The top three names on the depth chart should look quite familiar for ‘Cats fans.
With another week gone by, it’s time for another Northwestern football positional preview. This week, we’ll be spotlighting a very familiar running back room filled with returners from 2024.
The ‘Cats are just 47 days away from the season opener against Tulane, but who’s counting?
Overview
Returners: Cam Porter (Gr.), Joseph Himon II (R-Jr.), Caleb Komolafe (R-So.), Dashun Reeder (R-Fr.), Albert Kunickis III (R-Jr.)
Losses: Grissim Anderson (graduated), Jake Arthurs (graduated)
Newcomers: Daniel Anderson (true first-year), Ronny Johnson (true first-year)
Is this deja vu all over again?
After an offseason filled with plenty of turnover, the ‘Cats brought back their top three running backs from 2024, maintaining some important stability in the backfield. Northwestern will presumably be led once again by the 5-foot-10, 213-pound Porter, a tough runner who rushed for 501 yards on 126 carries in 11 games last season.
Porter missed one game due to injury last year, but he seemed hampered for a couple of games following his return, tallying just 15 carries for 38 yards in the following two matchups. For the rest of the season, the graduate student simply couldn’t get going, never cracking 55 yards rushing in any Big Ten game.
At his best, Porter is a wrecking ball of a back who can punish defenses by wearing them down throughout games. However, in large part due to injuries throughout his career, the Ohio native has only posted one 100-yard rushing game during his collegiate tenure. He’ll have a few chances to add to that total in 2025, and with a full offseason of recovery, there’s a decent chance Porter will be more explosive out of the gate next year.
Speaking of explosiveness, the ‘Cats are fortunate to bring back Himon, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry and showed some pass-catching prowess, adding 15 receptions to his total of 52 carries. Himon still needs some development, but he’s got many of the important traits for a good third-down back. One of those attributes is home-run speed, demonstrated by three 30+ yard runs and a walk-off 22-yard touchdown reception in 2024.
Fans should expect Himon to develop further as a runner, but they should also hope to see his improvement as a pass-blocker. The Arkansas native wasn’t necessarily bad in that department in 2024, but Northwestern will need even better blocking from its running backs after a number of key losses from its offensive line. If Himon can throw key blocks on third downs, he’ll likely see an increased role this fall.
The other primary back is Komolafe, a traditional between-the-tackles runner who garnered 139 yards on 50 totes last season. Komolafe’s inefficiency is somewhat worrisome, but with Porter and Himon returning, there’s no need for fans to panic. The Texas native’s toughness is certainly present, and he had a few nice runs against good Big Ten teams, including a 17-yard burst against Illinois in the final game of the season.
Reeder and Kunickis are also set to return after combining for one carry in 2024. After not seeing game action last year, Reeder opted to redshirt, but he may see some playing time this fall due to his high-level speed. Kunickis, a bruising back with an awe-inspiring story, may get a few more looks in 2025 if Wildcat head coach David Braun wants to shake things up.
NU’s losses at running back are extremely minimal, as Grissim Anderson didn’t see any carries last year while Arthurs gathered just two. The real intrigue comes with the team’s two first-year backs.
Daniel Anderson is quite fast, and he chose to come to NU over Notre Dame, Tennessee, Colorado and Mississippi State, meaning he was relatively well-coveted by other top-tier schools. As for Johnson, he wasn’t as highly recruited, but he did pile up 26 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 total yards in his last season of high school ball. Both first-years may ultimately redshirt in 2025, but there’s a lot to like about their potential going forward.
Key Player:
Cam Porter
Himon may play himself into this conversation, but at the end of the day, the ground attack still begins and ends with Porter. Wildcat offensive coordinator Zach Lujan’s commitment to the run is contingent upon the graduate student’s play. Lujan has shown a willingness to abandon the ground attack quickly when Porter struggles, making Porter’s success all the more crucial next season.
Big Question:
Can Joseph Himon II be a game-breaker next season?
He certainly could be. Himon’s got the speed to outrun even the most elite Big Ten defenders. The question is: Can Himon break off enough big plays while also maintaining a presence in the passing game?
I think he can. The redshirt junior has efficiency that no other NU back possesses at the moment. Additionally, with a veteran quarterback at the helm in Preston Stone, Himon should count on receiving plenty of targets in the flat. If Stone can put Himon in open-field one-on-ones, that’ll give the latter his best chance to break out.
Depth Chart
Projected 2025 RB Depth Chart
First String: Cam Porter
Second String/Third Downs: Joseph Himon
Third String: Caleb Komolafe
Fourth String: Dashun Reeder
Fifth String: Albert Kunickis III
Redshirts: Daniel Anderson, Ronny Johnson
No surprises here. We could see Anderson make a case for playing time at some point in the year, but it’s more likely NU leans on its experience, especially as it seeks to establish consistency in its ground attack.