When running backs James Williams, Gerard Wicks and Jamal Morrow committed to Washington State -- specifically, to Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense -- they all heard from plenty of doubters.

“People were telling me I was stupid for coming here,” Williams said. “They were like, ‘Dude, what are you doing? You’re never going to touch the ball.’”

Morrow added: “People were looking at me like, ‘There are going to be three running backs at Washington State? Leach doesn’t run the ball.’”

To be fair, those criticisms held a bit of water.

Wicks and Morrow signed in Washington State’s 2013 class, and in 2012 -- Leach’s first season in Pullman -- the Cougars rushed the ball a Pac-12 low 252 times for a Pac-12 worst 349 yards (the next-lowest was Colorado with 1,323 yards) and accounted for a Pac-12 low six rushing touchdowns. And all of that was while Wazzu led the conference with 624 pass attempts with its highest pass-catching running back receiving just 14 catches all season.

The Air Raid was making its mark in the Pac-12, and the commitments of these running backs raised a few eyebrows from folks who thought they should go elsewhere -- literally, anywhere else -- to have a better chance to be productive.

But all three backs had a different idea.

Through their recruiting, the coaching staff pointed to the NFL, where several running backs that had abilities in the pass game, both as a pass-catcher and in protection, were becoming more valuable. It was explained to them that the more productive the pass game became in Pullman, the more opportunities there would be to run the ball for a talented back or backs because teams would continue to drop so many defensive players into coverage.

If they wanted to play in the NFL (which all three did and do), then an offense where they could be used in the pass game and the run game could be helpful in projecting them there.

“[The NFL is] not only looking for these guys from back in the day, the Herschel Walkers or these big backs that run the ball 45 times a game,” Wicks said. “They want backs who can spread out, catch the ball out of the backfield, who can go to a slot and be like a one-on-one with a linebacker.”

But, of course, having running backs on the roster wasn’t enough to make Leach want to diversify his Air Raid offense too much. Especially when Leach had Connor Halliday or Luke Falk, using the run game in its traditional sense or using the running backs in the pass game wasn’t just going to happen.

“You’ve got to show them better than you tell them,” Williams said.

In 2014, when Wicks and Morrow were freshmen, they led the team in rush attempts and yards. Morrow finished fourth in receptions while Wicks finished 10th.

In 2015, Wicks and Morrow again finished as the team’s top two rushers and both accounted for at least 30 catches on the season. Still, it was behind the rest of the Pac-12, but it was a step for the two of them in the right direction and a harder push for running backs within the offense.

But 2016 proved to be a breakout year for the running backs within the Air Raid. Leach points to the growth of the Wicks, Williams and Morrow as well as the improvements of the offensive line as the reason for the trio's success.

All three accounted for at least 80 carries, which in and of itself was a huge development -- in Leach’s last 10 seasons coaching, he had only had two seasons in which he had registered two 80-carry running backs. But all three helped make the offense more well-rounded by being effective in the pass game. Morrow and Williams both tallied 48 catches apiece, while Wicks finished the season with 29.

“I’ve had some great running backs, "Leach said, "but I’ve never had three great running backs.”

With that kind of talent, Leach was able to make the offense more multi-pronged, rushing the ball on 35.3 percent of thee offensive plays and going to Williams, Wicks or Morrow in the pass game on 26.8 percent of pass attempts.

And so, even though Oregon is oft considered the “running back U” of the Pac-12, the Cougars joined the Ducks last season as the only two Pac-12 programs that finished the year with 2,500-plus scrimmage yards and 25-plus scrimmage touchdowns from its running backs. And the Cougars were one of just four programs nationally to register at least 1,000 receiving yards for its running backs.

So much Williams being “stupid” for going to Washington State or Morrow having strangers stare at him with a blank look.

Now the three have formed one of the most productive position units in the Pac-12 and a group that very well might change the way Leach’s Air Raid looks for seasons to come. With all three back in 2017, Leach says the Cougars have “the most productive running backs in the Pac-12.

“And we expect to keep it that way.”