The college football landscape is ever-changing, and no conference has felt the effects of that change quite as much as the Pac-12. The future of the Conference of Champions is murky at best after this upcoming 2023-24 season, but there is still a ton to play this fall. The tailback position knows its fair share of change as well. Offenses are becoming more spread out, and running backs are seeing their roles shift, adjust, and in some cases diminish. Despite the changes, there is still a huge need for production out of the backfield. Here is a look at the best returning Pac-12 tailbacks heading into the 2023 season.
Best Returning Pac-12 Tailbacks
Nakia Watson – Washington State Cougars
The fifth-year senior was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 in 2022. He led the Cougars in rushing yards and total touchdowns and was fourth in receptions. Watson had a career-high 166 yards against Stanford last season followed that up with 116 yards in a win over Arizona. He became the first Cougar with consecutive 100+ yard rushing games since the 2004 season. The 6-foot 215-pound ball carrier heated up at the end of the year, with 411 yards over his last four regular season contests. Watson also had a rushing touchdown in each of the last five games including the bowl. He is by far the most experienced of the returning Pac-12 tailbacks.
Ja’Quinden Jackson – Utah Utes
Utah used a tailback-by-committee approach in 2022, so Jackson’s numbers were lowered due to the carries being split between three guys. Micah Benard returns to help Jackson carry the load in 2023, but the Dallas native should be the main guy. He averaged almost seven yards per carry last year and was very impressive down the stretch. Jackson had 423 yards over the final five contests, and that includes only getting three carries against Oregon. He is a big physical back with the ability to break long runs as well. He will need to improve his pass-catching ability though, he only had one reception as a sophomore.
Damien Martinez – Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers surprised a lot of folks by winning 10 games last fall. Martinez ran for nearly 1000 yards as Oregon State averaged almost 200 rushing yards per game. He is part of the conference’s best tandem along with Deshaun Fenwick. The Texas native was named a freshman All-American by multiple publications and was also an All-Pac 12 selection. He has a good burst through the hole and is also rarely brought down by the first defender. Martinez had a stretch of six straight 100+ yard games during October and November. He had big play ability, but he is also willing to fight through contact for tough yards.
Bucky Irving – Oregon Ducks
Irving is the only one of the returning Pac-12 tailbacks to have had over 1000 yards in 2022. The speedster averaged almost seven yards per carry and nearly 10 yards per reception on 31 catches. His versatility and explosiveness make him a nightmare for opposing defense to try and contain. Irving had four 100+ yard performances despite getting over 14 carries only twice all season. He has shown he can break the big play at any moment, and he is very effective in the passing attack. He returned four kickoffs for over 100 yards in the bowl victory over North Carolina, and he also completed both his passing attempts on the season. Irving is a dangerous player every time he touches the ball.
Jaydn Ott – California Golden Bears
He burst onto the scene as a freshman, with 1218 total yards and 11 touchdowns for the Golden Bears. Speaking of fast starts, he had a 73-yard touchdown run vs Arizona on the second snap of the game. That was part of a 274-yard performance in his first-ever Pac-12 contest. He was also a big factor in the passing game with 41 catches. He has a good top-end speed, and when he hits the open field, you can almost forget about anyone catching him. Ott accounted for 76% of Cal’s rushing yards last year and is expected to carry a similar amount of the load in 2023.
