FIU’s backfield figures to be the strength of its offense this coming season

That’s the way FIU’s new offensive coordinator, Nick Coleman, wants the Panthers to play football this fall. Coleman wants to substitute players freely, and that’s especially true at running back, which appears to be FIU’s most stacked position.

The Panthers have three veteran running backs in Ajay Allen, Devonte Lyons and Kejon Owens, and they are all getting a heavy workload this spring.

“They all have their piece of the pie,” Coleman said. “We have looked at the reps, and they are dead even.

“We see all three as starting running backs. With the speed we’re going to play with in the fall, we’re going to need more than one running back. We’re going to treat it like basketball on grass -- sub in and out, and go play.”

FIU will add a fourth running back to the mix in the fall, which is when true freshman Sterling Joseph arrives. He is the brother of former FIU running back Lexington “Flex” Joseph, who graduated from the program following last season.

Of FIU’s three veteran running backs, Owens is the most experienced. In 29 career games, he has rushed for 928 yards, a 4.7 average and 11 touchdowns. He also has 23 career receptions and a 6.0 yards-per-catch average.

Allen, a transfer from Miami who started his career at Nebraska, has played 21 games, rushing for 734 yards, a 5.8 average and nine touchdowns. He has seven career receptions (5.9 average).

Lyons, a redshirt freshman, is the youngest of the three veterans. He played four games at the end of last season, and he was impressive, rushing for 288 yards, a 6.7 average and two TDs. He also caught four passes (6.5 average).

One potential negative is that the four FIU running backs are of similar stature. There is not a big, bruising 225-pounder in the bunch.

Instead, Allen is 5-11 185; Lyons is 5-10, 190; Owens is 5-11, 200; and Joseph is 5-9, 185.

However, Coleman said his running backs have different strengths, especially the three he has watched this spring.

“Kejon is patient,” Coleman said. “He does a good job of understanding the flow of the blocking scheme, and when it’s time to explode, he explodes.

“Ajay has big-play ability. If he gets a step, he can take a 5-yard run and turn it into an 80-yard run pretty quick.

“Devonte has been super solid, more of a complete back.”

Exactly who will be blocking for those running backs is not yet known, especially at right and left tackle. But the Panthers feel good about their center, Julius Pierce, who has returned to FIU after a couple of seasons at Middle Tennessee.

Wyatt Lawson and Jaheim Buchanon are also competing and may end up as starting guards if Pierce wins the job at center. All three have ample experience.

As for the passing game, third-year starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins has a new tight end to throw to – Dallas Payne, a 6-4, 245-pound transfer.

Payne has had nearly identical stats the past two years at UAB – 18 catches for 190 yards and no TDs in 2023 and 17 catches for 192 yards and one TD last year.

Veteran Braiden Staten and true freshmen Jackson Verdugo and Sean Burke will try to challenge Payne, and all four of those tight ends are between 6-foot-4 and 6-5.

At wide receiver, the first player Coleman mentioned is another tall target – 6-5 Alex Perry, a transfer from Hawaii.

“Alex has flashed a lot (in spring ball),” Coleman said. “He moves better than we thought.”

Perry played 26 games for Hawaii over the past three years, catching 48 passes for 491 yards, a 10.2 average and three touchdowns.

If he is successful at FIU, it will be a rarity for the Panthers to have a wide receiver producing at his size.

Kyle McNeal and Eric Nelson are other receivers who drew praise from Coleman, but neither has a college reception just yet.

Indeed, receiver is FIU’s biggest question mark. The Panthers lost their top three receivers from last season, including Eric Rivers who set a program record with 1,172 receiving yards.

Dean Patterson (685 receiving yards) and Nazeviah Burris (209 yards) also departed. Rivers and Patterson signed with Georgia Tech, and Burris landed at Arkansas State, leaving FIU with zero returning production at wide receiver.

Jenkins, therefore, will have to help FIU develop new stars, and Coleman has been pleased with his QB.

“He’s a joy to be around,” Coleman said of Jenkins. “He does a good job of throwing guys open, and his understanding of the offense grows daily.”