The first version of this article was written two years ago, highlighting the works of Dean Connors. He proceeded to go for almost 2,500 yards and 20 TDs from scrimmage over that stretch at Rice and Houston. So, you ask how we could possibly duplicate that this time around? I present to you Missouri State’s Ramone Green Jr.
THE SKINNY
Green is a Junior running back who is undersized at 5’9″, 190 lbs., but is an absolute dynamo. A former walk-on from the Springfield, Missouri area who ran for 2,223 yards (9.5 YPC) and 35 TDs as a senior at Nixa. He averaged 5.3 YPC last year, which is slightly more than Shomari Lawrence (5.1), who had a rushing stat line of 199-1,023-7 last year. Green’s sample size is limited at just 53 attempts, but that is what makes him such a hidden gem. Like Dean Connors prior to the 2024 season, Green hit a lot of the advanced metrics we love to see in that small sample:
3.60 yards after contact/attempt
30.6% missed tackles forced rate
PFF Elusiveness Rating of 106.8.
The only knock is that his Breakaway Rate was just 36.3%, which isn’t bad, but not elite.
THE X-FACTOR
The thing that sets Green apart from others with a limited rushing sample size is how heavily involved he was in the pass game. He had a 2025 receiving stat line of 28-428-3 on 35 targets. He had the most receiving yards of any non-military academy RB in the country! He averaged a very respectable 2.93 yards per route run and showed off consistently sticky hands with zero drops. His explosiveness was on display with a 76-yard and 57-yard reception.
THE SITUATION
Offensive Coordinator Mark Cala was a first-time OC last year at UTEP. The teams he has been a part of have an up-and-down historical production profile for RBs, but the ups have been way, way up:
2017 Devin Singletary- 320 touches with 2,118 yards and 33 TDs (CFF RB1 season)
2019 Cam Akers- 261 touches for 1,369 yards and 18 TDs
2022 Rocket Sanders- 250 touches for over 1,700 yards and 12 TDs
Many of Cala’s backs have also been major participants in the pass game, so we could just be scratching the surface on Green’s involvement as a receiver. His primary competition will be former Boise State RB Breezy Dubar. The size and skill are there for Dubar to potentially be a breakout candidate and TD vulture for the Bears offense, but he’s been mostly underwhelming throughout his career and had just three carries last year. The Missouri State guest on the G5 Hive was pretty confident this backfield would belong to Green.
Green lacks the prototypical size you see in the very productive guys listed above that Cala coached. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be very effective in the CUSA at 190 pounds. My comp for Green is Bucky Irving, who had similar advanced metrics and receiving production at Oregon. Like the undersized Irving, Green is someone that could still be quite desirable for CFF purposes without approaching 200 carries simply because of how effective he can be as a receiver. There. Now you have heard of him.
