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Koch: Doaks Ready to Contribute to Physcial Running Style
Good Article on one of our young backs. Last year's staff frequently sang this kid's praises.
[b]March 23, 2017
By Bill Koch
GoBEARCATS.com
CINCINNATI – As the University of Cincinnati continued to sputter on offense last fall, then-UC coach Tommy Tuberville, grasping for a bright spot, frequently alluded to freshman running back Gerrid Doaks, who was being redshirted.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Doaks, from Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, was a symbol for the future, a high-impact player who would benefit from sitting out the year and would make a big splash in 2017.
Now the time has arrived for Doaks. But with Tuberville gone, like everyone else on the UC roster, he has to prove himself to new head coach Luke Fickell and his staff. It’s still fairly early in spring practice, but he’s already made a favorable impression.
“We haven’t gone live, so it’s a little bit tougher (to evaluate him),” Fickell said Thursday. “We’ll find out a little more on Saturday. But the way he goes about his business, how he works, how hard he tries, his attitude has been great. I know he can run. I know he can move. I know he’s got the right attitude. He works hard at it. Can he break a tackle? Can he do it when the bullets are truly firing?”
Doaks is just happy to be on the field, preparing to play in a game for the first time in two years. His first college game is still four months away, but at least now he can see it in the distance.
Sitting out a year is always difficult, but more often than not a player who redshirts discovers that it was beneficial. Doaks is no exception.
“It was tough watching other players be able to play,” he said, “but I think it was for the best. High school and college ball are completely different. College is way faster. Having the time to sit back and learn and adjust to the speed, it really helps. I gained about 20 pounds during my redshirt year so now I’m one of our bigger running backs. Now I’m able to compete with the other guys out here.”
Barring injury, senior Mike Boone will enter the season as the Bearcats’ featured back, but apparently not as part of a two- or three-man rotation with the carries divided evenly as he was the last two seasons under Tuberville. If that’s the case, there’s a good chance Doaks will be used as Boone’s backup.
“You’ve got to have a good one to go in and spell Mike,” said running backs coach Gino Guidugli. “He’s going to be his best when he’s fresh, so we’ve got to find a guy who’s going to be a consistent second back and he’s making the case to be that guy right now.”
A 3-star recruit, Doaks gained 2,953 yards at Lawrence Central for an average of 6.9 yards per carry and scored 37 career touchdowns. He considers himself as much of a power back as an elusive speedster, but he’s also considered an outstanding all-around athlete.
“Since I’m one of our bigger running backs, I’m a more physical runner,” Doaks said. “In short situations, I feel like like I can go in and get the yardage that we need and be reliable. I’m a physical runner. I can make moves, but I choose to go forward to get the yardage I need.”
While he has yet to flash the full extent of his running back potential this early in practice, Doaks has done plenty to impress the coaching staff in other ways, including his willingness to embrace special teams, something that caught Fickell’s attention.
“The kid loves football,” Guidugli said. “It’s important to him. I’m really impressed. It’s a new offense. He’s a young kid and he’s picking it up really fast. So far, after five practices, he’s been really productive. He graded out 100 percent in our last practice. That was the first grade out of 100 percent so far. He’s physical. He’s 210 pounds. He’s going to be good in pass protection because he’s strong and he’s smart. I think he’s gonna be a good complement to Mike Boone.”
Last year, Doaks was aware of the public praise he received from Tuberville, but didn’t take it seriously. He said he never once believed that he would have his redshirt removed and be pressed into action, although he would have welcomed that development if it had occurred.
Instead, he remained focused on his role, even if it was difficult at times, and looked ahead to 2017. He did such a good job that he shared the co-Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year Award with tight end Bruno Labelle.
But as Doaks said, being on the scout team is “not where you want to be.
Now I’m actually learning and practicing for what I want.”
“He’s got a great future, that’s for sure,” Guidugli said.
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBEARCATS.com in January 2015.
http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/m-footb...17aac.html[/b]
(This post was last modified: 03-24-2017 11:39 AM by CliftonAve.)
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Koch: Doaks Ready to Contribute to Physcial Running Style
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