[Goose]

hasn't Shaw also said in the past that playing time for RBs is influenced by their ability to pick up blitzes?

Indeed he has. It requires both the ability to block when necessary, and even more important, the ability to recognize when/who to block. CMAC often made blitzes risky for the defense because he could take a quick dump-off to the house. However, lots of times he had to recognize the blitz and stay in to block. I have no idea to what extent that recognition held him out his freshman year. It also required a while for Hogan to see him as the first option on quick pass patterns. While those plays were always in the play book, CMAC made them much more prominent because of his skill in running the pattern and YAC.

[Goose]

hasn't Shaw also said in the past that playing time for RBs is influenced by their ability to pick up blitzes?

Indeed he has. It requires both the ability to block when necessary, and even more important, the ability to recognize when/who to block. CMAC often made blitzes risky for the defense because he could take a quick dump-off to the house. However, lots of times he had to recognize the blitz and stay in to block. I have no idea to what extent that recognition held him out his freshman year. It also required a while for Hogan to see him as the first option on quick pass patterns. While those plays were always in the play book, CMAC made them much more prominent because of his skill in running the pattern and YAC.