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Expect Garwo to have another breakout season for the Maroon and Gold
It is no secret that BC has adopted a ground and pound type mentality over the past few decades. When defenses line up against the Eagles, they expect a battle in the trenches and a half-back trying to run the ball down their throats. As we preview the running backs this year, it is no secret that Hafley’s offense will certainly try to attack through the air more and lean a little less on the backs in years past. However, the engrained smashmouth football character trait that the Eagles’ opposition have grown accustomed to should prepare themselves for a big back barreling themselves down through the 1 and 3 holes looking for at least 5 yards. The roster below represents who we should expect to see in the backfield this upcoming season looking to do the dirty work:
Patrick Garwo III – Redshirt Junior
It is no surprise that the lead-back going into this season will be Patrick Garwo who was recently named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist. Obviously, this is a pretty honorable list to find your name on as the accolade is attributed to the best running back in the nation. Last season, Garwo had quite a significant jump in his collegiate career. He finished fourth in the ACC in rushing yards with 1,045 averaging 5.1 yards per rushing attempt and 7 touchdowns. With more experience under his belt, expect Garwo to continue to make a splash in the ACC as a top 10 running back with his ceiling consistently growing. He currently is listed at 5’8 208 lbs which is already a frame that is going to make things difficult for any defenses trying to slow him down.
Alec Sinkfield- Graduate
We saw a Alec Sinkfield come into the RB rotation last season after transferring the BC after a few years with the West Virginia Mountaineers. A smaller back than Garwo, Sinkfield proved himself to be a valuable role-player off the bench if the Eagles were looking to implement a shifty and versatile back. With his speed, Sinkfield proved himself to be the type of back you would pitch to on the outside, dodge a few tacklers and tiptoe the sidelines for a solid scamper. It was clear that Hafley wanted to feel him out a bit before giving him more touches as he only carried the ball 85 times last season. I expect him to grow in his complementary role to Garwo and be plugged in to more sweep plays and possibly a check-down option for Jurkovec.
Andre Hines – Redshirt Sophomore
Andre redshirted his Freshman year and did not see an action in 2021 but is among the three other backs than Sinkfield and Garwo looking for some playing time this season. Hines is the largest back on the roster at 6’1 and 229 pounds which is just plain scary. He had an impressive performance in the spring game as well rushing for 41 yards on seven carries. Due to his size, he fits the BC back mold to perfection and I would love to see this kid hit the field for a few carries to see what he is made of.
Jackson Treister – Redshirt Sophomore
Jackson, too, has yet to see any playing time in his collegiate career and is battling it out with Andre for the third roster spot. He carried the ball only three times for 11 yards in the Spring Game this season which shows that Hafley leans a little more in favor of plugging Hines in for a few more plays this season than Treister. It may be a long road to walk for Jackson to see playing time this season, but only time will tell.
Xavier Coleman – Redshirt Freshman
Xavier was a mid-year enrollee in January 2021 and will be redshirting this year so expect him to be soaking everything in and learning from his predecessors. He does have an impressive resume however which gets me excited for the kid’s future. He was a three-star prospect by all the major media outlets and ranked as the 47th best running back in the country and the 12th best player out of New Jersey according to Rivals.
And there you have it, the backs are set for this season. I am most excited to see if Hines can come in as a complementary bowling-ball back to support Garwo and Sinkfield because there is something in my gut that is telling me that he will eventually be the future of the Eagles backfield. Maybe it’s because his name is Andre and that brings back a certain sense of nostalgia…….
