In his inaugural season in Tuscaloosa, Huff helped Najee Harris rush for a career-best 1,224 yards on 209 carries with 13 rushing touchdowns while catching 27 passes for 304 yards and seven more scores. Brian Robinson Jr. added 441 rushing yards and five scores while then-freshman Keilan Robinson added 254 yards and two touchdowns. In 2020, Harris was a consensus All-American who led the nation in total touchdowns (30), rushing touchdowns (26) and points (180). He also ranked third nationally in rushing yards (1,466) and holds the school record for total touchdowns (57), rushing touchdowns (46) and rushing yards (3,843).

Huff arrived in Tuscaloosa after one season (2018) as the assistant head coach, run-game coordinator and running backs coach at Mississippi State. He boasts 16 years of coaching experience on both the NFL and college levels with stops at Penn State (2014-17), Western Michigan (2013), the Buffalo Bills (2012), Vanderbilt (2011), Hampton (2010), Maryland (2009) and Tennessee State (2006-08).

His one season in Starkville produced an effective rushing attack that averaged 223.6 yards per game to rank second in the SEC and 20th nationally. Kylin Hill and Aeris Williams carried the load at running back, averaging 6.3 and 6.2 yards per carry, respectively, while quarterback Nick Fitzgerald led the team in rushing with 1,121 yards and 13 touchdowns.

A native of Denton, Maryland, Huff spent four seasons (2014-17) as Penn State’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator. He recruited and developed one of the game’s most electrifying players in running back Saquon Barkley, who in 2018 became the highest drafted NFL running back since Reggie Bush went No. 2 overall in 2006.

Barkley, who was called with the second overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2018 draft, produced a dynamic rookie season, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added 91 receptions for 721 yards and four more scores to amass 2,028 yards from scrimmage on his way to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors at season’s end.

Numerous records fell at the running back position and on special teams under Huff’s guidance at Penn State. Barkley, a 2017 consensus All-American, became the first Big Ten running back in history to win Offensive Player of the Year honors twice. A Walter Camp National Player of the Year finalist, Barkley ranked second nationally in all-purpose yards in 2017 (2,329). He broke four school career records, including rushing touchdowns (43), total touchdowns (53), all-purpose yards (5,538) and consecutive games with a touchdown (15) in just three seasons.

The 2016 campaign saw the Nittany Lions claim the Big Ten Championship and it was Huff who mentored two record-breakers. Barkley broke the Penn State sophomore record for rushing yards (1,496), all-purpose yards (1,972) and points scored (132), while junior kicker Tyler Davis collected All-Big Ten first-team honors after tying the league’s single-season record for kicking points (128) and breaking the school record for field goals by a junior (22) and consecutive field goals made (18).

Huff recruited Barkley to Penn State, and his freshman season of 2015 was spectacular. The Freshman All-American broke the school’s single-season freshman rushing record with 1,076 yards. He was named the Big Ten Network’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year in the process.