Seeing Double

NOTE: The Kenny Gainwell-Kylan Warkins feature first appeared in the Sept. 26 Memphis Football GameDay program when the Tigers hosted Navy.

If Tiger Nation observes opposing defensive coaches squinting to make sure they're seeing which running back is in the game for Memphis, they're probably not the only ones.

Statistical personnel in the press box are likely doing the same. Opposing fans, too. Well, Memphis fans may well be included.

Since Patrick Taylor Jr. went out with an injury near the end of the season opener versus Ole Miss, the Tigers have turned a bulk of their backfield duties over to the "one-two" punch of Kenny Gainwell and Kylan Watkins. And it's caused some confusion because of the similarities between two first-year players.

"They (defense) don't know who's back there, so they got to think about it. It makes it kind of hard on them," said Gainwell.

Both are 5-foot-11 in height. Both are close in weight to each other (Gainwell at 191 pounds; Watkins at 178). Both wear jersey numbers that are close to each other. Gainwell is No. 19, while Watkins is No. 17.

Even two weeks ago in the Memphis victory over South Alabama, the duo put up numbers that nearly matched each other. Gainwell rushed for 145 yards and one touchdown, and Watkins gained 113 yards. As for their long rushes in the game, Gainwell had a 72-yard gain, and Watkins a 71-yarder.

The resemblances, though, end there, and Gainwell and Watkins explain.

"Kenny and I are two different backs," said Watkins, a redshirt sophomore. "We're both similar in our size and versatility, but we are different.

"I'm more of a finesse back. I rely on my vision and knowledge. Kenny's very aggressive. He's going to hit it and make a play."

Gainwell added, "I am a more power-type runner, and Kylan's more of a sprinter."

The two also come from different backgrounds. Gainwell is from a small town, Yazoo City, in Mississippi. Watkins is from Memphis. It's a mixture of a "little bit country, and a little bit rock 'n roll."

"I'm a country boy, and he's from the city," said Gainwell, a redshirt freshman. "I bring the country to him, and he brings the city to me. That's helped us to get to know each other better. He learns the country ways, and I learn the city ways."

Their paths getting on the football field at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level also took different routes. Gainwell joined the Tigers the conventional way. He signed with the program as a member of the 2018 class, redshirted last season and is playing in 2019.

"Kenny is an unbelievable young man," said running backs coach Anthony Jones. "He's very explosive with the ball in his hands. People forget that he's just a redshirt freshman, so he has some youthfulness to him. He's done a great job."

For Watkins, a local Memphis product, his course to the FBS was a little more circuitous. After a stellar prep career at Whitehaven High School, he signed with UT Martin and was a member of the Skyhawks' 2017 squad. Watkins redshirted that season, and after the campaign, he decided to transfer back home to Memphis. Due to NCAA transfer rules, Watkins had to sit out the 2018 season, setting up his collegiate debut in 2019.

"Kylan is awesome," said Jones, who game planned against Watkins' Whitehaven teams in high school when he was the head coach at Cordova. "If you think about it, before August 31 Kylan had not played in a football game since December of 2016. He had some nerves and pent-up excitement when the season started, but now he's started to settle down and grasp the offense more at an advanced level."

As the tandem's understanding of the game has grown, so too has their relationship on and off the field.

"We'll text each other and see if we want to catch or work on plays," said Watkins. "Whenever we have free time, we're trying to help each other get better."

That development has elevated the duo's relationship to a brotherhood level, where each one is rooting for the success of the other.

"We're at our best when we're selfless," said Gainwell. "When I see him (Kylan) doing great, I'm saying 'Keep going. Go score. Go score.' When he sees me doing great, he's telling me 'Go score. Go score.' We just feed off each other."

Watkins agreed, "We help each other. If I'm on the sideline and I see something that Kenny can do better, then I'll tell him. If he sees something, then he'll tell me. We both are hard workers. We really push each other on and off the field."

It's a chemistry and an energy that needs to continue for the Tigers to have continued success in 2019, and head coach Mike Norvell knows it.

"If you watch our offense, it's going to take multiple backs," Norvell said. "Those guys have to maximize their opportunities because we do have quality guys, and everyone wants more.

"This is a family, and you want to see your brothers do well. Obviously, they're competing against one another, but they're also pushing each other – pushing each other in the meeting room,pushing each other on the practice field. Then, on gameday, they're there to celebrate with each other. Those two feed off each other. It's a good dynamic."

University of Memphis Athletics

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Patrick Taylor Jr.

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