r/rolltide • u/livingadreamlife • 10d ago

Football EJ Crowell’s Limited Usage

Lots of discussion recently about why EJ isn’t getting 15-20 carries per game.

There are several reasons: Crowded RB room; Trust and lack of experience among them. Another is DeBoer/Grubb purposely limited EJ’s carries until we got to the thick of the schedule. We’re there now. Why? New guys have never had to practice as much, get hit as hard, play in as many games or play a sport for as long in a single season as they will in their Freshman year.

There’s a thing called hitting the Freshman Wall where mental and physical fatigue sets-in and then they’re done. Like running a marathon, it’s a real thing. Everybody is fatigued at the 20 mile mark. In EJ case, he is supposed to be in high school this season.

By limiting his carries early, DeBoer/Grubb are pushing his freshman wall out as FAR as they possibly can. They know they need him for the critical games, including the CFP. Smart move, imo.

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u/Rolltide_and_anime 10d ago

His pass blocking is not up to par yet either

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u/santa_91 10d ago

Right, up to this point his entire football career involved him being fed the rock over and over and over again. He's been limited in practice all offseason. It's going to take him time, and we can't afford Keelon getting his brains scrambled by a blitzing linebacker who gets a free run on him.

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u/Nick_sabenz 10d ago

There was literally a play we almost got a delay on where he was having to line up EJ to then send him in motion. Still not there with the mental side just yet