Did Matt Campbell's NFL running back streak end or did injuries obscure the next star?

MARSHALLTOWN – If it wasn’t strange enough to see Iowa State struggle to run the ball last season, it has set up perhaps an even more curious situation for the Cyclones.

Given the lack of production or the emergence of a breakout star, was last season the first of Matt Campbell’s coaching career without a future NFL running back on the roster? And could that again be the case this year?

“For me, we’re very confident in what sits in our walls,” Campbell said last week during the Cyclone Tailgate Tour. “Probably bullish and excited about the players currently in our walls and then (the freshmen who) will be joining us on the first of June.

“We’re very confident in what our evaluations have been and what those look like and the development of that position group.”

More: Starting season gives Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers new appreciation for 'mindset' required

At Toledo, Campbell coached David Fluellen (NFL 2014-19) and Kareem Hunt, a third-round draft pick in 2017 who is currently a free agent. In his time at Iowa State, Campbell produced third-round pick David Montgomery and second-round pick Breece Hall.

Those four players bridge the first 10 years of Campbell’s head coaching career. It will likely take a few years to shake out, but it’s conceivable that streak ended last season with the Cyclones failing to have a back out up even 500 yards or consistently display the high-level talent required to play Sundays.

Certainly, the biggest reason for the lack of production and the uncertainty of the streak is injuries.

Jirehl Brock was averaging 5.5 yards per carry through the first four games before injuries wiped out much of his availability and production the rest of the season. True freshman Cartevious Norton looked to have some real electricity in his game during his career debut, but injuries throughout the season limited his ability to showcase it.

Deon Silas and Eli Sanders both showed some glimpses of production, but nothing consistent. Silas has since transferred to Rhode Island.

It all led to the worst rushing attack in the Big 12 for a program – and a coach – that relies on the run.

More: Takeaways from Iowa State's 2023 spring game

“There was a sense of frustration at times last year,” Campbell, who replaced both his offensive coordinator and offensive line coach this offseason, said. “The frustration was - the groundwork for us to be successful offensively has always been our ability to find ways to run the football.

“The greater frustration is we started off the season doing it with a lot of consistency and then all of a sudden the inability to do it at times the way you wanted to do it or with the consistency you wanted to do it. You’re always going to be frustrated (in that situation).

“I put a lot of that frustration even on myself – how do you manage the roster? Do you have enough? Have you provided a platform for that depth to be ready to play? You challenge yourself in all those areas. You learn from when things don’t go well and that’s sometimes when you have your greatest growth opportunities.”

Iowa State’s best bet for consistency could very well be Brock, who returned this spring from a broken foot that ended his season last fall. While Brock may not have been on a path to displace either Montgomery or Hall as the best back in the Campbell era, he looked the part of a productive Big 12 back in his first four starts last season.

“I have no confidence lost from last year at all,” Brock said after the spring game in April, “but getting back out here in front of people and knowing you can still go do it after an injury like I had last year (is a boost).”

If Iowa State has a star, though, it very well could be Norton. The 5-foot-11, 212-pounder from Georgia flashed some tantalizing potential at times throughout the season, especially early, but injuries derailed much of his rookie campaign. Norton finished the season with 312 yards on 87 carries.

“He has elite traits,” Campbell said. “Even to the eye, you saw some of those elite traits pop at times. It’s not having elite traits (alone though), it’s having those elite traits have great consistency (and) show up game in, game out, day in, day out. Part of Cartevious’ issue has been health. At times, those are things you can’t control.

“What I am proud of Cartevious is the development of mental toughness over the course of the last year in a half – I think he’s done a great job to stay the course, and we’re excited to get a healthy Cartevious Norton at the start of fall camp.”

More: Why is Iowa State football hitting the road to play a game at Ohio in the 2023 season?

Ultimately, though, whether or not Iowa State has a future pro in the backfield this season, the Cyclones still have to find a way to run the football with greater success if they hope to improve upon last year’s 4-8 disappointment.

“I think we’ve learned a lot from last season,” Campbell said. “We want to get back to having the ability to be really good on the ground.

“I think any time it’s a little bit of the unknown, there is a sense of excitement as a coach that you get to prove what you feel and what you see has a chance to come to fruition. I feel that way about that room.”

Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him at @TravisHines21.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Can Iowa State re-establish the run and find its next star?