The Louisville Colonels have signed running back Travis McLeod to a one-season contract worth $58,500 per season, adding a player Clifford Van Horn described as a physical runner who can contribute in demanding situations.

Van Horn said McLeod was the right fit because he is “a tough, physical runner who is also a great leader and can get the hard yards.” The Colonels expect him to be productive playing behind the team’s offensive line.

The deal gives Louisville another option at running back for the coming season, while leaving longer-term decisions at the position open. Van Horn cautioned against reading a broader personnel plan into the contract length, saying the one-year term was “just the market rate.”

For local fans, the immediate question will be how quickly McLeod fits into the offensive approach and how the full running back group performs once practice begins. Van Horn said evaluations will start right away.

“The moment we hit the practice field,” he said, “we want to see all of our players develop and get better.”

Van Horn said he will rely heavily on the offensive staff when making decisions involving the running backs. He identified a broad set of priorities for McLeod and the rest of the group, agreeing that pass protection, short-yardage performance, ball security and leadership all matter in the evaluation process.

He also offered specific on-field signs for fans to watch as practices begin: protecting the football, making sound decisions in the running game, blocking and catching passes out of the backfield. Van Horn pointed to details such as making the correct cut behind zone blocking and showing patience to follow a guard through the hole on gap-scheme plays.

Those responsibilities can determine whether a back remains on the field in a variety of situations, not only when carrying the ball. McLeod’s ability to meet them, along with the development of the other backs, will inform Louisville’s choices as it assesses depth at the position.

Van Horn did not lay out a separate timetable or set of standards unique to running back beyond the team’s usual process, saying the club will take “the same steps we would take at any other position.” For now, the Colonels have made a one-season addition and set out the fundamentals they want their running backs to show when work begins.