It was a surprise to see Boston College throw the ball around as much as it did in 2020. What was even more surprising, though, was the lack of production the Eagles had on the ground, especially when they were returning running back David Bailey, who was a stud as the 1B option to future NFLer AJ Dillon.

BC ranked 118th nationally in rushing offense that season, averaging just 101.7 yards per game in that department. Part of that drop-off could be attributed to a switch from a man-to-man to a zone blocking scheme, not to mention a game of musical chairs for the offensive line after left tackle Tyler Vrabel suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason.

Last year, the Eagles got back on track running the football. They jumped up to 61st nationally in rushing offense, averaging 164.3 yards per game. The offensive line looked more comfortable blocking in Frank Cignetti Jr.'s scheme. In fact, the group posted a Pro Football Focus run blocking grade of 86.6, which was 21.6 points higher than its 2020 mark.

But the emergence of redshirt sophomore Pat Garwo III was a big reason why, too. Garwo went from being the fourth running back on the Eagles' depth chart to becoming the 19th player in program history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single season. He posted four 100-yard games and rumbled for seven touchdowns, averaging an impressive 5.1 yards per carry.

West Virginia transfer Alec Sinkfield was added to the fold, and Travis Levy rounded out his BC career with one final season as a runner-receiver-returner hybrid. Levy graduated, but Sinkfield and Garwo are back. And a now-healthy Xavier Coleman is expected to break out as a redshirt freshman.

RB1 - Pat Garwo III (R-Jr.)

2021 Stats: 205 rush, 5.1 avg, 1,045 yards, 7 TD

RB2 - Alec Sinkfield (Gr.)

2021 Stats: 85 rush, 4.1 avg, 350 yards, 2 TD

RB3 - Xavier Coleman (R-Fr.)

2021 Stats: 6 rush, 2.2 avg, 13 yards, 0 TD

RB4 - Andre Hines (R-So.)

2021 Stats: N/A

Garwo first turned heads Week 2 at UMass. He rushed for 160 yards on 15 carries while, at one point, ripping off a 42-yard run. Levy started the season as BC's lead back. Then it was Alec Sinkfield. But, after the UMass game, Garwo got his shot atop the two-deep, and he didn't relinquish that status the rest of the season. For the most part, the Eagles did away with a running-back-by-committee approach, and they rode Garwo, who finished the season with 205 carries—120 more than Sinkfield, BC's second-leading rusher.

The 5-foot-7 Coleman had a great spring after coming in as a mid-year enrollee, but a knee injury set him back. He ended up playing just 12 snaps across the three games he appeared in, according to PFF, before redshirting his freshman season.

Sinkfield arrived at BC last offseason, too. He was in play for the starting role following Bailey's transfer out of the program. He packs a great punch at just 5-foot-9. Although he was never a full-time starter in his 27-game career at WVU, Sinkfield logged a breakaway percentage of 46.5% in 2020, according to PFF. The stat measures the percentage of yardage gained with designed run plays of 15 or more yards.

That said, last season with BC, Sinkfield registered an elusive rating (ELU) of only 25.9, which was 22nd among ACC running backs with 75 or more rush attempts in 2021. ELU measures the "success and impact of a runner with the ball independently of the blocking," per PFF. To put that in perspective, Garwo's 55.9 ELU was 16th.

Sinkfield was a significantly better pass blocker (83.4 PFF grade) than Garwo (14.9 PFF grade) last year, however. And that's relevant considering how much BC drops back to pass with Jurkovec at the helm, at least when Cignetti was the offensive coordinator.

Sinkfield was less explosive than Garwo, given that he churned out a run of 10-plus yards every 9.4 carries, whereas Garwo achieved that feat approximately every 7.9 carries. Additionally, Garwo was far more effective after contact.

Actually, Garwo ranked fourth among ACC running backs with 75 or more carries in yards after contact. In fact, 64.6% of his 2021 rushing total came after he was hit. At times, the then-redshirt sophomore was a bowling ball, barreling down defenders. He averaged 3.26 yards after contact per attempt—1.11 more than Sinkfield. He also forced 36 missed tackles, according to PFF. That was tops on the team and seventh in the above ACC data set. Still, just to remind you how insane Dillon was at BC, he forced 81 missed tackles as a junior in 2019.

Garwo isn't all power, either. His 26 runs of 10-plus yards were fifth among qualifying ACC running backs last season. He was also 14th in breakaway percentage (37.6%). His 67-yard touchdown run against Missouri comes to mind, although that Tigers defense was far from stingy.

