ODUSports.com will preview spring football the next few weeks and do a position-by-position breakdown of the Monarchs' roster. Today we preview the Monarch running backs.

Running Backs (8)

Justin Cooper

Brandon Simmons

Malik Fuller

Nick Ferrari-Smith

Gemonta Jackson

Ray Lawry

Jeremy Cox

Latrell Sandifer

2016 Signees (1)

Brandon Sinclair

Running Backs Preview: Arguably the deepest position on the roster, Old Dominion returns all of its running backs from the 2015 season and will have two more seasons of the Ray Lawry / Jeremy Cox combination that combined for 1,505 yards this past season.

Lawry followed up his C-USA Freshman of the Year season with another solid season in 2015, leading the league with 1,136 yards and rushing for 11 touchdowns while adding 21 receptions for 152 yards and a 70-yard touchdown reception against NC State. A foot injury slowed him the last three games of the season but that injury has fully healed.

Cox started his true freshman season slow, but picked it up the second half of the year, rushing for 182 yards combined against UTEP and Southern Miss and another 50 at FIU.

The only other running back to play in 2015 was Brandon Simmons , who spurned a redshirt year to play the last four games of the year, seeing action on special teams. Gemonta Jackson flashed potential in fall camp before redshirting while walk-on running backs Justin Cooper , Nick Ferrari-Smith, Malik Fuller and Latrell Sandifer add even more depth to the position.

The newest addition to the running backs is newly hired assistant coach, Charles Bankins. Bankins spent the previous five seasons coaching the running backs at Vanderbilt.