday in Charlotte.
"“Last season is the first season I coached offense in 30 something years that I didn’t have a true fullback really ready to go and play. We were going to try to invent one through a young offensive guard, Corey Gaynor, and we were taking a linebacker (Smith) for a minute seeing if he could do it, and it didn’t work out.I think it hurt us in short yardage and goal line, and that’s not going to help again. That’s why Realus George is on the team and we moved Trayone Gray to fullback and let him start training like a fullback, and we’re going to have a little bit more power than we had in years past.”"
The Miami football team finished tenth in the ACC last season in rushing yards per game. The Hurricanes averaged 160.8 yards per game on the ground. The Hurricanes did finish third in the conference in yards per carry at 5.0.
Miami quarterback Malik Rosier was able to help that number tremendously. Rosier ran for 468 yards on 131 carries. His 3.6 yards per carry average was exceptionally deceiving. College football includes yards lost on sacks as part of the running game. Whichever quarterback takes the sack is charged with the yards lost.
Miami was sacked 29 times last season for 153 yards. Rosier finished 2017 with 619 net yards rushing on the 131 attempts. If we take away the 29 sacks, that’s 102 attempts and a 6.1-yard average.
As Richt said Miami’s failing in the running game in 2017 frequently came on third down. Miami was last in FBS last season running the football on third down and three yards or less to go.
The Hurricanes were 70th running the football on third down between four and six yards to go, 83rd between seven and nine yards and 75th on the ground on third downs running the ball with over 10 yards to go.
Gaynor and Smith just didn’t cut it at fullback. Miami finished 66th nationally on fourth down running the ball in the red zone. In Richt’s first season Miami has Marquez Williams at fullback. They were better, although not by much in the red zone. The Hurricanes finished 58th running the ball from the 20 on in 2016
In 2016, Miami finished 51st on third down and one to three yards, 98th from four to six, 12th from seven to nine and 95th running the ball on third down with ten or more yards to go. They dropped in every metric except between four and six yards to go on third down.
Next: 44 Days to Miami football: LB Bradley Jennings 2018 Preview
George will not get the publicity of the other Freshmen. He might not make the big plays that will be expected from the Freshmen in the secondary, at wide receiver, running back or on the defensive line. His importance this season, if all goes well, cannot be underestimated. In the Mark Richt offense, a fullback is essential.