Texas A&M Football RB Devon Achane isn’t far behind Isaiah Spiller talent-wise
The runningback position is a very interesting one for almost every team. While there are definitely talented guys who come in and out, it doesn’t require a specific skillset like some other positions. Virtually anybody can play it, it’s just a matter of preference for the coaches who select their guy. Every day is a position battle.
As a result, you see a lot of younger players get time at the halfback spot.
The Aggies have found a bulk of success with Isaiah Spiller running the ball. And as they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But what if it can be improved upon?
Spiller is an efficient back. He has an extremely high number in important categories like yards per carry and broken tackles. He plays his game based on reading blocks correctly and hitting the hole — he’s extremely smart in that way.
Devon Achane, on the other hand, can do those things well but thrives on sheer speed. Not just good speed, but the type of speed that you only come across once every decade. He’s lightning-fast.
As a dual-sport athlete, Achane is also a track star who has made an incredible impact on the Texas A&M Track and Field team. He has a natural ability to spring, but when he’s out in the open field, you can tell he is a trained sprinter.
Aggies coaches clearly took note of this at the end of the season. It’s hard to say whether they’d ever consider making Achane the full-time back because of this, but Spiller definitely has some competition.
There’s another layer though.