Today we start things off by analyzing the running backs heading into spring practice.

With spring practice beginning next week, HuskerOnline.com begins our in-depth look at each position with our 2020 spring position previews.

There is one proven commodity in Nebraska's running back room right now, and that's senior Dedrick Mills.

After joining the Huskers as a junior college transfer last season, Mills emerged as the No. 1 back by the end of the year and led the team with 745 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Even more, his 143 carries were nearly 100 more than the next running back on the roster. Now-departed Maurice Washington was second with 50, and the next highest returning total this season is redshirt freshman Rahmir Johnson at 21.

Redshirt freshman Ronald Thompkins is also back, but there are still questions about his long-term future after a series of significant injuries and surgeries.

That means that Nebraska's backfield is going to be as sparse as we've seen in some time when it comes to established experience and production. It also doesn't help that new important additions - true freshmen Marvin Scott III and Sevion Morrison - won't join the mix until the fall.

Walk-ons Brody Belt - who played in all 12 games last season and rushed five times for 32 yards - and Zach Weinmaster could get plenty of work this spring as well.

In all, four of NU's five scholarship running backs this season will be true or redshirt freshmen.



Nebraska will also likely utilize spring ball to work on other aspects of its running game with the quarterbacks and receivers.

Quarterback Adrian Martinez (who will be limited this spring) was NU's second-leading rusher last season with 626 yards and seven scores on a team-high 144 attempts. In fact, three of the Huskers' top-five returning rushers from 2019 are quarterbacks.

Receiver Wan'Dale Robinson was third on the team with 88 carries for 340 yards and three touchdowns, but head coach Scott Frost has said he wants to scale back the sophomore's workload as a running back going forward.