Turns out, the high-profile position switch that was the hot topic of the preseason wasn’t really a change at all.

More like a welcome reset.

A thoroughbred of a running back for his entire football life, Minnetonka’s Caleb Francois was moved to quarterback in 2023 in the wake of an injury to then-starter Milos Spasojevic.

Francois got his feet wet at his new position, playing two games in Spasojevic’s absence. In 2024 he took over the role full-time, galloping through gaps and slicing through seams for 1,624 yards and 24 touchdowns rushing. He added 828 yards and seven more scores through the air.

Operating from a read-option format, he led the Skippers within sniffing distance of a state championship, falling to Maple Grove 28-21 in the Class 6A championship game.

A banner year, obviously, but Francois was playing out of position. And with junior quarterback Caden Gutzmer ready to take the reins, was there more to be had from Francois?

“With Caden, and moving Caleb back to his natural position, it makes us more versatile,” Minnetonka coach Mark Esch said before the Skippers’ season opener.

But with the success Minnetonka had in 2024, there was still a little uncertainty about the move. After all, they were moving a player who led them to the Prep Bowl in 2024.

Would the move pay off? The answer was a resounding yes, with dividends showing almost immediately.

On Minnetonka’s third play from scrimmage in its season opener last week against East Ridge, Francois took a handoff, angled off left tackle, made an instinctive jump-cut to avoid a defender and exploded with a burst of velocity. He outraced the entire defense for a 70-yard touchdown, pulling away as he crossed the goal line.

“He’s a special player,” Esch said after the game

Francois, now a senior, was back in a familiar, more comfortable role. It looked like he never left, rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He even caught a pass for 18 yards, just the second reception of his career.

“It was kind of like second nature to me,” said Francois about the return to running back. “I didn’t really have to make many adjustments because I ran the ball a lot last year.”

When the Minnetonka coaches approached him with the idea of a return to his original position, Francois was almost relieved. Playing running back satisfied a desire for contact that he had been lacking in each of the past two seasons.

“I like hitting people, to be honest with you,” he said. “And I like the feeling of running [hard] to score touchdowns.”

Caleb’s father, Rodney Francois, a former all-conference linebacker at South Dakota State, is also Minnetonka’s running backs coach. The opportunity was a chance to be coached by his dad, something both father and son had been anticipating.

“We were both on board with the move,” Rodney said. “Playing running back, everything is more directed. But I don’t think it’s much of a change at all. Once you’re a running back, you’re a running back. You already have the vision. That’s natural. He just needed to get used to coming out of the backfield. It’s about going back to the basics … footwork, footspeed, accelerating through holes.”

Returning to the backfield is also expected to pay off after high school. Francois is committed to Iowa State at the running back position.

“It will help him at Iowa State,” Rodney said. “But I’m not worried about him. I’m just so proud of everything he’s done. I’m just gonna enjoy this ride with him one last time. You know, just have a good time with it.”