Colorado Running Backs Coach Doesn't Hold Back Excitement on His Position Group

Colorado Buffaloes running backs coach Johnnie Mack praised the depth and versatile skillset of his backfield in his Thursday presser.

Southeastern University wide receivers coach Johnnie Mack evaluates his players during the teamÕs first practice at Victory Field in Lakeland Saturday. Mack is a former Lakeland High School player and helped and was a member of the schoolÕs 1999 State Championship team. August 15, 2020. MICHAEL WILSON | LEDGER CORRESPONDENT | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Colorado Buffaloes running backs coach Johnnie Mack added to the excitement surrounding the Buffs' backfield during his Thursday press conference. He spoke to the sheer depth of the room and how he feels the Buffaloes could have a large number of backs find success in 2026

Mack gave an update on whether or not the staff is ready to name a starter and analyzed how offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's 'Go-Go' offense will work with his position group. Here's a look at everything Mack said after Thursday's practice.

What Johnnie Mack said:

Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Adrian Wilson (6) pushes Colorado Buffaloes running back Micah Welch (29) out of bounds in the first quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado Buffaloes' running back depth

“It's been really good to have a multitude of guys that can, first off, give us the depth. That's always good at the running back position. We all know that playing that position is very physical, and sometimes it's hard to make it through a season. So to have some depth this year within the room, it builds competition, and it just makes you feel a little better when you know you've got depth,” Mack said.

“You know, if anything happens, I've got another man, the next man up mentality. Be ready to go in and help us out there,” Mack said.

Versatile skillsets in the backfield

Dec 28, 2024; Tucson, AZ, USA; Colorado State Rams running back Damian Henderson II (34) against the Miami (OH) RedHawks during the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Just in the ‘Go-Go’ offense, we do a variety of different things, which sometimes requires different types of backs. With our running game, we pretty much run everything, and then we got guys that can be physical. There are times when we need more of a scat-back type of guy. So having a multitude of guys with different types of styles is great for this offense because those guys can split out,” Mack said.

“We can bring them in. If we need a physical one-yard or two yards, we’ve got big guys like the Damian Hendersons and the Richard Youngs. And then we got the speedsters and the power guys like Micah Welch that can be both, and we got the Track Hawks that can make guys miss on the third level. He’s played receiver before, so he can catch well, as well as JaQuail Smith, who can do a multitude of things as well,” Mack said. 

“So it's always good in the ‘Go-Go’ offense, especially with the multitude of formations and different styles of plays that we do,” Mack said.

How Micah Welch has grown

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos running back Micah Welch (29) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Number one, experience. If you think about it, this will be Micah’s third year playing Power Four football. The discussion that Micah and I had in the off-season was, ‘Hey man, you've got the most experience in this room. So the game should start to slow down for you, and it should be a lot easier for you this year.’ But man, his work ethic from this off-season to now, man, Micah put in a lot of work this year,” Mack said.

“There were times that we had breaks to go home. He didn't go home. He stayed around. He worked out. The kid loves football, man. He doesn't have a plan B. This is it for him. So he's putting in a lot of work, and as you see, he's running with an attitude. He's running with purpose, and I just love the way that he's added to his game. Just catching balls and running routes out of the backfield too,” Mack said.

Richard Young’s improvement

Nov 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama running back Richard Young (9) runs the ball against Eastern Illinois at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“He is, man. Richard Young, he came back from injury, so he missed a lot of the summer, and a lot of people don’t understand that. Like he missed a lot of the summer, which kind of had him behind a little bit. So now, he's starting to figure out the system, learn the system a lot more, and I think he's starting to get comfortable. So it's going to take some time for him, but he's growing every day,” Mack said.

“I just told him, ‘Man, we just need you to be one percent better. Just need to be one percent better each day.’ I think his confidence is starting to get there. His body is starting to feel good. I think he'll come around,” Mack said.

How close the Colorado Buffaloes are to naming starters

“It’s still competition right now to me. I know it's two weeks away, but we don't have a starter yet. I'm making these guys continue to compete to the end, and once we get to game week, it'll really start to narrow down a little bit more. But this week is still, to me, open competition to give these guys another week to kind of compete for it,” Mack said.

