It's a crowded, but talented running back room for the Northwestern Wildcats this season. Transfer Gavin Sawchuk arrives to potentially be the lightning to Caleb Komolafe's thunder. And you also have venerable veteran Joseph Himon II as the change of pace back.
Factor in Northwestern’s new-look offensive coaching staff, specifically with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and it's simply a new day in Evanston.
As Kelly put it, the running backs position group has "champagne problems," when it comes to making sure everyone gets their chance to pound the rock.
Komolafe was not the feature back at the start of last season, but he took that position by the scruff of the neck by season's end, rushing for 941 yards on 5 yards-per-carry. He discussed why he broke out last season, and what he needs to do, in order to reach another level this season.
"Last year, it was just staying down, focusing, learning the offense thoroughly," he said at a media opportunity on Monday.
"I'd say also just having a coach that helped me a lot with my keys and what I'm looking at, and helped me become a better player, more savvy in my blocking as well."
Looking ahead to this season, he discussed what he needs to work on, in order to reach a higher level.
"Something I'm still working on, I'd say for this year is just being consistent and staying decisive," he said.
"I feel like that's a big piece that'll help me explode in my game a little bit more."
Komolafe's biggest positive attributes are durability, physicality, field vision and efficiency in seeing the play develop. He can also accelerate well, with his intial bursts through the hole.
However, he does have some weaknesses- including his true value on passing downs and ability to be a real home run threat. However, let's see how he does in a Chip Kelly offense.
From LaMichael James at Oregon to Zach Charbonnet at UCLA, Kelly's featured backs routinely see a high workload, and with that, their draft stock rises.
Kelly's offenses are great at creating spacing and widening rush lanes for the backs, and then their production soars. It is fully anticpated that Komolafe will step into that every down back role in 2026.
He discussed what it's like to work under Kelly.
"I know he's like a big football mind," he said on Monday.
"So I knew he was going to bring a lot of things, a lot of new things that I hadn't seen before. And I feel it's awesome to be able to pick his brain and get a better understanding of the game, as a whole, having him around here."
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Northwestern running back Caleb Komolafe could be a NFL Draft sleeper
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