Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
“He was jumping at the front of the line” - Credle flips into starring role in Blue Raider Rushing Attack
9/20/2023 5:24:00 PM | Football
The Northern Illinois transfer made the most of his opportunity in his first start as a Blue Raider
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart wished he had a cooler reason why everyone calls Jaiden Credle "Flip," as he did when he first introduced Credle to the Middle Tennessee fanbase on National Signing Day earlier this year.
The Columbus, Ga. running back explained months later that it was a childhood nickname from his mother, a product of how a young Credle would get out the endless energy he had at that age.
"My mom was just paying attention to me and sometimes I used to just get up, run, do a flip out of the bed," Credle said. "Get up run, fall out of the bed, do a flip. So, she ended up naming me Flip."
What made Stewart and the rest of the Blue Raiders' coaching staff excited about Credle wasn't the flipping (Credle's go-to was and is the backflip, though he's fond of the front flip and side flip as well), but everything else that made Credle a highly sought after back out of Carver High School in Columbus.
"He's an electric runner, has home run speed," Stewart said back in January. "That dude, he can really roll, along with doing flips."
Blue Raider fans got to see that guy really roll on Saturday, when he ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run in his first career start at MTSU.
MTSU had initially missed out on Credle, who started his college career at Northern Illinois in 2022 after committing to them early in the recruiting process as a prep athlete. An all-state selection his senior year in 2021, Credle ran for 2,162 yards on 216 carries in 14 games, averaging 154.4 yards per game, 10.0 yards per carry and scored 27 rushing touchdowns. Running backs coach Jeff Beckles said that Credle's size (six-foot-one, 193 pounds) along with his skillset made him a must target.
"His size was big, but he didn't run like a big back," Beckles said. "He had a lot of fluidity in him. He was that bigger back that we were looking for, the ones that are hard to tackle. We definitely liked how he ran."
Credle said he committed to Northern Illinois in large part due to the Huskies' head coach, Thomas Hammock, who came back to his alma mater after serving as Running Backs coach for John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens staff. Getting mentored by a coach that had spent so much time in the NFL was a big selling point for leaving the southeastern United States for DeKalb, Illinois.
His freshman year was successful, as Credle appeared in seven games while starting the final three games of the season, compiling 288 yards on 72 carries and a touchdown. But a multitude of reasons led Credle to seek greener pastures at the end of the season, including the culture shock of playing football in in the Midwest.
"I had a better environment, the sun and the heat," Credle said of his time playing football in Georgia. "There's a lot of things that lead to it."
Credle particularly remembers the Huskies' penultimate game of the season against Miami (OH), at home in Dekalb, where the temperature was –12ºF at kickoff and snow fell throughout the game. Credle had a 55-yard rush on the NIU offense's first play from scrimmage (0:15). But how do the hits a running back takes feel in –12 F?
"It feels like a cold migraine," Credle said.
Helping MTSU get in the game on Credle's portal recruitment was his familiarity with the team through some friends from Columbus that were already Blue Raiders, including cornerback Emmanuel Mann and quarterback DJ Riles, who was Credle's teammate at Carver, as well as the open lines of communication Beckles and Head Coach Rick Stockstill kept with Credle even after he signed with the Huskies.
"The old thing, whenever somebody committed to somewhere else, you cut them off, removed them from Twitter, all that kind of stuff," Beckles said. "Now, you keep hold of them and make sure they can get a hold of you."
Middle Tennessee was able to get a hold of him out of the portal early enough to have Credle enroll for spring practice in 2023, where Credle immediately made an impression with his teammates on the field, and his teammates made an impression on him off of it.
"When I got to NIU, the love wasn't there," Credle said. "But as soon as I got here, everybody showed me a lot of love."
In a crowded running back room, breaking into the rotation was a challenge every day that spring. But Credle's natural ability, both in the power running game that he excelled in at NIU as well as the speed, perimeter game that MTSU asks their backs to do more of in Stewart's spread out scheme, quickly pushed him into getting important reps, eventually leading to Credle starting the season as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart behind long-time incumbent Frank Peasant.
And when Peasant was unable to go against Murray State this past weekend, Beckles knew Credle had put in the work to make the most of his chance.
"In his mind, that's where he should've been in the first place and he played with a lot of confidence," Beckles said. "He approached it as though he was the starter every day of camp. He was jumping at the front of the line. We'd get in the huddle and break it down and he'd speak up."
After games like Saturday, where Credle finished the night with 132 yards rushing on just 11 carries and a pair of touchdowns, one on the ground and one receiving, it's easy to forget Credle is in just his second year of college football. Beckles said that means that there's still so much more room for growth for the Columbus native, particularly in pre-play recognition of blitzes and where the holes will be, which will only come with time.
But outside zone runs, like the one Credle broke on Saturday, already show what a weapon "Flip" has been early in his time in Murfreesboro.
"It's a tempo type play," Beckles said. "You can tell right when they see the hole because you can see a change of speed. Right when I saw that change of speed, I knew he was going to get outside, I was just wondering if he was going to stay in bounds."
