As Mississippi State football focuses on a more balanced offense, it appears as if Woody Marks is looking forward to the depth the Bulldogs have at running back.
Mississippi State football probably won’t be throwing the ball around as much in 2023 as the Bulldogs did back in 2021 and 2022. With Kevin Barbay taking over, it seems likely that MSU will be running the ball a bit more this coming season.
And it sure seems like Mississippi State running back Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks is entering the season with high expectations for him and his colleagues in the Bulldogs’ running back room. Of course, there are several new faces who could get carries this season.
“Going into this year, we have a lot of new faces,” Marks said at SEC Media Days, according to ASAP Sports. “We’ve got three new faces in our running back room. We’ve got one from last year, Simeon Price.”
Despite the fact that there are several new faces joining Marks at running back, it appears as if Marks believes the unit is still poised to be productive during the 2023 campaign.
“Our running back room is pretty good. We’re pretty stacked right now,” Marks explained. “I think, if any one of us gets put in the game, out of like six of us, I think we’ll be up to the table to do some great things.”
Woody Marks seems impressed with running back depth for 2023 Mississippi State football season
Marks is poised to be in a position where he can be the leader for this group of running backs. Given his durability and the fact that he’s only missed one game in his career, it’s clear that Marks is willing to push himself for the sake of his teammates.
“I think it’s just important to me because just knowing that my teammates know that I can do whatever it takes to try to win the game for them,” Marks said.
And he’s got a chance to play a bigger role in 2023.
Marks ran the ball 113 times for 582 yards and nine touchdowns last season. With Dillon Johnson having transferred out and Marks being the most experienced running back on the roster, expect him to be a key focal point of Kevin Barbay’s offense this season.
It seems likely that Marks will be pushed by the talent around him. Simeon Price is back for another season and newcomers like Seth Davis could certainly make things interesting for the Bulldogs.