Fresno State’s offense in 2021 should be a pretty good indicator of what Washington’s should look like in 2022 (shocker, I know). Kalen DeBoer split carries between his two senior running backs pretty evenly, and with spring practices starting up soon, the RB2 (or 1B) slot should be a position battle to watch. With the impression that sophomore running back Cameron Davis will be penciled in as the RB1A, redshirt freshman Emeka Megwa should be the favorite to spell him.

Megwa decided to forgo his senior season at Timber Creek High School in Texas to enroll early at Washington. The 6’0, 210-pound redshirt freshman arrived in Seattle in the middle of September, and was able to get his legs under him. With that being said, after participating in winter workouts, he looks like one of the most physically ready running back prospects in the country, not just the Pac-12.

While sources in the building told me he had the “body of a Greek god” upon his arrival in September, it looks like strength coach Ron McKeefery went to work with him according to this photo he posted on his Instagram story.

His impressive physique will definitely make him harder to tackle, but it’ll only get him so far though, so let’s talk about what should set Megwa apart from some of his teammates on the field this spring.

Megwa showed an ability to line up as a wide receiver and run routes out of the backfield when needed on his high school film. DeBoer’s offense requires backs to catch the ball on screens and other quick routes, and getting Megwa with a head of steam and a few blockers in front of him should be a nightmare for defenders. That gives him a bit of a leg up over some of the other backs in the room, who don’t have as much experience as pass catchers.

As a runner, as he gains more fluidity in his hips, he’s going to turn into one of the best backs in the conference. He’s going to have an extremely talented and athletic line in front of him, and it should be easy for him to find holes between the tackles, and bounce runs to the outside. He displays great vision and balance, and while he (probably) won’t be able to run over as many linebackers in college as he did in high school, he’s not going to lose a lot of one on one matchups with tacklers in the open field.

There’s going to be a lot of eyes on the new offense this spring, and if Megwa can dominate in April, he could have a huge leg up on the rest of the room going into the summer.