Commit Video Breakdown: JUCO RB Marcelias Sutton
As a two-star recruit out of Warsaw (N.C.) James Kenan, Marcelias Sutton caught the attention of, and earned an offer from, then East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.
Sutton's explosiveness and versatility in the passing game made him perfect for Riley's wide open offense that held no prejudices towards his 5-foot-9 stature. Now, with Sutton at the same Scranton (Pa.) Lackawanna C.C. that produced three Sooner signees in 2016 (Ashton Julious, Kapri Doucet, and Emmanuel Beal), and Riley at one of college football's most pedigreed powerhouses, the 2015 Frank Broyles Award-Winner has finally landed the dangerous weapon for his offense that he identified years ago in the Tar Heel State.
Sutton’s blend of terrific balance and low center of gravity makes him nearly impossible to bring down; like trying to tackle a flea. These characteristics do more than just make him an effective open-field runner; as a smaller, quicker back, Sutton can play on first and second down between the tackles if called upon by making the first man miss, being more difficult for defenders to locate, and squeezing through more narrow holes.
Even if Sutton proves ineffective against bigger Big 12 defenses, he can be a high-quality third down back due to his crisp routes and great hands out of the backfield.
It wouldn’t be a surprise for Riley to utilize Sutton like Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints once did with Darren Sproles in order to exploit match-ups with linebackers out in space with choice and wheel routes.
Many running backs of Sutton’s size and style struggle to find the straight-line speed to breakaway and turn long runs into touchdowns. There are many contributing factors, not the least of which is simple leg length and physics, but often times you’ll see ball-carriers rely too heavily on their agility and dance when they should be hitting the hole.
During this kickoff return for a touchdown, Sutton sets up his lane with no wasted movement and bursts straight ahead to pull away for the score. It showcases his decisiveness and explosion that set him apart from other slighter running backs.
Essentially, Sutton contains too many natural skills that make him a perfect fit in Lincoln Riley's offense -- at the very least in a third down back capacity and/or as a possible return specialist. Riley has already shown with Joe Mixon that there is a major role in the passing game for his tailbacks and it's hard not to imagine him finding a way to utilize a weapon like Marcelias Sutton.