Replacement by committee

SEATTLE -- Bishop Sankey totaled so many rushing yards and scored so many touchdowns for the Washington Huskies the past two seasons, it might have been easy to forget what very well could have been Sankey's most important accomplishment.

He never missed a game because of injury. And he carried the ball 327 times in 2013, setting a school record.

That's what makes replacing him this season -- or attempting to, anyway -- such a multi-faceted proposition. Sankey wasn't just talented. He was durable, the kind of back who could carry the ball 30 times and still report to practice the next Monday, ready to roll.

Tonight on @Pac12Networks: Adversity has only made @DCoop_32 stronger. http://t.co/XTM5dBV69U pic.twitter.com/iAcF2vzEri

— UW Football (@UW_Football) August 20, 2014

"Running back is a tough position," said fifth-year senior Deontae Cooper, one of four Huskies backs vying for playing time in 2014. "Credit to Bishop for doing what he did last year. I'm not sure if we're going to have that."

Coach Chris Petersen has made it clear that he doesn't mind a by-committee approach, though he obviously would prefer for one player to emerge as the No. 1 option and be able to carry the ball enough times to develop an in-game rhythm.

"I know we're going to need 'em all and they're all going to get an opportunity," Petersen said. "And then when the game's played, those that stay healthy, those that produce, are going to get more carries. We have a big sign in our training room: 'Durability (is) more important than ability,' and I certainly believe that at that position."

To that end, the Huskies are in what qualifies as a unique position considering recent history. Sankey was a bit of an unknown entering his sophomore season in 2012, but prior to that, Chris Polk gave the Huskies three consecutive years of consistent, straight-ahead running, starting 38 games and carrying the ball 779 times. And former coach Steve Sarkisian has not been shy about boasting that in each of his five seasons at UW, the Huskies had a 1,000-yard rusher.

None of this year's competitors are as established, but each seems to offer something different. Cooper and fifth-year senior Jesse Callier are the veterans, players whose careers were at one point sidetracked by injuries -- four ACL tears among them, three of them for Cooper -- but who enter the 2014 season healthy and eager to contribute. Each had strong performances during UW's most recent open scrimmage. And Cooper's 11-carry, 166-yard performance last season at Oregon State suggests he could still prove to be a valuable asset in the backfield.

Here's some video of Jesse Callier talking about competition at running back: http://t.co/KR8qpKOrFg

— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) August 19, 2014

There's Dwayne Washington, the 6-foot-2, 219-pound freshman whose combination of speed and size best manifested itself in that same OSU game, in which Washington carried 11 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. If not for early-season fumble troubles as a freshman, he might have seen more carries, and surely will in 2014.

The mystery candidate is redshirt freshman Lavon Coleman, the only player of the four who hasn't played in a college game. But his size (5-foot-11, 217 pounds) and physical running style adds a unique element to the mix, and he's made the most of his practice repetitions throughout spring and fall.

"I think he brings some of that old-school run game mentality, being kind of a thicker guy, big, downhill, bruiser-type kid," running backs coach Keith Bhonapha said. "I think he's going to be exciting, him being so young and developing where he's at from the spring as far as really starting to get in with the offense and now coming into fall camp, as we work into the season."

And, of course, star linebacker Shaq Thompson is expected to get at least a few opportunities to carry the ball. He's been insistent that defense will forever remain his priority, though he's spent enough time working with the running backs during practice to believe Petersen plans to use him there.

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