Another early-enrollee freshman who stood out this Spring is Washington running back Adam Mohammed. The three-star recruit was the No. 28 player in the state of Arizona and initially committed to play for Jedd Fisch and staff in Tucson. Mohammed was somewhat under-recruited out of Apollo High School. The running back had only four Power Four offers including Arizona. But the staff in Tucson noticed a hidden gem. Amidst the coaching change in January, Mohammed followed Fisch and that staff to Washington.
Adam Mohammed as a Recruit
Though he did not receive national attention as a recruit, Mohammed put up tremendous stats for the Apollo Hawks. He rushed for 5,180 yards and scored 94 touchdowns on the ground throughout his four-year career. 2,147 of those yards came during Mohammed’s senior season, he averaged over 11 yards per touch. He was also impactful in the receiving game, catching 11 touchdown passes with over 700 career receiving yards in four years. On top of all that, Mohammed also got snaps at quarterback. He threw for over 200 yards and a touchdown as a junior.
This kind of resume and versatility at the high school level had new Washington running backs coach Scottie Graham locked in on him. “That’s a football player. I’m like, ‘I want him,’ he’s not going to be a liability,” Graham told us after practice this Spring.
Mohammed’s high school tape shows a player who can move laterally and be patient behind the line of scrimmage. But he can then quickly accelerate into the second level of the defense and get downfield. Mohammed also showed big-play capability at the high school level. In each of his final three years at Apollo, he had at least one rush of more than 95 yards.
Mohammed’s Transition to College Football
Through his first spring of college football, the skill set he built in high school seemed to translate well. When you watch Mohammed in the Washington backfield, it’s very easy to question how he was only listed as a three-star. The stats were impressive in high school, but his physicality stands out the most. The true freshman is listed as six feet tall and 200 pounds, and he does not look like a true freshman. Graham told us that he was at 205 pounds at the end of the Spring.
The running backs coach said, “He’s 205, when he gets to 220 he’s going to be lunch money.” “Lunch money” is a term that Graham uses to describe a guy who ‘takes your lunch money’ in high school. His analogy got a laugh, but Graham is serious when describing Mohammed. A “lunch money” kid is an imposing, physical football player. And that’s exactly what Graham believes Mohammed will become in this Washington backfield.
The Washington Running Backs
Mohammed is poised to be one of the running backs of the future in this room at Washington. The coaching staff is high on him and has mentioned his work ethic during practice. “He works so hard, and he’s so passionate about what he does,” Graham said of Mohammed. As a true freshman, one of the most important things to have going for you is a motivated attitude and it appears Mohammed has it.
In front of him, Jonah Coleman and Cam Davis are presumably at the top of the depth chart. Sam Adams II and Daniyel Ngata are also in the room. Despite that, Mohammed was able to play meaningful snaps this Spring with Davis and Adams both being limited. It allowed Mohammed to see the field with the “first-team” offense on several occasions this Spring. He runs with intention and quickness with a frame that allows him to bring a more physical aspect to the ground. When he gets to that weight threshold where Graham wants him, Mohammed could become a premier back on Montlake.
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