Huskies' Jonah Coleman: One Scoop or Two?

UW running backs coach Scottie Graham has a unique way of describing his rusher.

Jonah Coleman burst through the Husky defense in a determined fashion. / Skylar Lin Visuals

The discussion centered around how big the University of Washington running backs had become for the coming college football season, with each ball carrier showing off bulging biceps and extra thick thighs.

Scottie Graham, the new Husky running backs coach, is one reason for this bigger-is-better mentality in the backfield in Montlake. A high achiever himself as a player, he was a three-year starting tailback for Ohio State before playing six seasons in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets. He's seen it all, done it all, and he passes that along.

"We like big dudes. we're in the Big Ten -- they call it big for a reason," Graham said on Friday. "You can't get arm-tackled. Big guys for me are important because a 2-yard run becomes a 4-yard run, if they've got good body lean and if they run though with some power. Big guys make a big difference. Jonah is short but he's big."

That's Jonah as in Coleman, the UW's projected starting running back and someone who carries a well-proportioned 229 pounds on a 5-foot-9, custom described in a way only the loquacious Graham can dream up.

"Lot of ice cream on that cone," Graham said impishly.

Coleman became the flavor of the month for Arizona by signing with Graham and Jedd Fisch's staff when the Wildcats were suffering through a 1-11 rebuilding season, drawn to Tucson by the promise of everything turning around with those coaches, plus having a chance to start as a freshman and become a high-quality back.

Ironically, the first game-opening assignment of his college career came during his freshman season in 2022 against the UW in Seattle, in a 49-39 loss to the Huskies. It was a Coleman performance that Graham is quick to tell graded out to 98 percent.

Jonah Coleman takes a stutter step during a UW practice. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Coleman rushed 14 times for 53 yards, which included a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter at Husky Stadium, a moment he hasn't forgotten.

"[It was] just the environment, just taking everything in when I was here," Coleman said. "I did a jog around the field, soaking everything in. It was just crazy. The fans were all in on the game. They played a big part in the momentum shift and everything like that."

Now he calls the place home, heading up an impressive group of running backs who also include sixth-year senior Cam Davis, freshmen Adam Mohammed and Jordan Washington, junior Sam Adams and senior Daniyel Ngata.

Davis and Adams are coming back from injuries, with the former missing all of last season after tearing up a knee. Ngata and Washington have been slowed some by fall camp health issues, but they're all pushing each other for playing time in a healthy manner.

Jonah Coleman meets with the media following practice. / Dan Raley

Graham's ice cream crack made Coleman double over in laughter, but it wasn't totally unexpected for the lead Husky running back.

"It ain't Graham if he ain't talking about Jonah pretty much anywhere he goes," Coleman said. "He tells me somebody knows me or tells someone about me. It ain't coach Graham if he doesn't bring me up in the conversation."

Which is just another way of saying Graham, in making his connection to his running backs, is like a kid, maybe not in a candy shop, but in an ice cream parlor.

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