Tevin Coleman Well On His Way To Being 1,000-Yard Rusher

 

The past years haven’t been very pretty for the Indiana University Hoosiers on the football field. In fact, most seasons have just been downright ugly. But wait a second; look a little closer and you actually see a clean spot in the stain: an offense that seemingly scores at will. And leading that offense this 2014 season will be running back Tevin Coleman.

Coleman was a very intriguing guy last season. With 958 yards in his pocket, he went down with an ankle injury after putting up a season-high 215 yards on the University of Illinois. Talk about killing the vibe. Coleman spent a better part of last year as one of my favorite backs in the Big 10. His explosiveness, elusiveness and playmaking ability all came together to form one heck of a specimen in the Hoosiers’ backfield. It was a pure joy to watch him compete.

Coming off that ankle injury now, there is nothing standing in the way of Coleman and the 1,000-yard season that so carefully eluded his grasp a season ago. He’ll likely be getting many more opportunities this season after the departure of Indiana’s four top wide receivers from a season ago. Obviously that means there will be quite a bit of production to replace, but in terms of individual performance, Coleman is going to have a clean run at what should easily be the best season of his career.

When watching Coleman run this season, pay attention to his decisiveness and that quick burst he so often brings to the table. It’s obviously not enough to merely receive the opportunities to have a monster season; you have to take advantage of it and do something with it. Coleman is more than ready to jump to that next level. It’s simply a matter of health at this point.

Tyler Fenwick is a Big 10 writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.