AMES — Focusing on growth among its running backs, Iowa State aims to continue its progress by implementing new coaching strategies, concentrating on the compact details and prioritizing teamwork to prepare for the upcoming season.
With an adjusting roster, the Cyclones’ running backs are experiencing a new offensive strategy, particularly with the addition of the latest running back coach, Jake Landry, who is in his first season at Iowa State.
As a former running back coach and offensive coordinator at North Dakota State, Landry’s coaching style relies heavily on being a good teacher. This trait was inherited from his parents, who are both educators.
Complimenting his teaching strategies, Landry highly appreciates his opportunity to have an outside perspective on the team coming in.
“I think for me to just come in and have that outsider perspective of being able to look at what happened last year in the running back room,” Landry said. “What was really good and what can each individual get better at, I think that’s a good perspective you can have when you are a new coach coming in. Those guys are able to come in and ask, what can I do better and for me to be able to give an honest evaluation, I think is big.”
With both Abu Sama III and Carson Hansen returning for their junior seasons, Landry has worked to help them focus on the little details and prioritize consistency to become better players for the upcoming season.
“Just being able to take those smaller details and really going more in-depth and fixing that,” Sama said. “A lot of nutrition, getting my body right and being more in the recovery room, make sure my ankle is good, my wrist is good and everything, so coming into this season I don’t have to worry about that.”
With both prime running backs having a competitive balance between each other, Hansen and Sama explained that the competitive nature of both getting playing time on the field does not detract from the fact that they are both on a team.
In the 2024 season, both players ended in different statistical fashions. Hansen ended his second year at Iowa State with 13 touchdowns, 752 rushing yards and 151 carries. Meanwhile, Sama finished his season with two touchdowns, 587 rushing yards and 124 carries.
Although both players are at different levels, Hansen and Sama explain how this makes them an explosive duo due to their explosive plays and different skill sets.
“I love it,” Sama said. “It’s funny at times and it is competitive, but we never try to let that ruin our relationship and with the other running backs as well. We all know it’s a team, so that’s how we attack, try to make ourselves better by pushing each other and the other guys as well.”
“[Sama] is obviously very gifted, you can see him, he makes spectacular plays and is very gifted,” Hansen said. “It’s awesome to see that, I feel like I am a more vertical, downhill guy and I haven’t been able to catch some passes or pass block anything like that. So I think we have a good trade-off.”
Despite the strong offensive duo being a solid piece on the field through rotations, Hansen and Sama have instilled the same practices within the younger players. Sama emphasized how every running back on the team is vital to the team’s success.
Joining Hansen and Sama in the backfield roster are redshirt freshman Dylan Lee, redshirt freshman Aiden Flora, redshirt sophomore Easton Miller and redshirt freshman Charlie Whelpley and redshirt sophomore AJ Petersen.
Lee and Flora scored their first and only touchdowns of the 2024 season during the Arkansas State win. Hansen also scored his first two touchdowns of his collegiate career in that game as well. Miller made 13 appearances during the past season.
“All the other running backs, they practice, they all get a chance to show out and they are showing out,” Sama said. “I feel like in the running back group, you can see them all doing something different and putting in and doing something to impact the game.”
