Former Oregon tackle and eight-year NFL veteran Geoff Schwartz says there's one thing to immediately notice about the Ducks' newest big-play threat at running back, Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes.
"He is really good when he is able to square his shoulders right there. His shoulders are square and get downhill as fast as possible. That's what he does best," Schwartz said.
The PAC-12's all-time leading rusher among right tackles broke down the film for his "Ducks Rising Film Room" podcast.
"When he gets his shoulders square, he's not going to be tackled very often with the first guy."
It's a simple Inside Zone play and Hughes employs good vision to find a crease and break the play for a big gain, cutting right inside a block as the linebacker stunts to the left.
Hughes runs through a weak arm tackle and bursts through the line against Kansas State, a 39-yard run last November. He bolted for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Wildcats.
"He does not have great top-end speed. He's got really good acceleration. He can make the first guy miss often, but he's not going to outrun someone else."
At Oregon Schwartz blocked for Jonathan Stewart, Dennis Dixon and Jeremiah Johnson, so he's a good judge of top-end speed.
"His burst is great. He makes one guy miss, two guys miss." According to Pro Football Focus, Hughes totaled 2,779 rushing yards at Tulane, 1,982 after contact.
After Hughes ran for a career-high 195 yards on 30 carries against North Texas last October, Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall said, “He is a beast. He’s just an absolute stud. He’s a workhorse. He just chews yards up and is physical and plays the game the right way. Everybody on our team watches him play and is just in awe of him he plays because he’s so physical and tough.”
Dan Lanning has praised Hughes' work ethic and "quiet warrior" mentality, noting that he's a running back who's always falling forward, a high-quality addition to a deep running back room.
Schwartz observes, "He's going to get caught from behind, but that acceleration is really good."
Hughes sets up blocks well and relies on exceptional lateral quickness to cut back and dart to openings. "When it's time to go up the field, he can scoot," said Schwartz. His instincts and footwork allow him to create openings, anticipating the flow of the defense.
Great power at the goal line and the ability to move the chains complete the picture. "When it's north and south time, my man can go."
In close, there's always one defender that goes unblocked. It's up to the ball carrier to make that one guy miss.
Hughes also excels in pass protection and blitz pickup, a physical blocker who recognizes where the pressure's coming from and buying his quarterback time. "His willingness to get himself in there, put his face into the defender allows his quarterback time to throw the ball."
Along with Noah Whittington and Dink Riggs, he gives the Ducks a three-headed monster in the running back room, a fit replacement for Jordan James, who is on to the NFL as the fifth-round pick of the 49ers, out a couple of weeks with a broken finger.