Scout Look: Who Will be Washington's Next 1,000-yard Rusher?

From Chris Polk to Salvon Ahmed, the Huskies have had a string of electric tailbacks who have churned out 1,000-yard seasons for nine of the past 10 years.

With Ahmed moving on to the NFL, Washington coach Jimmy Lake and running backs coach Keith Bhonapha are tasked with finding the next one.

Here are the candidates to take over the bulk of the carries in 2020:

Richard Newton, sophomore

Last season, Newton burst onto the scene as a productive redshirt freshman. The physical, 210-pound back rumbled for 10 touchdowns and close to 500 yards, and was primarily used in short-yardage situations. However, Newton is more than that, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

One aspect of his game not showcased last year was his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Newton caught just two balls for 17 yards.

Sean McGrew, senior

The 5-foot-7, 186-pound back has athleticism and elusiveness that leads to big plays when the ball is in his hands. He's primarily been a third-down option and an option in the passing game.

His 2019 season was filled with nagging injuries that limited his snaps. However, when McGrew was given double-digit carries, he produced a pair of 100-yard games.

The most surprising part of Mcgrew’s game is his ability to fall forward despite his size. Many times McGrew met a larger defender but he was able to gain leverage and gain those important extra yards while being tackled.

Cameron Davis, redshirt freshman

Four-star 2019 commit Cameron Davis (0.9016) turned heads in his first fall camp on Montlake.

What jumps out when watching Davis play is the lower half of his body. He runs powerfully with long strides similar to Adrian Peterson. He changes direction so well it allows him to find holes in the line and make players on the second level miss.

In his very limited time, Davis flashed potential. His best run of the year was in the Las Vegas Bowl, but it was brought back by a holding call, denying him his first career touchdown.

Kamari Pleasant, senior

The seldom-used Pleasant has been buried behind talented ball-carriers his entire Husky career. In limited action, he has struggled to take advantage of the opportunity.

Pleasant does have athleticism and size that could be a weapon in this new attacking pro-style offensive system.

Sam Adams II, freshman

Washington held off some of the biggest schools in the nation to land Adams. Coming out of Eastside Catholic (0.9018), the four-star running back/athlete has a chance to contribute to the Huskies offense when play resumes.

Adams' quickness and his explosive first step make him a threat at this level. His vision in finding holes and creating mismatches with decisive moves makes him dangerous. If he has a productive fall camp, he could force Lake and the offensive staff to get him onto the field right away.

Jay’Veon Sunday, freshman

The three-star (0.8667) prospect from Texas is a prototype north-south bruiser. He is patient waiting for holes to open on the line and is able to explode through them.

Sunday has the ability to run over a defender or make a quick cut to set himself free. He's not as explosive as the others on this list, but he has the ability to read his line and run with authority. That makes him a candidate to receive the bulk of the carries at some point in his career.