“We do a multitude of personnel, so we'll have a multitude of guys to be able to play for us. But at the end of the day, once a guy gets hot, I'm gonna roll with the hot guy, and that's just the way it's gonna be,” Mack said.

What gives him confidence in this running back room

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos running back Micah Welch (29) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“The work, the work that we put in this off-season, like you could tell the hunger from the guys, just offensively in general, and just watching my running backs, man. Just putting the work in and having some experience in the room with Track Hawk, and having Micah Welch always helps having experience, and then bringing in the two guys from Sacramento State, Damian Henderson II and JaQuail Smith, who were very productive on that level,” Mack said.

“So it's still considered experience, right? No matter what football you play. So I think we have a multitude of guys that have experience, which is going to make our room a lot better because they've played before,” Mack said.

What he’s seen from JaQuail Smith

“Explosive, explosive. JaQuail is one of the guys where he gets the ball and you stand up, because at any given time he can go the distance. That's what I like about him. He might make a mistake here, but man, if he got three carries, out of three carries, I'm telling you, he's going to give you an explosive. He can catch the ball out of the backfield as well,” Mack said.

“But the kid can run, man, and once the game begins to really slow down for him, because he's still young, he's a sophomore, so he's still learning, he's still growing, and I think as the season grows, you're gonna see him really start to make an impact for us,” Mack said.

What he’s seen out of Bryce Hicks

“Man, the growth. Bryce got a little chip on his shoulder because he was a big-time recruit coming out of Georgia, out of high school, faced a major injury, and kind of lost everything along the way. So Bryce Hicks, he got a chip on his shoulder right now, and he's showing it every day. And the thing I always told him is, ‘Hey, take advantage of your reps,’” Mack said.

“I tell all my guys, ‘If it's one rep, you got to take advantage of it, and that's how you earn the right to get a second rep. And if that second rep goes well, you earn the right to get a third.’ And I think he took that to heart, man. He's taking advantage of all his reps,” Mack said.

Chemistry in the running back room

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos running back Micah Welch (29) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Absolutely, absolutely, man. Like we were talking about today, and Coach Marion mentioned it to our guys off the press today, how we’ve got to feed off each other's energy, and I think we do a good job with that. We have a selfless backfield that we feed off of. If Micah Welch goes in and he makes a big run, okay, we're celebrating. We're celebrating that run, and the next guys wait on this opportunity to go in,” Mack said.

“And if Micah Welch made a 15-yard run, he wants to get a 20-yard run. If he makes a big block, the next guy gets in, and he wants one. That's what we're building in our room: daily competition and learning how to feed off one another for energy,” Mack said.

Finding success in short yardage situations

“That's a big thing. I tell our running backs. That's a mentality. Once you get in that red zone, that goal line, it's really all the mentality right there, man. I think we've been harping on that. When we get that close, we gotta put it in. I mean, three points we're happy about, but we'd rather take the six. So your mindset has to really change when you get in there,” Mack said.

“And I tell my guys, it's not nothing's gonna be blocked up perfect, okay? But we’ve got to learn how to find a way to get in still. So it's a mentality that we've been harping on all off-season, and when we're in practice, man, we're making a point of emphasis to make sure we get in, and we find a way in there. But we got some guys that can punch it in. So that's the beauty of it. Now we got some bigger guys,” Mack said.

“And even Micah, man, he's small and compact. But I think any one of our guys can get in there. Half of our guys, they're pretty big and pretty strong pound for pound in the weight room. So that weight room has to transition to that part of the field,” Mack said.

The opportunity the “Go-Go” offense presents to running backs

Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Absolutely, man. Like I told you guys earlier, man, I was smiling when Brennan Marion got the job because I knew his offense was built for running backs to have success, and we all should be motivated and we should be excited about this offense and this opportunity. I mean, to me, you don't need any more motivation, right? If I’ve got to give you any more motivation about that than you may be on the wrong team,” Mack said.

“I would have loved to live in this offense, man. So I think we are excited, and guys do understand the opportunity that we have in front of us. And now we’ve just got to continue to put in the work and maintain the mandate that we apply for us,” Mack said.

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