The Maverick’s running back room is talented as they return their leading rushers and add bigger backs adding a new dynamic to the offense.
Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) Football Team returns its top-three rushers from last season. They have eight running backs on the roster compared to the five they had on the active roster last year.
Redshirt junior Isaac Maestas enters the season as the starting running back with high expectations for himself for the season.
“This year, the goal’s two touchdowns a game, and a hundred yards a game, minimum,” Maestas said.
Maestas ended last season with 687 net rushing yards and six touchdowns. He had three 100-yard games last year along with one game with multiple touchdowns. Maestas had seven receptions for 54 receiving yards but he is hoping to get more opportunities in the passing game this year.
He was named captain by his teammates, as he is one of the leaders not only in the running back room but across the entire team.
“When I got selected, I was happy, and it felt like I earned it. Thank you to my teammates for actually trusting me and allowing me to be their captain because I worked my butt off this summer, and last year, and I’m just trying to lead the team,” Maestas said.
He describes himself as a hard-downhill runner that isn’t afraid of contact, but he can come out of the backfield on passing downs as well.
Redshirt sophomore Jesse Rodriquez was the second-leading rusher for the Maverick’s last season. He rushed for 508 yards and three touchdowns his redshirt freshman campaign.
Maestas said that Rodriquez is quick and athletic and is their most athletic running back on the roster.
Rodriquez rushed for a season-high 129 yards against Adams State University and he capped it off with one touchdown.
He finished the year with seven receptions for 43 yards along with two touchdowns. Last year he averaged 4.7 rushing yards per carry and averaged 46.18 yards per game.
He describes himself as a physical and tenacious runner who can make people miss by taking advantage of their weight distribution.
Rodriquez said that this year he wants to rush for a thousand yards this season.
Rodriquez put in a lot of work this summer to make sure that he was at his best going into the season.
“Working on all of our inside zone steps, counteraction all our steps just being as detailed as possible in our steps, so that can translate to the field,” Rodriquez said.
Redshirt junior Trey Windham was the third-leading rusher for the Mavericks last season amassing 367 yards on 73 carries. He had a season-high 121 yards on 17 carries against New Mexico Highlands University in last year’s season finale.
Windham played in all 11 games last year while averaging five yards per carry. He also scored three touchdowns on the season with two of those coming against the Grizzlies.
The additions to backfield are freshman D’aris McMillan and junior Terrell Love Jr. Both are 5’9” and 235 pounds and register as the Maverick’s biggest running backs.
“The bigger the back, the more chance you got a guy moving forward, and so, we will see those guys in on the goal line situations, they can do more than just run the football,” CMU Head Coach, Tremaine Jackson, said. “They can get out of the backfield, and they block extremely well.”
Don’t let their size fool you though, they can make defenders miss as they are shifty and can take advantage of defender’s weight distribution.
McMillian is from Diboll, Texas, and he set the program rushing records for his high school with 1,395 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior season. He also was an All-State Selection.
According to MaxPreps, McMillan averaged 199.3 yards per game in high school while averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
We brought [McMillian and Love] in because they were two of the most physical backs we’ve seen during the recruiting process,” Jackson said.
Love transferred from Los Angeles Valley College, and while he was there, he had 1,016 all-purpose yards along with 13 touchdowns.
Love is from Oklahoma City, Okla. and in high school, he won back-to-back state championships with Heritage Hall.
The Mavericks are hosting Chadron State College in their home opener and the first game of the season Oct. 10 at noon.
