Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Florida State wasted no time in introducing freshman running back Ryan Green to the college game.
Green got a majority of the first-team reps in Florida State’s first scrimmage on Wednesday, and impressed a number of his teammates with his play.
With veterans Devonta Freeman and Mario Pender limited because of minor injuries, Green got a chance to run against the vaunted Seminole defense. Junior running back James Wilder Jr. knows just how challenging that can be.
“That showed me a lot,” Wilder Jr. said. “Because that’s not easy. With him going (against) the ones, that’s like Christian Jones and Telvin (Smith). So, I mean, they’re blending him into the rotation. He’s getting used to it and he’s doing a great job.”
Green missed nearly his entire senior season with a shoulder injury, but didn’t appear rusty in his first live action. In fact, he left an impression on head coach Jimbo Fisher.
“Ryan Green did some really nice things,” Fisher said.
While all the praise is nice, remember it’s only August. It still remains to be seen if Green can crack the rotation once the real action starts in a few weeks. Wilder Jr. and Freeman are likely to split a majority of the snaps, but Fisher has shown a propensity to give multiple running backs carries throughout the season.
Wilder Jr. and Freeman are powerful, downhill running backs, while Pender and Green are more versatile. Pender has dealt with a number of injuries since arriving in Tallahassee with considerable hype, so Green could become the change of pace back in an instant.
He has tremendous speed, excellent hands and is dangerous in the open field. If he’s thrust into action, Fisher will undoubtedly find a way to utilize his special skill set.
A week ago, it might have seemed unlikely that Green would see many reps this fall, but after an impressive scrimmage, he could be vaulting himself up the depth chart.
B.L. is an ACC Football writer for Rant Sports and can be followed on Twitter @coachlip or on Google.
