Hunter back on the prowl

Normally the face of a football program has a lot to say.  

Kendall Hunter embodies what it means that actions speak louder than words.

"We call Kendall Hunter ‘Spud' because he talks about as much as a potato," sophomore defensive lineman Cooper Bassett said. "Spud is definitely the stud of the group. He's the All-American, he's been here, he's been making plays and he's the one everyone expects the most out of."

The 2010 season poses a lot of questions about Hunter's return but junior quarterback Brandon Weeden says Hunter's drive and determination will make all the difference this year.  

"He's healthy and he's hungry to prove people wrong," Weeden said. "He's not getting much credit throughout the country and I think he's ready to get out there and play and lead."

It's hard to find a running back that is talented enough to have both strength and agility. Hunter is one of those backs.

"He's a fun player to watch," Weeden said. "It's hard not to get distracted and watch him run the ball all the time. I'd hate to be the guy to have to tackle him one-on-one in space, that wouldn't be very much fun."

Losing five of their eight running backs going into this season, quality is all the Cowboys can rely on.

Last season OSU fans didn't get to see much action from any of the returning tailbacks but none of the players or coaches have expressed much concern.

"I think we're OK right there," offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said. "We've got Kendall, Jeremy Smith's played well and Joseph Randle has a tremendous amount of talent. Then you have a guy like Bryant Ward who's All-Big 12 running back last time I checked, so we may hand it to him a bunch."

According to SuperPrep, Randle is coming into the OSU program as the 16th-best high school running back in the country.

"The kid's a stud," Weeden said. "He loves to stick his nose in there and take on blitzes and pound the football in there. As an offensive guy, it's nice to see a young guy who sticks his nose in there and really wants the ball in his hands. He's had a great camp so far."

After Keith Toston and Beau Johnson completed their eligibility at the end of last season, Randle is going to have some big cleats to fill. However, his teammates are excited to see his performance in practice translated into the action of a game.

"Joe Randle has impressed me a lot," Smith said. "Real quick, great speed; he's gonna be the guy in the future. I have no doubt about that."

Last season, Smith began as a redshirt freshman but backfield injuries forced him into action against Grambling State. A single performance with 15 carries for 160 yards and one touchdown was all the Cowboys needed to be excited about his return to health this year.

"He (Smith) is a great player too," Bassett said. "He can do everything. Short yardage, he can break out, he can be on the edge and on the inside."

The main threat, Hunter, was the Big 12's leading rusher by more than 30 yards per game in 2008; however, a reoccurring injury caused his 2009 season to turn into a roller coaster.

Now that's all in the past and his teammates say they like what they see.

He's a talented athlete but in this new offense the coaches are asking for more out of his abilities.

"We ask them to run it, catch it and block," Holgorsen said. "We know he can run it and we've been real pleased with how well he catches the ball out of the back field. In specific situations if we've got some blitzes he's going to be responsible for blocking some people and that's what were going to have to see out of him, as well."

Playing time won't be an issue among these guys. They're some of the most talented backs in the Big 12 and their different running styles compliment each other perfectly, making them an unstoppable three-headed monster.

"Jeremy's a hard-nosed guy, Kendall's a little quicker guy but he's still got a tremendous amount of power and you know Randle's really flashy, but he can also finish runs as well," Holgorsen said. "One guy gets going and we'll leave him in there, if he's tired we expect the next guy to go in there and do the same thing."

Hunter says he's ready for Washington State, but when asked if he had a word of warning for its linebackers he maintained his reputation as a running back of few words.

"No comment," he said.