Jamaal Charles seems to have become the whipping boy for whatever ails a mediocre offense at the University of Texas. He’ll never live down the goal line fumble against Oklahoma, nor the pass that bounced off his hands, and now the word seems to be that his running style just isn’t right for the Longhorns spread attack.

Read what’s being written and the sentiment seems to be for reducing the former Memorial star’s role in favor of more carries for his backup, Vondrell McGee. McGee’s a better “downhill” runner say the football geniuses making the evaluations. Jamaal just isn’t a north-south runner they contend.

One writer in Austin has even gone so far as to suggest the Longhorns might be better off using him as a receiver. A coach at Kansas did that with Gale Sayers one year. What an idiot.

In the face of this foolishness, a hometown writer who is admittedly biased toward Charles is going to offer up three opinions in his support. Draw your own conclusions.

First up is Kansas State coach Ron Prince, whose Wildcats upset Texas in Austin a month ago. Charles ran well against Prince’s team, getting 72 yards on 17 carries and moving UT boss Mack Brown to lament later than the Longhorns should have given him the ball more.

Texas, of course, as it always is with Greg Davis calling the shots, was hell bent on throwing the ball all over the place. That led to four Colt McCoy interceptions and also caused him to take a serious physical pounding.

Anyway, here’s what Prince had to say about Charles.

“He’s a pro in every sense of the word. He is a dynamic runner and has no problem catching the ball out of the backfield. Right now, he is probably the most dynamic runner in the league.”

Yeah, but he’s not a good fit for Greg Davis’ offense.

Then there’s Earl Campbell, the former Heisman Trophy winner and the greatest running back to ever play for the Longhorns. Earl has sort of taken Jamaal under his wing, and he too is troubled by the offensive philosophy and how No. 25 is being used.

Campbell made these observations in a telephone conversation from Austin Tuesday morning.

“First of all, Jamaal is a very good kid who reminds me a lot of myself in that he’s quiet and doesn’t say much. He seems to be a kid who is searching for something, wondering about something and what this is I don’t know. What I do know is he’s a really special kid and I think a lot of him.

“He’s got that fumbleitis thing on him and that’s unfortunate. The fumble in the Oklahoma game, the guy just hit the ball right. I would have fumbled on that one, a lot of guys would have. But I disagree with the way they aren’t using him on the goal line any more because of that.

“I don’t think he’s being given a chance right now. I think he needs to get the ball six or seven times in a row and see what happens. Running backs get better the more they get the ball. The longer the game goes and the more he gets the ball, the better a guy like him will run.

“But he has to have the opportunity to get to that point, and it’s not happening. He’s not getting the chance to get heated up. With a running back as good as he is, you need to hang with him through good and bad and you will be rewarded.