Nearly every running back that touched the ball at Virginia last fall averaged at least 4.1 yards per carry. While that isn’t a dominant number, it still surprised me.

UVa’s offense, after all, finished the season ranked among the nation’s bottom third in all of the major categories, including rushing yards per game (156.58/77th). If you take out the yardage lost by quarterbacks David Watford and Greyson Lambert (as well as a team loss on a fumble), however, the number jumps to 179.25 yards per game. In other words, behind the strength of the running backs, the running game had a fairly productive season.

The spring depth chart (Click here to view it in PDF form) reflects the depth at the position. Kevin Parks returns after a strong 2013 season that produced 1,031 yards and 11 touchdowns on 227 carries (4.5 yards per carry). That made him the first player since Alvin Pearman in 2004 to reach the 1,000-yard barrier at Virginia and the 34th-ranked running back in the nation for rushing yards. Parks also has shown increasing value as a receiver out of the backfield the past two seasons with 518 receiving yards.

The 5’8″, 205-pound senior has 2,474 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns (two receiving) in his career, numbers that rank him well up the charts in the UVa record books. He enters his senior season eighth all-time in rushing yards. Parks is in good company for touchdowns scored with the likes of Frank Quayle (35), Tiki Barber (35), Terry Kirby (32), Shawn Moore (28), Tyrone Davis (28), and Bill Dudley (25).

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