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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

For now, it's all downhill for Ken Malcome

Someday, Ken Malcome thinks he can be an every-down back on the Georgia football team. At the moment, however, the redshirt freshman tailback knows his ticket to seeing the field.

“I know my role. I know my role to play,” he said. “I’m not a scat-back, I’m not a shifty back. I like going downhill, that’s what I like to do. That’s what I plan to do.”

It may seem that the tailback competition is in a holding pattern this spring, as everyone waits for Isaiah Crowell to arrive. But the players still in camp are trying to position themselves to split carries with Crowell – or even start over the ballyhooed recruit.

Among the incumbents, Malcome is in perhaps the best position, simply because he’s an empty vessel. Caleb King, Washaun Ealey and Carlton Thomas have each had their chance to shine in real games; none of them could clamp down the position.

Malcome, on the other hand, sat out last season. The coaches were tempted several times to pull the redshirt off, especially during King and Ealey’s various suspensions and injuries. But they elected to preserve Malcome’s eligibility for another year.

“Myself personally I thought I could’ve played,” Malcome said. “But after awhile I realized I was not ready.”

What did he still need to work on? Malcome mentioned blocking schemes, and admitted he got discouraged not knowing some run plays.

Off the field it helped too, as he put it in a blunt, depreceating way.

“I never was a brainiac in school, but I always did my best to try to get by,” Malcome said. “Now I see how important school is, football can be gone for you any time. I’ve buckled down.”

He says he’s carrying a 3.0 GPA now, by the way. Appropriately, he’s an education major.

The tailback situation could still shake out in a number of ways. King appears to be having an outstanding spring. (Malcome said King has served as a mentor to him since he arrived on campus.) Ealey has been injured. The 5-foot-7 Thomas seems to have a ceiling as a change-of-pace back.

Malcome was rated a four-star prospect by Rivals and Scout coming out of Southwest Dekalb High School. He was also a sprinter on the track team, pretty good for someone now listed at 6-foot and 218 pounds.

“I feel like I have four more years here. At the end of my four years I’ll be a better every-down back,” Malcome said. “I feel like I could do that now, but it’s a crowded backfield. Coaches want to use us in every aspect of the game. … But in the next couple years, I think I’ll be an every-down back, and be ready to just take (the ball) down one-through-four.”

9 comments:

drew said...

I look forward to watching Malcome in the Spring game. For all the hype about Crowell, I am probably more excited about seeing what Malcome can do as well as the likely early commitment of Nick Marshall. I have never seen someone look so fast on his youtube highlights.

PTC DAWG said...

Sounds like this kids head is on straight. Good luck to him.

mp said...

I'm not an advocate of firing Bobo, but his inabilty to recognize Thomas as just a change of pace back infuriates me. Maybe it was due to depth that the additions of Crowell and Malcome address, but why run Thomas between the tackles? Get him in space.

Anonymous said...

I am going to lmao at you bloggers when Ealey for the third staight year leads the team in rushing. For some reason everyone does not give any credit to a runningback that averages 5.5 yds per carry.

Anonymous said...

If Malcome was great, they'd ripped the redshirt off him last year like they did with Ealey.

I don't expect Malcome to ever start a game, but Richt wants to keep him there in case of injuries, like Logan Gray. All this is.

Anonymous said...

Two words Anon 10:20
Knowshon Moreno.

Anonymous said...

Not to split hairs, but Ealey's average last year was 5.2 ypc. If your going to talk averages and not total yardage, he wasn't the leader there.

Bulldawg said...

This kid has a terrific attitude. I wish him the best of luck.

Anon 10:20- do you not remember this admin not removing K. Moreno's redshirt? You idiot.

Anonymous said...

No way this kid gets more than 2 carries a game behind Crowell, Ealey, King.