MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Rushel Shell averaged 4.5 yards per carry as a freshman at Pitt, then 4.5 again as a sophomore at West Virginia and, most recently, 4.4 last year.
Those numbers represent a steady trajectory, yet one far from spectacular. The former five-star recruit finished 12th in Big East per-carry average in 2012, and has ranked 16th and 22nd through two Big 12 campaigns.
Entering his senior season, Shell has yet to reach the 800-yard mark and is facing his last chance to become a college standout.
“The time is now,” said West Virginia running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. “I told him ‘If you don’t get what you want it’s your own fault.’”
With Big 12 rushing champion Wendell Smallwood off to the NFL a year early, Shell is primed to enter August camp as the frontrunner, but those preseason scripts haven’t panned out of late.
“Three years in a row there’s a guy who’s been labeled a starter and got beat out,” said Seider. “I said, ‘Rushel, you’ve been one of those guys on both ends: You took a job from Dreamius (Smith) but you also had a job taken from you by Wendell.’
“It’s no favoritism. I love each one of them the same, but I’m going to be play the best guy who’s going to give us the chance to win, who’s going to work his tail off and do the little things.”
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RUSHEL SHELL CAREER
2012 (Pitt): 641 yards on 141 carries;
23 runs of 10-plus; 1 run of 30-plus
2014 (WVU): 788 yards on 176 carries
19 runs of 10-plus; 1 run of 30-plus
2015 (WVU): 708 yards on 161 carries;
17 runs of 10-plus; 1 run of 30-plus
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Running behind an offensive line that coach Dana Holgorsen expects to be his best in five years at West Virginia, might Shell emerge? Or might it be juco phenom Justin Crawford or impressive freshman Kennedy McKoy?
“We’ve just got to see if anyone becomes the guy,” Holgorsen said. “Rushel Shell’s going to be Rushel Shell. He would’ve had 1,000 yards last year if it wasn’t for Wendell taking off and having a great year.
“The question is: Are we going to have a 1,500-yard guy or three 750-yard guys? I don’t care which. It’s all about its and winning games.”