UTC senior running back Alex Trotter takes a handoff from Chris James during spring practice. Trotter, a former McCallie standout, is excited to be healthy entering his senior season.
UTC junior running back Tyrell Price, at 6 feet and 220 pounds, can be a bruising rusher, but he also has speed to the edge and break away for big gains, UTC coaches said.University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coaches couldn't quite contain their excitement when speaking on the prospects of senior Alex Trotter and junior Tyrell Price, the Mocs' top two running backs this season.
Although the obvious thoughts are the 6-foot, 220-pound Price can be the thunder to the lightning provided by Trotter (5-9, 185), head coach Tom Arth believes each player can be more than that.
So do the backs.
"What makes them unique is, while their measurements are different, they're both very versatile," Arth said prior to Wednesday's practice at Finley Stadium. "Alex can be a downhill, 'A' gap runner that can run with power and explosive speed, and while Tyrell is a downhill, inside runner, he can also get to the edge and has the burst and acceleration to get it the distance.
"I think they're more similar than they are not, and I think they are going to be a good tandem. There's a lot of flexibility regardless of who's in the game."
Offensive coordinator Justin Rascati went a step further, calling Trotter and Price a "dynamic duo."
"They are both really good running backs," Rascati said. "They work really hard, they both fit our system and what we look for, and I'm really excited to get those guys to game one."
Trotter has battled injuries throughout his career, though the former McCallie standout is 100 percent for the first time in a while. People have only been able to see glimpses of what he can do, such as the 59-yard performance he had against Samford last season in the upset victory in Birmingham, Alabama. Trotter had a big 17-yard carry on a fourth-and-one play that set up the game-winning field goal.
He said just the fact that he's at full strength has him "overjoyed" for his senior season, which officially kicks off Aug. 30, when the Mocs host Tennessee Tech.
"It's the only time I've played with everything feeling healthy," Trotter said of his preseason work. "I would rather play healthy and give myself the best opportunity to give max performance."
Price has come in with the hype, having being named a preseason All-Southern Conference second-team selection before ever playing a down in a UTC uniform. He was a junior college All-American in 2017 after rushing for 989 yards and 24 touchdowns for East Mississippi Junior College.
Immediately after he signed with UTC, West Virginia came calling.
As a pair, the two look forward to what they could be able to do.
"I feel like it's going to be really tough for other opponents," Price said. "Alex being out there makes me go hard, and he says that me being out there makes him go harder. With that mindset, with that work ethic, it's going to be hard for anybody to try to stop us, and it'll be good for everybody on the team."
With the season opener two weeks from today, Arth and his staff are looking for another player to step in and give the Mocs a third option at running back. Freshman Isaiah Cobb, who was slightly banged up last week but is back to full strength, and sophomore Jonathan Stovall appear to be the leading candidates at a position that has some talent but lacks bodies to provide quality depth.
"Hopefully by the time we get ready to play our opening game," Arth said, "we'll feel confident about three or four running backs to go out and get meaningful carries for us."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.