Jared Smith has been waiting to utter a four-letter word for so long, it almost made him cuss.

But, finally, the time has arrived for Marshall's running back coach.

So, let it rip, Jared.

"Next," said Smith with a grin as wide as his home state of Kansas.

That's it, folks.

N-e-x-t.

And if you don't believe that's an obscenity, then you aren't one of seven running backs competing for playing time in Marshall's one-back offense.

"The thing that I'm really excited about this season is being able to say, 'Next'," said Smith. "Numbers breed competition. It always makes the cream rise to the top.

"I can give you a lot of cliches. But 'Next' is the one thing.

"You always want to tell your guys, 'You don't want to make me say that four-letter word.' A lot of people have some very, very crass kind of ornery mind-set when it comes to that.

"But I was actually just talking about 'Next'."

During Smith's first three seasons at Marshall he might have mumbled some other four-letter words, but "n-e-x-t" wasn't one of them.

"Most people don't realize the state of the running back class when coach (Mark) Snyder arrived," said Smith.

"If you look at the guys we had when we got here. ... Kyle Echols, Will Albin, Tank Tunstalle, Tony Leath. None of those guys are still here.

"The only guy that is still here is Chubb Small and he was a receiver when I first got here. We moved him to running back during the summer just to give some added depth."

The only quality running back was Ahmad Bradshaw.

"And that's what is sad," said Smith. "Ahmad was here and Ahmad was Ahmad. Ahmad was established. Now, you've got a core group of young running backs. You add Jo Jo Cox to the guys that are already here and, now, you have some really fierce competition."

It should be downright ferocious between Small, Darius Marshall, Terrell Edwards and Cox. Besides those four, there are also three incoming freshmen in Jordan Taylor, Martin Ward and Demetrius Thomas.

That is certain to provide Smith with plenty of "Next" opportunities.

"You don't have to be as forgiving," explained Smith. "In the past when we only had a couple of guys, you worked to develop those guys.

"Now, you're going to play who is ready. And everybody else, 'Hey, go down to the other end. ... help the defense work. Hone your skills down there.'

"Right now, that's what we're going to do. We've got to play the best guys."

It's as simple as saying, "Next."

"Everybody wants that ball. ... as you're going to see here in a minute," said Smith during Marshall's media day at Edwards Stadium Monday. "We're going to take some pictures kind of playing on that whole 'I want the ball kind of thing'."

Then, Marshall video coordinator Brad Helton took a jump-ball photograph of all seven running backs leaping for one football.

"Did you see the competitiveness?" said Smith. "It looked like a wedding when the bride throws the bouquet to all the single women.

"It's the same mind-set. Terrell was thinking, 'I'm going to get that ball.' And, to me, that's what it's all about."

Edwards came down with the ball all three times.

Next?

Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.

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