The Williamson native and former Pike County High School Pirate was an unheralded member of the 2018 recruiting class, and his numbers in 2019 won’t knock anyone over.
Flemister carried the ball 48 times for 162 yards, averaging just 3.4 yards per attempt.
Certainly not the kind of production that will get fans excited, but there’s a lot more to what Flemister showed in 2019 than those numbers. Flemister was second on the team with five rushing touchdowns, and he showed flashes of being a productive back.
His season didn’t start off well, with Flemister rushing for just three yards on 10 carries in the first two games. The rest of the season, if you take away his short-yardage touchdown runs, Flemister averaged 4.4 yards on 35 carries. Again, not great numbers, but certainly more indicative of the kind of 2019 campaign he had.
If Flemister wants to earn more touches and be a more integral part of the offense his game will need to make significant strides in the fall.
TOOLS FOR SUCCESS
Flemister has some impressive tools to work with, of that there is no doubt. The rising junior won’t blow you away with home run vertical speed, but he is quick, shows impressive balance (when his technique is right) and his herky-jerky running style belies how elusive he can be.
The 5-11, 200-pound back possesses a strong initial burst, and he can put his foot in the ground and get through the hole in a hurry.
He’s not a juker in space, but Flemister has the natural instincts to make people miss. By that I mean he knows how to set up blocks, use angles to get the defender to react and then make his move.
Flemister has enough juice that if he can clean up his game, which I will discuss below, he could start ripping off more and more long runs if he gets the touches; or should I say, earns the touches.
TOUGH RUNNER
One part of Flemister’s game that often goes unnoticed, or perhaps unappreciated, is how tough he is with the ball. The issue at this point is that he lacks the strength to punish people, but the young back is more than willing to mix it up, and on multiple occasions last season he lowered his shoulder and tried to do damage to the defense.
There’s a reason the coaching staff gave him as many goal line opportunities as they did, because Flemister will not only stick his foot in the ground and get vertical in a hurry, he’s willing to lower his shoulder and stick.
Another year in the weight room should allow Flemister to be even more effective in these situations and stay up after contact more than we saw last season.