Talented backfield key to Mercer’s offense

In some ways, Carter Barfield’s job is easy.

He has several talented players at his disposal as Mercer’s running backs coach.

In some ways, however, it’s hard. He does have to find playing time for those players, specifically Alex Lakes and Tee Mitchell.

Barfield has a simple solution.

“They’re both first-teamers,” he said. “Obviously Alex is the starter, but I treat them like they’re both first team. Alex is the starter, and he has earned that, but Tee deserves a lot of carries because of how he has prepared and competed this offseason. In this day and age, rarely do you see the offense that hands the ball off to Herschel Walker 300 times a season. You have to have two, and they’re only sophomores.

“It will help their careers in the long run and help us as a team on the homestretch of the season to have them both ready and playing well.”

Having Lakes and Mitchell together certainly should help the Bears.

As a redshirt freshman, Lakes had a breakout season in 2014, rushing for 1,107 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, with both totals leading the Southern Conference. He rushed for at least 100 yards in six games and was named to the All-Southern Conference first team by the media members.

“He’s one of the strongest guys on the team, but he really kicked it up a notch this summer in his training,” Barfield said. “He had a pretty good understanding of the offense last year, but just like any guy going from a freshman to a sophomore, he now has a full command of the offense as far as what we’re trying to do in the running game, what we’re trying to do in the passing game and what we’re doing in pass protections. He’s a quiet guy, but he’s going to lead by example with how he works, how he trains and how he competes.”

With more help from Mitchell, who was banged up for most of his true freshman season, and other weapons, Lakes expects even more out of the Bears’ offense that averaged more than 32 points per game last season.

“We’ve got a lot of diversity and a lot of speed,” Lakes said during the preseason. “I think we’re going to be some trouble for defenses to deal with because we have a lot of playmakers. When we’re able to throw the ball, it makes it hard for them to put safeties in the box or try to load up on us, so being a balanced offense is important and trying to keep the defenses on their heels is important.”

Mitchell should be able to offer plenty of balance in the rushing attack after battling ankle and knee injuries last year. Still, he played in 11 games and rushed for 403 yards and two touchdowns.

Most importantly, he showcased his elite speed and ability to give the offense a big play when it needed one.

“He had a great spring, a great offseason, a great preseason camp. He’s going to get the ball a lot more this year,” Barfield said. “Alex can bring a home run, but Tee has more home runs in him. He can break one, and that can be big for us. He has gotten about 10 pounds heavier this offseason. He has added more bulk and strength to his already home run speed. It’s going to be a not quite thunder and lightning, but guy who has got some size with some speed, too.

“Tee and Alex have both come together and realized what kind of tandem they can be, and it’s not about any one individual. It’s about how the running back corps and the offense and team can do something special.”

But that’s not it for Barfield and his deep backfield. He also can turn to Payton Usher, who has been battling a hamstring injury in the preseason and won’t play in Saturday’s opener at Austin Peay. Usher has rushed for 1,066 yards in his two Mercer seasons and is also a threat as a receiver out of the backfield.

And then there is true freshman Jimmie Robinson, a burner from Florida who is training at running back and receiver.

“When (Usher) comes back, he will be a change-of-pace guy. As we all saw his freshman year, he’s a dynamic kid out of the backfield and can really do some things,” Barfield said. “And Jimmie Robinson is a player we really like. Not many true freshmen can train at two positions like that, but he’s able to pick it up, and he’s going to be a good player.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 9:33 PM with the headline "Talented backfield key to Mercer’s offense ."