Every time you ask Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch or running backs coach Scottie Graham about running back Jonah Coleman, the story is the same.
“He’s a hard guy to bring down.”
Coleman has proven that this season, astounding college football fans around the country with his contact balance, burst, and hurdling ability en route to a standout first quarter of the season. Those vibes match the stats, as it turns out, as Coleman has led Washington’s running back room to tops in the Big Ten in yards after contact.
Washington averages about 4.5 yards after contact per rushing attempt against FBS opponents, just slightly above Minnesota and Rutgers, who the Huskies saw in their last game on Friday. The team is also towards the bottom of the Big Ten in yards before contact – about 1.7 – which has made Coleman’s ability to churn through the first tackle all the more important.
Only three teams in the conference are worse than Washington before contact – Minnesota, Rutgers, and UCLA. But Coleman’s productivity, which has earned him a starring role in the Huskies offense as the season continues, has kept Washington in the upper echelon of offensive efficiency this season.
As the Huskies continue to play physical Big Ten defenses – stalwarts Michigan and Iowa are next up on the schedule – Coleman’s ability to wriggle free from initial contact will be paramount.
Luckily, he’s shown he is, in fact, hard to bring down.
Here's a look at how Big Ten RBs have picked up their yardage in terms of yards before contact and yards after contact (versus FBS opponents only). pic.twitter.com/yDRxrd57Ft
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) October 2, 2024