Column: Treshaun Ward Has Always Made the Most of His FSU Opportunity
With Jashuan Corbin now a member of the NFL's New York Giants, the face of the Florida State running backs room entering 2022 might just be Treshaun Ward.
Entering his fourth season, Ward enjoyed a career year in 2021. Ward finished with 515 yards rushing, 700 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns.A native of Tampa, Ward was a 3-star prospect out of high school, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Ward had offers from the likes of Maryland, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Oregon, Nebraska and Virginia Tech among others.
He turned them all down to walk on at FSU.The Seminoles certainly have a significant history when it comes to walk-ons. Monk Bonasorte and Andre Wadsworth are two of the first to come to mind.
When Ward arrived at FSU, he was buried on the depth chart behind the likes of Cam Akers, Khalan Laborn and Anthony Grant. One thing that Ward has always done, however, is make the most of his opportunity.
Finally, a Chance
Not expected to see the field at all as a true freshman, Ward was first thrust into action for the Sun Bowl in 2019. With Laborn gone and Akers forgoing the game to focus on the NFL Draft, Ward proved he was ready. Against an Arizona State team that ranked third in the Pac-12 in rushing defense, Ward finished with 44 yards on 10 carries in his first action as the Seminoles dropped a 20-14 heartbreaker.
Despite the strong finish, Ward didn't see the football again until the 2020 finale against Duke. At a position that featured Corbin, La'Damian Webb and Lawrance Toafili, Ward was again buried on the depth chart.When his opportunity came, Ward was again ready.Ward managed just two carries against the Blue Devils. His first went for a 26-yard touchdown. His second went for 28 yards and a first down in a 56-35 victory.For the second year in a row, Ward finished the season strong. Still, he entered the 2021 season largely as an afterthought.
A Larger Role
With the transfer of Webb and Toafili fighting through injuries early on, Ward became an intricate part of the offense.Sharing time with Corbin and Toafili, Ward ranked second on the team in yards from scrimmage. His 6.4 yards per carry average led the ACC. Ward also finished fifth on the team with 21 receptions and first among running backs with 185 yards receiving.
What's Next?
For FSU, there is plenty of talent in the running backs room. The speedy and versatile Toafili returns. Oregon transfer Trey Benson has also made a good early impression.With stiff internal competition, it remains to be seen whether or not Ward becomes the feature back for FSU. What we do know is that when Ward gets an opportunity, he's sure to make the most of it.
Mike Ferguson is the lead writer for Double Fries No Slaw. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike's work by liking his Facebook page.
