Stanford’s Barry Sanders patiently waiting for his time

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He bears one of the most famous names in football history, yet after three years at Stanford, Barry Sanders has carried the ball just 64 times from scrimmage.

As the Cardinal embark on their second two-week session of spring ball, the question arises: Will the redshirt junior become a premier back this season, or will he play second or third fiddle again in a tailback by committee?

Last year’s leading rusher, Remound Wright, is back after missing the first spring session for unspecified disciplinary reasons. While Wright was out, Sanders and Christian McCaffrey were given extra carries in drills. The number of carries now figures to shrink for Sanders.

McCaffrey had an extraordinary freshman year, and head coach David Shaw already is comparing him to such previous Stanford running/receiving threats as Darrin Nelson and Glyn Milburn.

When Sanders arrived in 2012, after a sensational prep career — some 5,000 rushing yards and 70 touchdowns — at Heritage Hall in Oklahoma City, he was expected to be the Cardinal’s most exciting back in years. His YouTube highlights evoked memories of his father, who won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma State and became perhaps the most elusive NFL running back of all time.

Stanford fans are still waiting for young Barry to emerge. After redshirting in 2012, he had just five carries in 2013 and returned a few punts. Last season, he rushed 59 times for 315 yards — about what he used to do in a two-game stretch in high school. His per-carry average was 5.3 yards, but McCaffrey’s was 7.1. Ty Montgomery handled kick and punt returns. Wright handled goal-line carries, scoring 11 TDs to Sanders’ none.

There were times in practice and scrimmages when Sanders showed what all the fuss was about in high school — the full-spin moves, the ability to stop and accelerate to top speed in the blink of an eye. There were other parts of the college game he had to learn. One of them was pass blocking.

He has made dramatic improvement in that area, partly because he has added muscle (he’s over 200 pounds) and reduced his body fat. He executed three difficult blitz pickups during the last scrimmage, Shaw said. “All three times, we were able to make big plays.”

Cardinal runningback Barry Sanders Jr., (26) gets suited up for morning practice on the Stanford campus in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday Aug. 9, 2014. Cardinal runningback Barry Sanders Jr., (26) gets suited up for morning practice on the Stanford campus in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday Aug. 9, 2014. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Stanford’s Barry Sanders patiently waiting for his time 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren’s progress report on Sanders goes like this: “The run talent, the ability to see things before they happen, the stuff he was blessed with in his DNA — he’s got all that. The fact he’s become a better back when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands — that’s really positive, and that’s going to allow him to play more.”

Sanders agrees that his pass protection has improved. “Hopefully, I’ll be vastly improved come the fall,” he said. “I know they value running backs who can protect here. That’s something I definitely have put an emphasis on since I’ve gotten here.”

His dad has advised him to be patient, and that’s from a man who also didn’t start his first couple of years of college ball. He played behind All-America running back Thurman Thomas at Oklahoma State, although he led the nation in kickoff returns as a sophomore (31.6). Then the older Sanders ran for 2,628 yards as a junior.

“People who have seen his career understand it just takes one year to really put stuff on film,” his son said. “I’ve always understood that. I’ll make the best out of whatever opportunity I get.”

Briefly: Saturday’s open practice runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. … Stanford’s spring game is April 11 at Stanford Stadium. Admission is free.

Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: tfitzgerald@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tomgfitzgerald