Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey had a fine rookie year in 2017. The No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft had 1,086 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns in 197 total touches, although he didn’t have as many touches as expected on the ground.

That could very well change in his second season, though, as Panthers head coach Ron Rivera believes McCaffrey is capable of taking on a heavier workload — particularly on the ground — much like what he did in college.

“Everybody forgets when he was in college he ran between the tackles more than anybody and he touched the ball more than anybody,” Rivera said per David Newton of ESPN. “So I don't see why not.”

McCaffrey was an all-purpose machine for Stanford during his collegiate days, but he did a good amount of his damage on the ground. He toted the ball a total of 590 times over a two-year span, picking up 3,622 rushing yards in the process.

McCaffrey will share some carries this season with C.J. Anderson, who was signed to replace the departed Jonathan Stewart. But even with Anderson’s presence, the second-year back should still get a lot more than the 117 carries he got in his rookie year.

McCaffrey has already been busy preparing his body this offseason, adding more muscle and strength to handle the added touches on the ground. And with new offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s track record of prioritizing the running game, McCaffrey should get a good number of carries in the Carolina offense this season.