CAMP TONTOZONA - One of the worst kept secrets in college football may lie in the backfield of the Arizona State.

After running the ball a school-record and nation high 305 times a season ago, there is little doubt that the Sun Devils offense will once again run through junior running back Eno Benjamin.

Coming off a record-breaking season, including a school-record 1,642 rushing yards, there’s no question about the production that Benjamin will bring to 2019.

The main questions regarding this ASU position group reside in who will be the first player to come off the bench behind the standout junior, as the team is still undecided on a backup running back. That is certainly an area first-year running back coach Shaun Aguano is heavily focused on heading into the 2019 season.

“How I measure my group is those second or third team guys and how they develop,” Aguano said. “They’ve developed pretty well this camp.”

The prime candidates for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart reside in redshirt freshman A.J. Carter and redshirt junior Isaiah Floyd.

Floyd, a junior college transfer from last year, saw limited reps a season ago rushing for 209 yards on 45 carries while also hauling in four receptions.

Carter played in four games a season ago carrying the ball four times for 12 yards but has continued to make a push for that backup spot despite his limited playing time a year ago.

“Those two guys are battling, they’ll only get better because of the competition,” Aguano remarked. “They want to be that second guy because you never know in the game of football. You’re only one play away from being the guy and so I have confidence in both of them.”

This tandem on paper resembles two opposite sides of the spectrum given their physical frames.

Floyd sits on the lower side of the scale standing at 5-feet-7 inches and 176 pounds as he offers the proverbial change of pace from the bruising running style of Benjamin.

On the flip side, Carter more closely mirrors Benjamin as he stands at 6-feet tall and weighs in at 218, two inches taller and 17 pounds more than the starting back. Carter also resembles Benjamin on the field offering a more bruising running style with an ability to break tackles.

The pair of backs both slimmed down over the off-season as they reshaped their bodies to be more durable according to Aguano, something he attributes to the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

“I think coach Joe (Connolly) has done a fabulous job,' Aguano described, "and everybody can see they’ve transformed. They’re more durable now. They don’t have to worry about being out of shape and then trying to play at a high speed. I think they’re more durable, they’re faster, so they can play at a high pace.”

Despite the differences in playing style and measurements, Aguano believes both backs can overcome their stereotypes en route to finding the team’s true backup to Benjamin

“I’m very confident that AJ can catch the ball out of the backfield and very confident that Isaiah can run through the tackles,” Aguano remarked. “I’m confident they can do both. That competition is going to go all the way to the first game.”

The result of the competition is one that will be essential to a team that will once again lean on the running attack with an inexperienced signal-caller taking over at the helm.

With a fifth-year senior in Manny Wilkins at quarterback, the team ran the ball 55 percent of the time, a mark that some expect to go up with lack of experience taking the place of the void left by Wilkins.

Only time will tell that theory comes true, yet Aguano believes the mark will hold steady even though the running game will naturally still be a focal point for the ASU offense.

“I think it’s going to be about the same,” Aguano claimed. “I think it’s (offensive scheme) just going to be kept simple so that we can be successful with the quarterback. I think the run game is going to very important for us.”

The greenness at quarterback will be in stark difference compared to the Sun Devils' starting offensive line.

Arizona State is poised to start five seniors across the line that should help the running game prosper again while protecting a quarterback that will be thrown into the fire of Pac-12 play.

“It all comes from a confidence level," Aguano explained. "When you have a young line, the confidence is not there with the running backs. Because they’re such a veteran group, I think the running backs have more confidence of just doing their own thing.”

This degree of assurance is one that the running back group will look to use to overcome obstacles that arise with being a run-heavy team.

Some of these hindrances will undoubtedly include eight- or nine-men in the box defenses boxes that the Sun Devils will encounter this year, as opponents will look to neutralize their ground attack.

In order to combat this, ASU will turn to Benjamin to now become also a threat in the passing attack as well to create running lanes for himself. After catching 35 passes a year ago, the goal is for the junior to reach a mark of 50, an area Aguano says the junior has improved in “tremendously.”

“Just in our packaging, we’re finding ways to get him the ball in space because I think that’s the best for him because he’s not going to surprise anybody,” Aguano commented. “They’re going to load the boxes and so we want to make sure he’s versatile outside so we can open up the run game for him as well.”

Given the makeup of the team, pass-catching won’t be the only part of his game that Benjamin will be looked upon to improve this season.

Aguano and the rest of ASU’s staff are looking for Benjamin to be a leader to help ease the leadership burdens that are often carried with the quarterback position.

“He’s got a bullseye on his back now,” Aguano said. “Everybody is going to be looking for him. Now the next step for him is that leadership role. How well does he get these linemen together, now he’s the big guy in that huddle. His leadership is going to increase, and I think he’s doing a great job with that group.”

As Benjamin looks to make the next step after a record-breaking year, the running back battle behind him is one that Aguano wants to be handled professionally.

With limited reps available during the team’s practices, the first-year running back coaches stressed the importance of mental reps for his group.

“We probably get about 80 reps a practice and they get 20 of them. The other 60 of them they need to be mentally getting reps,” Aguano detailed. “That’s a hard thing for younger kids to understand. I could get 80 mental reps and learn from every one of them. It’s just the concentration level, trying to get them to be professional, that’s the biggest concern of mine.”

As a large part of the team’s success rides on the shoulders of the running back group, it is a pressure that Aguano has taught the running backs to cherish.

One to take as a challenge moving forward given their importance and one that will be imperative to Arizona State’s success this season.

“We’re the emphasis of this offense so we’ve got to be better than everyone else,” Aguano said sharing the message in his group’s meetings. “That gives us a challenge to come on the field and be better and work harder than everybody else.”

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