Is it time for Leddie Brown to become the featured back?

Leddie Brown has it all. The build, the speed, the ability to catch the ball, and the ability to stay in the backfield and protect the quarterback. Brown has certainly taken Morgantown by storm this season. Coming onto the scene this past summer and immediately making noise and now, here we are. Getting ready for week 7 and Brown has surpassed 100 yards twice already this season. So, is it time to declare Brown as the featured back?

As a true freshman from Philadelphia (PA) at six-foot, 215 pounds, Brown can easily be the go-to guy in the backfield for the next three seasons. To me, Brown is a running back that I haven’t seen since Steve Slaton (I’m 19). Although, Noel Devine was great in his time here, Brown is more comparable to Slaton.

Brown is averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season, with 296 yards on 51 attempts. Brown also has three rushing touchdowns and this past weekend against Kansas he showed off his pass-catching ability, reeling in his first reception which he took 15 yards for a touchdown.

So, why isn’t Brown on the field more often? Well, the Mountaineers currently have a very crowded backfield, with each player offering a different set of skills. Kennedy McKoy, Martell Pettaway and Alec Sinkfield all have experience over Brown. They’ve been in the program longer and maybe the coaches are not ready to put that much responsibility on Brown’s shoulders yet as he is only 18.

Whether it’s this year, next year, or two years from now, I do believe that one day we will see Leddie Brown take over as the featured back. I can understand the decision to play all of them now, but with what he brings to the table, it’s just hard to not give him 20 carries a game and throw the ball to him at least five times.