1. Can Garwo put on an encore performance this fall? It's the evergreen question for running backs: Can you stay healthy and productive after a big year? Garwo was a workhorse for the Eagles last season, and it looks like he'll carry the load again in new offensive coordinator John McNulty's system. Back-to-back seasons with 200-plus carries is tough yet doable at the college level. Of course, running backs have shouldered and will continue to shoulder a much more intensive load. Except, it's worth noting that both Dillon and his predecessor, Jon Hilliman, dealt with injuries the season following their first 200-plus carry year at BC.

Steering clear of a setback like that will be important for Garwo, who's entering the most important campaign of his career. And it's a priority for BC, which needs more offensive balance to compete against the best of the ACC. The Eagles were too pass-prominent in 2020 and too run-predictable in 2021.

2. Is Coleman going to be the "X" factor he was brought in to be? Coleman flashed his skill set during this year's spring game when he improvised on a Jurkovec scramble drill and left linebacker Vinny DePalma in the dust for a 47-yard catch-and-run touchdown. McNulty has more in store for Coleman in 2022.

Don't be surprised to the shifty back out on the perimeter. Last year, Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees had Irish running back Chris Tyree doing the same thing, and it worked out pretty well. McNulty has alluded to Rees' influence on his offensive mindset, so McNulty taking a page out of Rees' playbook wouldn't be far-fetched. Coleman was quite the kick returner at Lenape High School in New Jersey. Maybe we'll see him back there, too.

3. How much will we see of BC's other running backs? Assuming Garwo stays healthy, it's reasonable to wonder what kind of role Sinkfield, Coleman and even Andre Hines will play in the run game. You always need running back depth, but there are only so many carries to go around. For instance, when Dillon and Bailey were in the spotlight in 2019, Levy had just 28 totes.

Sinkfield looked great this spring and was down to a sleeker 193 pounds after starting last year at 205. He'll likely put a bit of that weight back on before the opener, but his increase in speed is intriguing. We could very well see more of a 1A, 1B punch with Garwo and Sinkfield, respectively, in 2022. Coleman seems to be more of a Swiss Army knife, perhaps with a higher ceiling than Levy. Then there's Hines, a redshirt sophomore who was getting some work this spring. He's bigger than the other three. Hines is listed at 6-foot-1, 229 pounds. So he could provide change of pace and/or a lift near the goal line.

Of course, there's also a chance we get a glimpse of true freshmen Cam Barfield (Bishop Gorman, Nevada) and Alex Broome (Lipscomb Academy, Tennessee). Both earned 5.5 Rivals Ratings and three-star rankings. Either one of them could give Hines a run for his money at the RB4 spot.

BONUS: Will the offensive line provide enough blocking? Yes, I know. Every other question kind of hinges on the answer to this one. After all, a running back can't perform to his highest ability without a solid offensive line. The Eagles are replacing all five starters up front after Christian Mahogany suffered an ACL tear in May. We'll go into more detail about the O-Line later this summer, however, this preview wouldn't be complete without acknowledging the obvious correlation between BC's running backs and the team's offensive line. It's also yet to be seen if McNulty's scheme calls for as much zone blocking as Cignetti's did. That could also affect the Eagles' run game.

Best: The O-Line exceeds all expectations while Garwo is injury-free and stitches together another 1,000-yard season—this time with 10-plus touchdowns—giving him a chance at an NFL career. Sinkfield provides a nice second option, recording 500 yards on the ground. And Coleman racks up 750 yards from scrimmage, including 400 on the receiving end. The trio makes for a dynamic ACC backfield and helps take some pressure off Jurkovec.

Worst: Garwo goes down with an injury, and Sinkfield struggles in the lead back position as the O-Line's inexperience shows. BC shifts to a committee, forcing Coleman back into a more traditional running back role and Hines into the fold. Either Barfield or Broome has to burn their redshirt as BC drops back into the bottom third of the FBS in rushing offense.

BC's running back room isn't as stacked as it was a few years ago, but the emergence of Garwo and the prospect of Coleman is enough to generate some excitement. It will be interesting to see what Sinkfield can do in his second year with the team.

There's more clarity at the position than there was last year. Even so, a surprise breakout season in the backfield is always possible.

Just as a productive run game should help Jurkovec, a healthy Jurkovec should stretch defenses out, which would allow Garwo and Co. more room to hit their holes this fall.