Position Previews: The Running Backs
7/18/2025 2:30:00 PM | Football
Chatting with Taylor Reed about his position group
As the dog days of summer roll on, GSEagles.com is sitting down with each of the 11 position coaches to discuss their room. Up next is running backs coach Taylor Reed.
Q: Coach, what were your general takeaways from spring ball when it came to your running backs group?
TR: I'm excited about this group. To start, David Mbadinga and OJ Arnold didn't go through spring, and those are our two most proven guys. But honestly, that gave us a great opportunity for some new faces to get a lot of quality reps. That was huge for our room. There were definitely some question marks going into the spring, and I think a lot of them got answered in a positive way. Guys like Jamarian Samuel, Bryce Baker and Taeo Todd really showed something. And I'd say J'Shawn Anderson stood out, too.
Q: You mentioned it a bit already, but with OJ and David not participating, which veterans impressed you this spring?
TR: Terrance Gibbs has continued to improve ever since I got here. From spring ball to fall camp to the end of last season, he's taken steps every time. He's had a couple of nagging injuries the past two years that have held him back, but right now, he looks the best he's ever looked. You can see the confidence building. If he keeps progressing, he's going to be a really good player for us.
Q: With the loss of Jalen White and two veterans out this spring, which younger guys stepped up and took advantage of the opportunity?
TR: Outside of Terrance, I'd say Jamarian Samuel. He came in as a walk-on and has totally transformed his body. He works extremely hard. Honestly, he's in the best shape of his life right now. He's the kind of guy I think Eagle Nation might not know yet, but they'll see him show up for us on Saturdays.
Q: Last year, Jalen was a guy who could run it and catch it out of the backfield. Who might take on that dual-threat role this fall?
TR: That's one of the fun things about this group. OJ Arnold is extremely gifted catching the ball out of the backfield, and he's also a really smart football player. I trust him in every situation—first down, third down, short yardage. David is another guy with a high football IQ who I trust a lot, too. Now it's just about building that same trust with some of the younger guys who haven't had the chance to prove themselves yet on Saturdays. But spring was a great step in that direction.
Q: Who are the leaders in the running back room?
TR: OJ Arnold and David Mbadinga, without a doubt. They've really stepped up. And like I mentioned earlier, Jamarian Samuel is a senior who's come a long way and is doing a great job leading as well.
Q: Any position battles you're particularly excited to watch in preseason camp?
TR: I think it'll be fun to watch Bryce Baker and Taeo Todd. They came in together as part of last year's signing class, they're best friends and roommates, and they really push each other. Both are going to be good players for us, and they bring different things to the table. Bryce has really taken the offseason seriously—he's down 12 pounds and looks like he's in the best shape since he got here. Taeo might be the most explosive back in the room—he's a home-run hitter. They've still got a couple guys ahead of them because of seniority, but they're making the right strides.
Q: Finally, what's the top point of emphasis for your group to help the team win this season?
TR: For us, it's all about improving our yards per carry. I wasn't happy with where we finished in that category last year. I thought we were efficient in the red zone—we did a good job finishing drives and scoring touchdowns—but overall, our yards per carry need to be better. We've got it taped up in the hallway so every time we walk into the running backs room, we see where we ranked last year compared to the rest of the conference. That's our focus going into this season.
Q: Coach, what were your general takeaways from spring ball when it came to your running backs group?
TR: I'm excited about this group. To start, David Mbadinga and OJ Arnold didn't go through spring, and those are our two most proven guys. But honestly, that gave us a great opportunity for some new faces to get a lot of quality reps. That was huge for our room. There were definitely some question marks going into the spring, and I think a lot of them got answered in a positive way. Guys like Jamarian Samuel, Bryce Baker and Taeo Todd really showed something. And I'd say J'Shawn Anderson stood out, too.
Q: You mentioned it a bit already, but with OJ and David not participating, which veterans impressed you this spring?
TR: Terrance Gibbs has continued to improve ever since I got here. From spring ball to fall camp to the end of last season, he's taken steps every time. He's had a couple of nagging injuries the past two years that have held him back, but right now, he looks the best he's ever looked. You can see the confidence building. If he keeps progressing, he's going to be a really good player for us.
Q: With the loss of Jalen White and two veterans out this spring, which younger guys stepped up and took advantage of the opportunity?
TR: Outside of Terrance, I'd say Jamarian Samuel. He came in as a walk-on and has totally transformed his body. He works extremely hard. Honestly, he's in the best shape of his life right now. He's the kind of guy I think Eagle Nation might not know yet, but they'll see him show up for us on Saturdays.
Q: Last year, Jalen was a guy who could run it and catch it out of the backfield. Who might take on that dual-threat role this fall?
TR: That's one of the fun things about this group. OJ Arnold is extremely gifted catching the ball out of the backfield, and he's also a really smart football player. I trust him in every situation—first down, third down, short yardage. David is another guy with a high football IQ who I trust a lot, too. Now it's just about building that same trust with some of the younger guys who haven't had the chance to prove themselves yet on Saturdays. But spring was a great step in that direction.
Q: Who are the leaders in the running back room?
TR: OJ Arnold and David Mbadinga, without a doubt. They've really stepped up. And like I mentioned earlier, Jamarian Samuel is a senior who's come a long way and is doing a great job leading as well.
Q: Any position battles you're particularly excited to watch in preseason camp?
TR: I think it'll be fun to watch Bryce Baker and Taeo Todd. They came in together as part of last year's signing class, they're best friends and roommates, and they really push each other. Both are going to be good players for us, and they bring different things to the table. Bryce has really taken the offseason seriously—he's down 12 pounds and looks like he's in the best shape since he got here. Taeo might be the most explosive back in the room—he's a home-run hitter. They've still got a couple guys ahead of them because of seniority, but they're making the right strides.
Q: Finally, what's the top point of emphasis for your group to help the team win this season?
TR: For us, it's all about improving our yards per carry. I wasn't happy with where we finished in that category last year. I thought we were efficient in the red zone—we did a good job finishing drives and scoring touchdowns—but overall, our yards per carry need to be better. We've got it taped up in the hallway so every time we walk into the running backs room, we see where we ranked last year compared to the rest of the conference. That's our focus going into this season.
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