From that moment at the end of December when tailback Aaron Jones announced he was headed to the NFL draft, his departure cast a large shadow over the UTEP football program.
In Friday's first scrimmage of spring ball, Quadraiz Wadley took a big step into the sunlight.
The sophomore who spent last season as Jones' understudy, in his first stab as the featured tailback in a run-first offense, turned nine carries into 72 yards and two touchdowns, mixing elusiveness and quick shifts with power in an impressive morning.
"It showed what I could do," Wadley said.