‘He’ll help us’: As Kansas football's running backs compete, watch out for Torry Locklin

LAWRENCE — Kansas football coach Lance Leipold understands that Torry Locklin might not receive the same attention as others at times.

Locklin, a redshirt junior running back for the Jayhawks this fall, is laid-back, quiet and humble. There’s been a lot of talk around sophomore running back Devin Neal and the incoming transfers at the position as the 2022 opener has drawn closer. Locklin is also coming off of an injury that cut his 2021 season short, what he would describe this week as a dislocated ankle.

►RELATED: Kansas football’s young defensive backs embrace the competition with incoming transfers

►RELATED: Fall camp: Kansas football DC Brian Borland’s enthusiasm Thursday was unmistakable

But Leipold was adamant as well about Locklin that, “He’ll help us.” Leipold not that help will come in a number of different ways, because of the versatility — on offense and on special teams — the 6-foot-2 and 210-pound talent provides. And Monday, Leipold began to see what Locklin is capable of again as Locklin has continued to work his way back from that injury.

“He’s a multiple guy,” said running backs coach Jonathan Wallace, who added he thinks Locklin is 100% again. “He’s in our room right now. He’s a very smart guy. He’s doing a lot of really good things for us right now. So, his role is going to continue to evolve. You saw him get splashes of things last year, and really when that package starts to open up he got hurt, which was very unfortunate for us as a team. But as he continues to grow, and he’s even gotten bigger as a player, it’s only going to continue to get bigger for him. So, he’s doing some really good things. Really, really proud of how he’s been able to manage and fight back and get into things.”

Locklin doesn’t remember much about the play he suffered his injury this past November against Kansas State, other than being told he was landed on a certain way. He didn’t even really want to watch a replay of what happened, and added he wasn’t fully healthy again during spring ball as he slowly worked his way back. To an extent he had to learn to trust his ankle again.

That Locklin can, after working with Kansas’ training staff, will allow him to continue to compete for a role in a room that may be the best the Jayhawks have. Wallace sees redshirt sophomore Daniel Hishaw Jr. as explosive and powerful, redshirt sophomore Ky Thomas as someone who can change direction well, redshirt sophomore Sevion Morrison as a slasher, Neal as a bruiser who can change direction in tight spaces and Locklin as a multifaceted player who can catch the ball out of the backfield and run speed sweeps. Neal sees Hishaw as a “freak athlete” with power, Thomas as a smooth runner who can make effortless cuts, Morrison as explosive with a quick twitch and Locklin as a taller running back with the experience necessary to run routes.

“There’s an element that a lot of those guys … push each other with,” Wallace said. “They do a good job of understanding just where they are, but also what they need to continue to improve on.”

Locklin added: “I feel like I’ll be able to line up in the backfield, out wide, versatile.”

Locklin’s breakout game a year ago was his performance in the loss at Duke. He had a catch for 20 yards that went for a touchdown. He also rushed for 47 yards on seven attempts with a score.

With as deep as the running back room is this season it may be tougher for Locklin to have opportunities like that again, but even wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel has noticed Locklin’s skillset, too. That’s not to say Locklin is moving to receiver, and Samuel noted he hasn’t gone to Wallace about wanting to work with Locklin in that way, but Samuel sees what Locklin can offer.

“Torry can do a lot of different things on the field,” Neal said. “He can be split out if he wants, because … he has a receiver background, and he’s tall. He can be in the backfield. He can block really well. He can just do a lot of different things around the field, and his role can be huge for us.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: As Kansas football's running backs compete, watch for Torry Locklin