Keaontay Ingram had a breakout season last year, solidifying himself as a top running back in the Big 12. Only a sophomore, Ingram will now have at least one more season to prove himself before the NFL Draft.
Going into his junior year, Ingram will be eligible to leave Austin for the NFL after this season. In Draft Wire’s latest running back projections, 10 others rank ahead of Ingram, including two others from the Big 12.
No. 11 seems about right for Ingram, who is coming off a season with 853 yards and six touchdowns. His numbers fluctuated game to game, having as many as 139 yards against Kansas State, and having as little as nine yards against Oklahoma and Iowa State.
However, when this season is all said and done, he could be closer to the top five.
Ingram is projecting to get a massive bump in terms of production going into this season. Without a doubt, he is going to be Texas’ starting running back with Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson behind him. Even with the pressure of those two, Ingram is going to be the main back.
Another thing exciting about Ingram and his potential is his running backs coach, Stan Drayton. Former Ohio State and current Dallas Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliot explained how Drayton developed and help him become the elite player he is today before getting drafted in 2016.
“He’s really the reason why I’m here today and why I’m the back I am today.” – @EzekielElliott on @StanDraytonUT #VerifiedPlayerTestimony✅ pic.twitter.com/oVFFt9LK0N
— Bryan Carrington (@BCarringtonUT) August 3, 2020
Drayton was a hot commodity this summer as well, with Mike McCarthy wanting to hire him as his running backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
Ingram will be looking to take an even bigger leap going into the 2020 season, trying to become the best running back in the conference. Having competition behind him may hurt his numbers but will help his development before the NFL Draft.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm40v2FFl8o]
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