The Quiet Man – Lawton’s Actions Do the Football Talking
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - If you want loud and cocky in your running backs room, look elsewhere. If you want a guy who does the job, who runs hard, who catches and blocks, who breaks tackles and who, occasionally, busts a big play, consider Ty Son Lawton.
Head coach Curt Cignetti and his staff certainly have, recruiting him first to James Madison and now Indiana. He’s set to make his Hoosier debut in Saturday afternoon’s season opener against FIU.
“Lawton is capable of making the big play,” Cignetti says. “He catches the ball extremely well. He’s good inside the 10-yard line, and he's got an extra gear.”
The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Lawton doesn’t dominate with brashness. Not when a soft word and a big play work just as well.
“I’m the quiet guy,” he says. “I’m more of a leader by showing what I can do on the field.”
Cignetti vouches for that.
“He's had a lot of success,” the coach says. “He's a confident guy. He doesn't talk very much. He doesn't say much. But on game day, he shows up and you know who he is.”
Do-it-all running backs are crucial in 21st Century football, and Lawton’s skill set fits perfectly. Last season, his first at James Madison after transferring from New York’s Stony Brook University, he rushed for 568 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 171 yards and another TD.
“I have good hands,” he says. “I can catch out of the backfield. I can be like another receiver. That plays a part in today’s football.”
IU’s offensive line, led by veterans Mike Katic and Carter Smith, have made a big impression for a running back who prefers to run to daylight rather than congestion.
“These guys are bigger, for sure,” Lawton says with a smile when comparing the size of the Hoosiers’ line to James Madison’s. “In camp, I saw a lot of huge holes. I’m ready to see the same holes on Saturdays.”
Lawton projects as part of a three-running back game rotation. The others are fellow James Madison transfer Kaelon Black and Wake Forest transfer Justice Ellison.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Black totaled 1,869 all-purpose yards in four seasons at James Madison. He ran for 1,305 yards and five TDs, and he caught 44 passes for 486 yards and six touchdowns.
The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Ellison rushed for 1,909 yards and 15 touchdowns in four seasons at Wake Forest. He added 24 catches for 163 yards and one TD. As a junior, while rushing for 707 yards and six touchdowns, he made third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference.
“They're all very similar,” Cignetti says. “They can take it between the tackles. They can get the ball outside. They can catch the ball out of the backfield, and they're good pass pro guys.”
Solomon Vanhorse and Elijah Green are also in the running back mix. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Vanhorse played in 37 games at James Madison and once returned a kickoff for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and caught a pass for a touchdown, all in the same game, against Towson in 2020. The 6-foot, 207-pound Green rushed for nearly 700 yards in 26 games at North Carolina.
It’s unlikely any Hoosier will consistently get 20 or more carries in a game, so maximizing opportunities -- by run, reception and block – are crucial.
Lawton is all in.
“We got a lot of experience, and we're very versatile,” he says. “We have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. I’m excited to see how we do.”
That depth, Lawton adds, “Lets us know that we have to keep going. We can't take any practice for granted. We have to make sure we stay healthy, stay in the training room and do all the little things right. Also make sure that Coach trusts us when we go out there on Saturdays.”
Lawton was an all-conference running back at Stony Brook, rushing for 2,092 yards and 21 touchdowns over five seasons. He transferred to James Madison last year and finished second on the team with 568 yards and five touchdowns.
“At Stony Brook, I was the guy,” Lawton says. “At JMU, I got humbled. I never took practice as serious until I got under Coach Cignetti. That made me a better player.”
So did playing with Black and Vanhorse.
“Seeing how they practiced at JMU,” Lawton says, “pushed me to be a better running back.”
Lawton had originally expected to declare for the NFL Draft last season. But an injury caused him to decide to enter the transfer portal, and when Cignetti offered an IU scholarship, Lawton took it.
“Coach Cignetti gave me an opportunity at JMU. I had a great time there. Luckily for me, he had a job offer here. He invited me again. I am very blessed for the opportunity.
“I understand his way of coaching. He’s a hell of a coach. He’s very good at taking care of his players.”
Last year, James Madison went 11-1 during the regular season to continue Cignetti’s history of never having a losing record as a head coach. That was important to Lawton, who had helped his New York City high school team win a pair of conference titles while compiling a 23-1 record in its last two seasons, then endured a series of losing seasons at Stony Brook.
“With Coach Cignetti, it was the winning mindset,” Lawton says. “I wanted to get that winning feeling again. After going 11-1 last season, I feel we can do that here this year.”