It's a feat few players can say they've achieved. Making his first college start on the biggest stage of his career, Reggie Love III took the field at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 2 for the ReliaQuest Bowl knowing he needed to make an impact.
While All-American Chase Brown begin preparations for the NFL Draft, the Illini backs have used the bowl season and spring to prepare to find new roles and keep the running backs room among the best in the nation.
"It releases a lot of pressure off of me, and it also boosts my confidence knowing that this year, I could potentially go in and start," Love said. "When we were in bowl prep, I wasn't really thinking about it being my first start, but thinking about it now, it's definitely a lot of weight off my shoulders because now I have that experience. Now, I can be recognized as a starter and get that thing going."
Brown recorded a program-record 328 carries and 1,643 rushing yards, and he led the nation in yards on the ground for the majority of the 2022 campaign. This amount of production and usage was unprecedented at Illinois, and new running backs coach Thad Ward feels good about his group after arriving in Champaign in January.
"When you see that type of production, he was 90% of the offense and 90% of the running game," Ward said. "When guys come in here, they have dreams and aspirations of playing. For us, we have the next-man-up mentality, and right now, we're trying to develop a room full of guys who can carve out their niche and be a part of the offense.
"We're going day by day, step by step, seeing and watching guys carve out their role, carve out their niche on a day-to-day basis. When I was here before, I liked to play many guys. That means that you're actually doing your job, and you're worthy of playing. If you can carve out a role for you to play, I want to play you. Whether it's 200 carries, 100 carries, 50 carries, whatever your role is, I like to give guys opportunities to play."
Love, who enters his fourth year with the Orange and Blue, is one of four returning running backs on the Illini's 2023 roster, though he brings the most production from one year ago. Love registered a career-high 72 carries, 329 yards, and two touchdowns while playing in all 13 games last season.
Josh McCray is the lone returner who has played a significant role in the last two seasons. Though he was sidelined for a majority of the 2022 campaign, McCray accumulated 112 carries, 549 rushing yards, and two touchdowns as a true freshman in 2021.
Though the rest of the room is not as experienced, Ward is excited by the group's potential. Redshirt freshmen Jordan Anderson and Aidan Laughery and true freshman Kaden Feagin, who joined the team ahead of spring ball, all have the opportunity to make an impact and find a role within the Illini's running back-friendly offense.
"Right now, you have five different types of runners who have similarities in their game," Love said. "All of us can protect the quarterback. All of us can run through tackles. All of us can catch the football. It's just we do it differently, so that's the biggest thing with our group. You have more of a variety of things rather than just one specific type of runner. I feel like that's the biggest thing our position room brings."
As the group continues to battle for playing time and the opportunity to start in Illinois' season opener in the fall, Love says all the running backs have embraced the competition while still building relationships and supporting each other.
The Illini running backs will showcase their talent under the lights on Thursday night during the Orange and Blue Spring Game, which is set to take place at 7:30 p.m. CT at Memorial Stadium.
"I feel like the relationship all of us have in that room makes the competition part a lot easier," Love said. "I love those guys, and I know those guys love me. The great thing about it is we all find a way to help each other. If somebody has a question, they know that at any given time, you can go to anybody in that running back room, ask them, and they can come back with the correct answer.
"Two years ago, I talked about competing out of love and not envy. I feel like that's one thing we do. When McCray goes out there and makes a play, I'm out there, and I'm cheering him on. I also know when I strap up, I gotta go make a play, too. It's about not only the competing part, but enjoying that time with my brothers. I just feel like that's something that we take in and we don't take for granted. Yeah, we compete, but at the end of the day, we all need each other, we're all teammates, and we're family."
