By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
Sophomore running back Richard Reese jumped onto the scene to produce the single greatest freshman rushing season in Baylor football history. In 2023, he has the chance to take even bigger steps with a newfound confidence, all thanks to a friendly rivalry.
It wasn’t smooth sailing for Reese heading into spring camp after breaking Baylor’s freshman rushing record (972 yards) only a few months prior. While the consensus remained that Reese would be the starting running back in 2023, there was new competition that appeared stiff.
Junior tailback Dominic Richardson transferred from Oklahoma State University during the offseason. During his time at OSU, Richardson cooked Baylor’s defense to the tone of 277 rushing yards and five touchdowns in just four games. Most of that came when Richardson had a career day against the Bears in 2020, his true freshman season. Richardson amassed 169 yards on 23 carries to pair with three touchdowns.
With the arrival of Richardson in 2023, there was another capable bell cow running back, and a friendly rivalry ensued.
“We push each other every single day on the field and off the field to check in with each other on play calls and make sure we’re on the same page,” Richardson said. “It’s been friendly, man. On the field, it’s competition, [and] we’re going to try to beat each other. But it’s been like, ‘Come on man, I’m going to pick you up if you fall, and you come pick me up if I fall.’”
As camp shifted from spring to summer and from summer to fall, head coach Dave Aranda said he saw growth from each tailback. With Reese’s work ethic and drive tested daily, Richardson’s push brought out more star potential from the true sophomore.
“Dominic Richardson’s been the best thing for [Reese with] just the push,” Aranda said. “I mean, if Richard was going to get in an ice tub, Dom’s going to be right there trying to take his spot, really. I mean, they fight for everything, and it’s pretty cool to see. It’s a friendly fight, but it’s a fight nonetheless … I can see Richard, he just gets so much better off of that, and then Dom too. We’re excited for both of them, but Richard’s confidence, from a guy who started, and he’s always had an inner strength to him, but it’s sketching out now to be a swagger, and so it’s cool to see. Guys are following him.”
The two players themselves also noticed the growth from confidence to “swagger” coming from the rivalry.
“Dom keeps pushing me every day and making me a better player,” Reese said. “And I look at two players, Jacoby [Clarke] and Jordan [Jenkins], they’re pushing to get better every day … And B-Wash [Bryson Washington], when he comes back, he’s going to push to be better too. So I feel like in our running back room, everybody’s pushing to be better and learning more to get better each day.”
The duo has impressed in camp, and with the thrilling potential, fans can look back on the 2021 Big 12 Championship season in which the Bears were led by a two-headed giant in the backfield. Although it’s hard to live up to Abram Smith and Trestan Ebner’s legacy, Baylor once again bolsters two starter quality running backs in a run-heavy offensive scheme.
“They both want to be the starter,” Aranda said. “They’re so talented, and I think our ability to maximize that particular talent has really grown throughout the spring to summer to now, that we can use them in similar but sometimes real different ways that can really benefit them individually. I think there are going to be lots of opportunities for touches, carries, catches and all of it. I look at that as a tandem.”
The running back tandem fueled by friendly competition has the entire offense ready to go to battle. With Reese and Richardson sharing touches, each running back will assume the role of playing fresh and playing hard.
“The running backs we have behind us, they’re just as good as the guys that I’ve played with before,” fifth-year senior offensive lineman Clark Barrington said. “And so, Rich, Dom [and] that whole backfield, they know how to hit the hole, and they know how to run with their pads down and run over people. But also, they have speed to get away in the open field as well. So I’m excited to block for those guys.”
With kickoff looming on the horizon, the question has changed from “Who is the starter?” to “Who wins the rivalry each game?” While camp has concluded, the competition has just begun for Reese and Richardson as they set their eyes on having one of the premier rushing attacks in the Big 12.
