Here’s who’s leading TCU football’s competition at running back
The biggest question mark facing TCU on offense is who will emerge as the lead running back for the 2025 season.
The Horned Frogs had one of the worst rushing offenses in the country last year, but are hopeful that was just an outlier. Historically, offenses led by Sonny Dykes and Kendal Briles have run the ball at a high level, including Briles’ first season as offensive coordinator in 2023.
The first step in improvement is finding a running back who can be the next Kendre Miller or Emani Bailey. So far, Briles is pleased with what he’s seen.
“Strong, there’s a lot of depth,” Briles said after Tuesday’s practice. “I feel like we have five really good running backs. I’ve been really impressed, all those guys bring something different to the table. We’ve got some guys with some power, some guys with some quickness. They all have pretty good hands and can get out of the backfield.
“From a learning standpoint they’ve retained information. We feel like there’s a huge battle right there. I think we’ll probably end up playing all those guys. I’ve been very impressed with that group.”
The competition will involve Texas-San Antonio transfer Kevorian Barnes, sophomore Jeremy Payne, redshirt freshman Nate Palmer, true freshman Jon Denman and senior Trent Battle.
Listed at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds, Barnes has gotten most of the reps with the first-team offense, surprising some after he mostly was used as a power back in the spring.
After rushing for 1,560 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022 and 2023, Barnes had just 221 yards and two scores last season for the Roadrunners amid injuries.
Barnes is healthy now and has taken advantage of TCU’s nutrition program to get back to the form he had as a freshman in 2022.
“He was really productive at UTSA,” Briles said. “He was really progressing in the spring, but then he had a hamstring that set him back the final four or five practices. He’s picked up right where he left off. He’s a bigger guy, weighs 225 pounds and runs with a lot of power.
“He has a low center of gravity. He’s not looking for home runs. He’s looking for four or five yards, but he can pop one and get out in the open field. He’s a steady guy that continuously makes yards and doesn’t lose them.”
It’s not a surprise that Briles and the staff value the ability to avoid negative yardage after TCU struggled with that last season.
Barnes isn’t the home run hitter that Miller or Bailey were, but there’s value in being able to produce four yards per carry, especially if Barnes is making the defense work for every tackle.
Jeremy Payne brings speed
His biggest challenger may be Payne, whom Dykes has repeatedly called TCU’s most consistent running back from last season. Payne rushed for 239 yards, averaged over four yards per carry and rushed for three touchdowns after being inserted into the main rotation against Kansas on Sept. 28.
The 5-10, 180-pound Payne has the ability to deliver those home run plays, and his speed could unlock a different dimension for TCU.
“Jeremy’s been incredibly consistent,” Briles said. “Every time we put him in last year, he produced. He can do a lot of different things. He’s a little more slight than the other backs. But he’s also more elusive and harder to tackle. He’s just a great football player, he’s great in space. He can catch the ball as a good as a receiver.
“He’s going to have a role. He’s really good at the running back position, but I think there are some other things we can do to get the ball in his hands.”
Payne has gotten more reps with the first-team offense the last two practices and has shown flashes of his explosiveness during team drills.
Payne said the reps he got last season were extremely valuable to his development.
“It helped me grow a lot,” Payne said. “I had to focus on the details, and just being consistent was the main thing in my head. I’m the smallest running back. All I have is making sure the coaches trust me.”
Payne is the only running back listed under 190 pounds, but he plays bigger than his size and continued to add muscle during the offseason. The main thing he has focused on is learning patience as a rusher.
“Putting my head down and just getting yards instead of trying to bounce it out every time,” Payne said. “Just get the yards I can get instead of going outside and losing yards and trying to make a play out of nothing.”
A 5-yard carry won’t end up on the highlight reel like a 25-yard run will, but it’s still an impactful play if it keeps the chains and clock moving. Payne learning when to pick his spots could be the key to him being the lead running back when TCU faces North Carolina in the season opener Sept. 1.
Nate Palmer a factor
Palmer also got into the mix with the first-team offense at practice and had multiple plays that would’ve resulted in a first down. Palmer was a star during the spring, but hasn’t gotten the same amount of touches with the first- and second-team offenses so far in camp.
But there’s still plenty of time for Palmer to make his move. The Horned Frogs have options at running backs, but are still waiting for one player to seize the position.
This story was originally published August 5, 2025 at 5:50 PM.
