By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Isaiah Spiller will hit the ground running this fall, with notable momentum pushing him forward.

Get ready to see a whole lot more of Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller.

After 946 rushing yards and ten rushing touchdowns, to go along with 29 receptions as a true freshman, Spiller is now ready to burst onto the national scene. He, as the Aggies’ latest star in the offensive backfield, will be one of the headliners for an offense that could be one of the nation’s best. Spiller is one of just two SEC freshmen the last 20 years with at least 900 rushing yards, ten rushing touchdowns and 25 receptions, joining South Carolina and conference great Marcus Lattimore.

It didn’t take Spiller long to make an impression. He topped the 100-yard mark in his first-ever college game, rushing just seven times for 106 yards against Texas State. Spiller’s 85-yard third quarter burst tied for the tenth-longest run in program history, the longest run by a freshman in their debut. For a Kyle Field encore, Spiller ran 14 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns in his very next home game.

Spiller, 6’1”, 220 pounds, is an impressive athlete, one who somehow plays both bigger, running with a powerful burst, and smaller, meaning faster and quicker, than some might think. Starting just seven games a season ago as a former Under Armour All-American out of Spring, Texas, he still managed to finish in the top seven in the SEC in rushing amongst all running backs. For point of reference, Spiller, as a freshman, mind you, finished with merely 1.1 scrimmage yards per game fewer than Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, the 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner.

The moral of the story is that Spiller, right away, proved to be a rare playmaker. He is just now getting started.

Late in the season against Texas San Antonio, Spiller had a performance for the record books. He ran 20 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns in Texas A&M’s 45-14 win. Spiller became one of just ten SEC running backs this millennium with at least 215 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and a catch in a single game. Quite notably, he, in that contest for the Aggies, reached the 215-yard, three-score mark with the fewest carries of any Power Five running back all season.

Texas A&M’s home finale a year ago may have offered a look ahead regarding Spiller. Hosting SEC foe South Carolina, he was Aggies’ offensive focal point with a career-high 24 carries for 129 yards and three receptions for good measure. Even with an accomplished returning standout at quarterback in Kellen Mond and multiple options in the passing game, Spiller, headlining the depth chart at running back, will be a consistent focus for Texas A&M, a role he has earned.

Going back to the finish of the season, Spiller scored the Aggies’ lone touchdown at LSU, also reaching the endzone in a dramatic Texas Bowl triumph over Oklahoma State. His sprint to this fall started long ago; Spiller will hit the ground running, with notable momentum pushing him forward.

Early pre-season rankings for 2020 have Texas A&M slotted high in the national polls. Jimbo Fisher has a talented and experienced football team and many believe this is the year the Aggies can make a run both in the SEC West and beyond. Spiller is a big reason why. Still just a sophomore, he will move into a leadership position after a promising and productive debut. Already, Spiller appears ready to emerge as one of the top running backs in the SEC.