Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Football Season Preview: Running Backs
Posted: Aug 24, 2021

Football Season Preview: Running Backs

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The return of All-Northeast Conference First Teamer Daniel Adeboboye gives the Bryant University football team one of the premier running games in the league this fall.

Today's running backs preview is the second of eight positional previews as the Black and Gold get set to kickoff the 2021 season on Sept. 4 at Rhode Island.

Quick Outlook

Senior Daniel Adeboboye is coming off a standout season in the spring that saw him rush for 445 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and 111.3 yards per game, ranking in the top 10 nationally in the latter. Adeboboye posted a pair of 100-yard games, including a career-high 178 yards in the season finale against Duquesne. 

Adeboboye will also be joined by running mates Shai Young, Aaron Clark and Kyle Cichanowsky. The 2021 spring season was a breakout campaign for Young as he rushed for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns in our games.

Returners
Daniel Adeboboye, Sr. | Kyle Cichanowsky, So. | Aaron Clark, Sr. | Shai Young, Jr. | Ishod Finger, Sr. | Tanner Rennie, So.

Newcomers
Dylan Gurule, Fr. | Robert Knight, Fr. | Macklin Kortebein, Gr. | Fabrice Mukendi, Fr.

Notes and Notables

  • Adeboboye became the first Bulldog since Ricardo McCray (2015) to average over 100 rushing yards per game in a season. 
  • Adeboboye finished third in the NEC and seventh nationally in rushing yards per game. 
  • Adeboboye enters his fourth season in Smithfield with 1,307 career rushing yards and a career average of 4.9 yards per carry.
  • Young shined in his first full-time work at running back in the spring. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry, including games of 54 and 57 yards against Merrimack and Wagner, respectively. 
  • Cichanowsky also saw time, scoring his first-career touchdown in the win over Wagner. 
  • Bryant brought in some experience with Macklin Kortebein from Holy Cross. Kortebein was an All-Patriot League First Team honoree on special teams this spring and also rushed for 33 yards in the FCS Playoffs against South Dakota State.

Up Next

The wide receiver season preview will be released on Thursday, August 26th. Bryant will rely on the return of David Zorrilla and Anthony Frederick.