Nebraska Football: Health of Ronald Thompkins Jr. key for running game

Nebraska Football needs Thompkins to be healthy in 2019.

Ronald Thompkins Jr. has kind of been the forgotten man for the Nebraska Football running back group. Honestly, it’s not because he lacks skill. It’s because, on paper, there is so much talent at the position already. However, he may be a name that we need to watch for, especially with the Maurice Washington situation still up in the air.

Then again, Thompkins is still up in the air as well. He is still recovering from injury setbacks per a report from Brian Christopherson of 247Sports. His timetable for recovery is very much up in the air and by all accounts, he has been working hard trying to rehab his injury in order to help Nebraska Football.

"Nebraska also thinks it got a recruiting steal in adding Ronald Thompkins, who has dealt with two serious injuries, but was one of the more explosive high school players in the southeast prior to the last setback. While his timetable to finding full health isn’t sure, he’s been rehabbing hard back home."

When healthy, Thompkins can be a tremendous playmaker. His best season was his junior season in 2017. He filled the role of a dual-threat running back. He carried the ball 63 times for 414 yards and four touchdowns. With two rushes over 100 yards, he proved to be difficult to stop. He also proved to be a threat catching the ball, snagging nine passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. Averaging 22.3 yards per reception, a 54-yard pass was his longest of the season. He can do a little bit of everything, and that’s what the Cornhuskers hope he will bring to the table for the program.

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I am a little worried about his play when he gets back to full health. With injuries nagging him already, what’s not to say that it will not happen again? I hate to be negative, and I really want to see what he can do. Nebraska Football would be wise to monitor the health of Thompkins very closely. Especially if Washington cannot play for Nebraska come the fall, Thompkins could be a key part of the offense. They need him to be healthy no matter what. The explosiveness and talent he brings to the backfield is something that the team could use right away. The game should not be put solely in the hands of Adrian Martinez.

Try to think about it like this. The defenders and defensive lines know that Martinez is perhaps Nebraska’s best player on offense. They are going to do everything in their power to try to stop both quarterback and wide receivers. That means the team will need to have several tools in their proverbial toolbox to combat that. The running game would certainly be one way to alleviate some of the pressure off of the quarterback and wide receivers. Thompkins figures to be a big part of that, not only now but in the future as well.

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It will certainly be exciting to see Thompkins on the field when he is healthy. When that will be we do not exactly know quite yet. It certainly provides some intrigue heading into the summer months. The talent at the position is undeniable. However, the fact of the matter is that depth could be an issue moving forward. Thompkins coming to the Nebraska Football program in full health is very important.

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