It should be no surprise that Thomas Rawls is fighting hard to be ready for the start of training camp: After all, he has a lot of competition to stave off.

Sure, Pete Carroll said Rawls remains the main man replacing Marshawn Lynch — a right Rawls earned by the way he played as a rookie last season (830 yards in 12 games). But the Seahawks drafted three running backs, and Carroll has said they have big plans for third-rounder C.J. Prosise.

Carroll’s overarching theme is ComPete, and Rawls knows it is entirely possible that he loses the No. 1 job if he is slow to get back on the field and Prosise and fifth-rounder Alex Collins excel in his absence. There are only so many carries to go around — even in Seattle’s run-heavy offense.

While everyone else is taking a few weeks off before camp, Rawls is working hard to come back from the broken ankle he suffered against Baltimore in Week 14.

At Richard Sherman’s softball event Sunday, Rawls told The Seattle Times, “I’m looking forward to being out there the first week. Rehab has been going phenomenal this whole offseason. I don’t have a break because I have to work 10 times harder. I’m excited to come back and fill that void in the backfield.

“I’m working so hard to get back out there,” he added. “The only thing that I know is I work hard each day. After that, the results will play in when the time comes up.”

In the end, Rawls should prove worthy of remaining the starter, with Prosise and Collins contributing behind him.

As Carroll said after the draft, “I think the message of who we are and what we’re about has been Thomas. We’re really excited to continue to see that. … We’re hoping that the other guys can complement what we’re already getting from Thomas.”