Wenkers Wright (32) has rushed for more than 100 yards in consecutive games for Illinois State. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
NORMAL – Wenkers Wright never thought for a second about entering the transfer portal.
“No, sir, never,” the Illinois State running back told Prairie State Pigskin with an emphatic shake of his head.
Perhaps that response comes as a surprise to many in today’s world of Division I collegiate athletics.
But to those who know him well, his response is as expected.
After listing off Wright’s attributes on the playing field, veteran ISU head coach Brock Spack paused and added, “He’s an even better person than he is a football player. And he’s a really good football player.”
Wright certainly has backed up his coach’s words this season.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior took over as ISU’s top back when preseason All-American Mason King went down with a season-ending knee injury in the opener at Iowa.
“It was super unfortunate for Mason that he got hurt. We were almost going to base our offense around him. He’s a solid back for us, and we wish him a quick recovery,” Wright said after Saturday’s 51-34 victory against Western Illinois at Hancock Stadium.
“But, it’s football (with) the next man up mentality,” he said.
After rushing for 36 yards on nine carries at Iowa, Wright has produced consecutive games of more than 100 yards rushing. Perhaps it’s also no coincidence that ISU won both games.
On Sept. 7, Wright ran for 153 yards as the Redbirds won at North Alabama. In addition, he enjoyed a 54-yard run and a 26-yard reception in that 24-17 victory.
Wright ran for 106 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season Saturday.
“It was my time to be up, and you’ve got to take any chance you get and capitalize,” Wright said.
Timing & trust
Starting quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse was in the same ISU recruiting class as Wright.
“We’ve been with each other since day one here,” Rittenhouse said, adding that both have emerged in similar circumstances.
While Wright rushed for 625 yards and two touchdowns in 2022, his carries went down substantially last season as King – a transfer from FBS Northern Illinois – took over the spotlight as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year.
As a result, Wright’s carries dropped from a career-high 161 two years ago to a mere 32 last fall. King, meanwhile, led the Redbirds with 150 carries that produced 983 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“We’ve been very patient with our timing,” said Rittenhouse, who started the final two games last year when Zack Annexstad suffered a season-ending injury.
This season, Rittenhouse has started all three games and seen the most snaps out of a two-quarterback system with Jake Rubley, a transfer from Kansas State.
“I’ve got all the trust in him,” Rittenhouse said of Wright, “and I’m sure he trusts me. It’s always good to have him back there with me.”
With only this week’s rivalry game with Eastern Illinois left on the non-conference schedule, Spack is comfortable with Wright as his feature back when ISU starts its MVFC slate Sept. 28 against North Dakota State.
“He’s always been a very steady and tough downhill type of running back,” Spack said. “He can catch the football. He’s worked really hard on his ball skills. He’s good in (pass) protection. He’s a good route runner. He does a lot of things well.”
Spack compared Wright to running back Sam Ojuri, who was the leading rusher for three straight FCS national championship teams at North Dakota State (2011-13). Ojuri is now Wright’s position coach at ISU.
“He’s built like Sam,” Spack said. “He’s tall, long, big, strong, a hard-running back. That’s what you’ve got to have in our league.”
Spack finds delight in an athlete the likes of Wright.
“(He deserves) all of the success and all of the accolades,” said Spack, a father and grandfather. “I really enjoy it when it comes to a player like that. He really does his life the right way. He’s a tremendous kid.”
Of course, the 16th year ISU head coach also delights in an athlete the likes of Wright.
“Thank God we’ve got a pretty good running game right now,” he said.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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