TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – By now, you've heard plenty throughout training camp about how deep the Sycamores are at running back. But, just in case it hasn't sunk in yet, ponder this: Indiana State is so deep at running back, it recently sent TWO backs over to the defensive side of the ball to help in the secondary and is still four-deep in the backfield.
 
Even with losing the speedy Dimitri Taylor (and his 1,148 career all-purpose yards) to cornerback, the Sycamores still present a formidable foursome at tailback in senior LeMonte Booker, junior Jaquan Keys, sophomore Marlon Fleming II and true freshman Titus McCoy. All four have looked incredibly sharp thus far in camp, with the freshman McCoy even stealing the spotlight away at times with breakout speed.
 
"I think their biggest strength is just their ability to keep taking on new information," said running backs coach Sam Sewell. "We're asking a lot of things out of them with putting them in different positions and asking them to do more and more and more, and they just keep picking it up. They've come to work every single day."
 
However, there is no doubt that the leader of the group is the senior Booker. His 2,321 career all-purpose yards tell one side of the story, but the other side heading into his final year with the Sycamores is redemption. Booker began the 2015 season with equally high hopes as a true junior, running circles around Butler in the season opener for 161 total yards and four total touchdowns, but an injury at Purdue the following week hindered him the rest of the season. Booker's situation worsened that following spring, as another more serious injury forced him out of the entire 2016 campaign months before it even began.
 
Now, Booker is just enjoying his final season one day at a time, and is confident in the pieces around him on offense.
 
"I'm really confident in the team," Booker said. "I'm confident in the O-line, I'm confident in the guys around me because I know I can't do anything without them. I can't make plays without them making plays."
 
One of those complimentary pieces is sure to be junior Jaquan Keys. He was a valuable reserve behind starter Roland Genesy in 2016, racking up 311 rushing yards and one touchdown on the season. Like Booker, Keys has missed some time of his own, missing the entire 2015 season due to injury before his return last fall. Keys succeeded as a downhill, up-the-gut back with a surprising second gear in 2016, and should be an excellent balance to the quickness of Booker.
 
However, what has the coaching staff excited most about Keys' play this fall is how he has reshaped his body and his game to become a more complete back.


 
"(Keys) has really done a great job reshaping his body," said ISU head coach Curt Mallory. "There are times when (both Booker and Keys) are out there that I'm not sure which one is which."
 
Injury is a common theme among the Sycamore running backs, and sophomore Marlon Fleming II is no exception. After receiving some valuable playing time as a true freshman in 2015 with 159 yards and two scores, Fleming missed the entire 2016 season due to an injury sustained early on in training camp.
 
"Marlon Fleming has battled some injuries," Mallory said. "He's a big back, he's a downhill runner. I saw glimpses of it in the spring and I'm seeing more of it here in camp."
 
Despite his setbacks, Fleming isn't disappointed to return to a backfield stacked with talent.
 
"I like the fact that everybody brings something different," Fleming said. "You have people who are scat backs, you have people who are power backs, you have people who can do both, and it just helps you do whatever you do most. It helps you bring out the best in yourself."
 
One back who definitely brings something special to the group is true freshman Titus McCoy, who has already made an indelible stamp on the team in a short amount of time. McCoy isn't the tallest running back, but he is as versatile as they come, owning the ability to both effectively bang inside the tackles and bounce it out to the edge with speed.
 
McCoy proved his worth as an unstoppable force at Center Grove High School, leading them to a state title in 2015 and a state runner-up finish in 2016 amidst an absurd 3,828 career rushing yards, 645 receiving yards and 54 touchdowns.
 
"He pushes to learn more and more, and he wants to know not just what we're doing, but why we're doing this," Sewell said. "His hunger for knowledge has kind of just brought everybody else in, and it's made them want to know more also."
 
His play isn't even his greatest attribute, though, as McCoy has an infectious positive attitude that is already catching on with his teammates. This should have been evident to anyone who followed him on Twitter last winter. Amidst coaching staff changes at Indiana State, not only did McCoy keep his word to come to Terre Haute, but he worked tirelessly to reach out to other commits to make sure everyone else did as well.
 
"What you see is what you get, and he brings it every day," Mallory said. "Everything that I heard about Titus during the recruiting process, I see why people knew about him. They want to follow him. He brings a personality that's contagious and you enjoy being around him."
 
"You're not guaranteed every day, you can wake up the next day and it will be your last day," McCoy said. "You just gotta take on life like it's your last day to live, and I feel it's my job to live to make everyone else happy around me. I think that your character and your attitude is contagious."
 
Stay tuned to GoSycamores.com – as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages – for extensive coverage and position previews this season, including video content courtesy of Luke Martin.