The Columbus, Ga. running back explained months later that it was a childhood nickname from his mother, a product of how a young Credle would get out the endless energy he had at that age.
"My mom was just paying attention to me and sometimes I used to just get up, run, do a flip out of the bed," Credle said. "Get up run, fall out of the bed, do a flip. So, she ended up naming me Flip."
What made Stewart and the rest of the Blue Raiders' coaching staff excited about Credle wasn't the flipping (Credle's go-to was and is the backflip, though he's fond of the front flip and side flip as well), but everything else that made Credle a highly sought after back out of Carver High School in Columbus.
"He's an electric runner, has home run speed," Stewart said back in January. "That dude, he can really roll, along with doing flips."
Blue Raider fans got to see that guy really roll on Saturday, when he ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run in his first career start at MTSU.
71 yards to the HOUSE 🙌@21_jaiden breaks down his big run in his Floyd Stadium debut.#BLUEnited | #EATT pic.twitter.com/aA5Phduvsl
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) September 20, 2023
MTSU had initially missed out on Credle, who started his college career at Northern Illinois in 2022 after committing to them early in the recruiting process as a prep athlete. An all-state selection his senior year in 2021, Credle ran for 2,162 yards on 216 carries in 14 games, averaging 154.4 yards per game, 10.0 yards per carry and scored 27 rushing touchdowns. Running backs coach Jeff Beckles said that Credle's size (six-foot-one, 193 pounds) along with his skillset made him a must target.
"His size was big, but he didn't run like a big back," Beckles said. "He had a lot of fluidity in him. He was that bigger back that we were looking for, the ones that are hard to tackle. We definitely liked how he ran."
Credle said he committed to Northern Illinois in large part due to the Huskies' head coach, Thomas Hammock, who came back to his alma mater after serving as Running Backs coach for John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens staff. Getting mentored by a coach that had spent so much time in the NFL was a big selling point for leaving the southeastern United States for DeKalb, Illinois.
His freshman year was successful, as Credle appeared in seven games while starting the final three games of the season, compiling 288 yards on 72 carries and a touchdown. But a multitude of reasons led Credle to seek greener pastures at the end of the season, including the culture shock of playing football in in the Midwest.
"I had a better environment, the sun and the heat," Credle said of his time playing football in Georgia. "There's a lot of things that lead to it."
Credle particularly remembers the Huskies' penultimate game of the season against Miami (OH), at home in Dekalb, where the temperature was –12ºF at kickoff and snow fell throughout the game. Credle had a 55-yard rush on the NIU offense's first play from scrimmage (0:15). But how do the hits a running back takes feel in –12 F?
"It feels like a cold migraine," Credle said.
Helping MTSU get in the game on Credle's portal recruitment was his familiarity with the team through some friends from Columbus that were already Blue Raiders, including cornerback Emmanuel Mann and quarterback DJ Riles, who was Credle's teammate at Carver, as well as the open lines of communication Beckles and Head Coach Rick Stockstill kept with Credle even after he signed with the Huskies.
"The old thing, whenever somebody committed to somewhere else, you cut them off, removed them from Twitter, all that kind of stuff," Beckles said. "Now, you keep hold of them and make sure they can get a hold of you."
Middle Tennessee was able to get a hold of him out of the portal early enough to have Credle enroll for spring practice in 2023, where Credle immediately made an impression with his teammates on the field, and his teammates made an impression on him off of it.
"When I got to NIU, the love wasn't there," Credle said. "But as soon as I got here, everybody showed me a lot of love."
In a crowded running back room, breaking into the rotation was a challenge every day that spring. But Credle's natural ability, both in the power running game that he excelled in at NIU as well as the speed, perimeter game that MTSU asks their backs to do more of in Stewart's spread out scheme, quickly pushed him into getting important reps, eventually leading to Credle starting the season as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart behind long-time incumbent Frank Peasant.
And when Peasant was unable to go against Murray State this past weekend, Beckles knew Credle had put in the work to make the most of his chance.
"In his mind, that's where he should've been in the first place and he played with a lot of confidence," Beckles said. "He approached it as though he was the starter every day of camp. He was jumping at the front of the line. We'd get in the huddle and break it down and he'd speak up."
After games like Saturday, where Credle finished the night with 132 yards rushing on just 11 carries and a pair of touchdowns, one on the ground and one receiving, it's easy to forget Credle is in just his second year of college football. Beckles said that means that there's still so much more room for growth for the Columbus native, particularly in pre-play recognition of blitzes and where the holes will be, which will only come with time.
But outside zone runs, like the one Credle broke on Saturday, already show what a weapon "Flip" has been early in his time in Murfreesboro.
"It's a tempo type play," Beckles said. "You can tell right when they see the hole because you can see a change of speed. Right when I saw that change of speed, I knew he was going to get outside, I was just wondering if he was going to stay in bounds."
Players Mentioned
Friday, April 03
Thursday, March 19
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, January 13
