JONESBORO - It isn’t there yet, but at some point between now and when Arkansas State opens its season in two weeks, David Oku willtack a piece of paper up in his locker.
On it, Oku will list his goals for the season, his last in a college career that has been a bit unpredictable at times.
“I’m goingto post it there soon,” said Oku, ASU’s senior running back. “I’ve already got them planned out and everything.”
Oku has been talking about his list since before fall camp began. He said Aug. 1, the day before practice began, that he’d been working on it and reiterated earlier this week that he hadn’t finalized what he thought was possible for himself and ASU this year.
It’s an important task for Oku as he heads into his final season, but one that he has elected to keep to himself.
“I take it very, very seriously,” he said, “the things that I do and the way that I prepare to make those goals capable of reaching and exceeding them.”
If Oku simply achieves what he did last year, his first in Jonesboro, ASU should be just fine.
Oku not only rushed for 1,080 yards in 2012, after sitting out 2011, but his 16 touchdowns ranked 15th nationally.
It was the type of season that might have been expected of Oku when Rivals.com ranked him as the top all-purpose back in the country.
He was drawn to Tennessee by Lane Kiffin, the Vols’ coach at that time, and played in a limited role for two seasons, the second under Derek Dooley. He left Tennessee in January 2011, was arrested on a domestic assault charge the following July and sat out the 2011 season.
He landed at ASU last summer and made an immediate impression on running backs coach Eliah Drinkwitz as “a kid that was hungry to prove himself.”
A year later, nothing has changed.
“Some people stop after they catch a little bit of success, but to me, it’s: ‘Why not build on that,’ ” Oku said. “I’m back on that hunger strike again.”
The return of Oku and four offensive line starters give the ASU running attack a solid foundation. The Red Wolves led the Sun Belt with 206.2 rushing yards per game, and might lean that direction as it tries to settle on a quarterback after losing two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year Ryan Aplin.
So Oku might be asked to equal last season’s 243 carries, which is 10th-most among returning running backs in the country.
“It’s dance with who brought you,” Drinkwitz said. “If he’s having a good game, absolutely. We’d like to develop some more depth, especially with the way we play and how much we’re going to run the football, but the game kind of dictates that.”
The group of players getting carries behind Oku haschanged a bit since last year’s victory in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Rocky Hayes and Frankie Jackson, who combined for 126 carries and 874 yards with 7 touchdowns, have been moved to defense. RodSmith, who had 104 yards as a sophomore, transferred before spring.
That leaves Michael Gordon, who played mostly on special teams last year but shined in the spring, and SirGregory Thornton. Drinkwitz also mentioned redshirt freshmen Kendrick Daniels and Marquis Walker, who was moved from safety to running back this fall.
Coach Bryan Harsin said he isn’t ready to finalize a rotation, but three backs should get carries.
“Three might be what we need for the amount of plays that we can possibly get,” Harsin said. “You’d like to get [two] guys up and running, then get the guy who has the hot hand stay in there, then have your third guy be your specialist.”
Oku said he is not taking anything for granted.
“You never know if your spot is secure, so you always have to work hard, and that’s the best way to look at things,” Oku said.
Sports, Pages 21 on 08/17/2013