MORGANTOWN — In a time where the transfer portal is one of the hottest topics across college football, Tony Mathis seemed like a top candidate to say “thanks but no thanks” and move on.
He’s spent the last three seasons as a backup, mainly to star Leddie Brown, and playing time was hard to come by.
Words of wisdom from his high school trainer, the same trainer that also worked with Mathis’ close friend, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, has always stuck with Mathis through the adversity.
“He doesn’t believe in quitting, leaving, turning around or anything like that. You’ve gotta keep going,” Mathis said. “You’ve got to fight through it, plus I just love being here. This is home for me and my family.”
Mathis will have his chance as the No. 1 back Tuesday in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Minnesota after Brown decided to opt out and prepare for the NFL.
In the last time out against Kansas on Nov. 27, Mathis and Brown split carries, and each finished with over 100 yards. Mathis had a career-high 118 yards on 22 carries.
“It felt very good; it was a relief,” Mathis said. “I felt my teammates helped me a lot going through this process because they knew how hard I worked.”
He was expected to relieve Brown far more often — at least that was the plan in fall camp. The praise was warranted according to Mathis’ coaches following outstanding spring and fall camps.
However, an injury at the end of fall camp set him back, and it took nearly two months to get back to where he was in August.
“It was very frustrating, but you have to keep your mental good and overcome it,” Mathis said. “During the bye week (mid-October), I rehabbed 10-times more and that was a timeframe from my injury when I should be back. I wasn’t really ready during the Long Island game, but I knew after that [open week] I was going to be ready.”
50 of his 59 carries this season — for 256 yards — have come since the bye week and the final six games.
Getting back from the injury was difficult, but according to offensive coordinator Gerad Parker and quarterback Jarret Doege, Mathis is one of, if not the hardest, worker on the team.
“I’m a big fan of Tony,” Doege said. “He’s put a lot of work in each off-season I’ve been with him, and I would say that’s probably something you all don’t know about him is that he’s one of the hardest on the team. For him to get his chance, I’m super-excited for him, and I believe in him very much.”
“He’s worked his tail off to get to this point and he got a flash of that in the last game,” Parker said. “Now to get to this point, I would hope he’d tell you nothing is going to change about his preparation, it’s just his opportunity is going to go up. When you’ve prepared the right way like Tony has, you slide right in, take a higher role and run with it. We expect him to, and I’m sure he does, as well.”
Mathis could be the favorite to take over the starting running back spot heading into the 2022 season, and head coach Neal Brown believes this is a chance for Mathis, along with true freshman Justin Johnson, to shine.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Neal Brown said. “He’s played good football. He’s kind of gotten better and better since the bye week and he’s had some big moments. He played almost every snap in the second half of the Kansas game. Leddie hit the big run and then Tony brought it home. He’s ready. “It gives us a little insight into next year, so there are some positives in the situation as well — not only for Tony, but for us offensively and as a team.”
Brown also mentioned that true freshman Jaylen Anderson, who did not enroll until the end of fall camp due to NCAA Clearinghouse issues, is not eligible for the bowl. He did not specify the reason.
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