Ask Farrell: Which three-star RB will emerge in 2020 class?
The national championship game was a good example of spotlighting under-ranked running backs as Clemson’s Travis Etienne and LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire were both three-star prospects coming out of high school.
Over the years, there have been plenty of under-ranked players at that position, although the list is not as long as other positions.
Still, it was definitely a miss to have Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill as a three-star prospect, especially with his outstanding speed and playmaking ability. He has more than outlived that ranking during his time in Stillwater.
Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson had a huge freshman season to make it look like his three-star ranking was a miss, but then he dramatically came back down to earth as a sophomore.
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Missouri’s Larry Rountree, Arkansas’ Rakeem Boyd and many others over the years certainly have an argument that their ranking was too low although - if anything - there have been some over-ranks among running backs rather than the other way around.
Which brings us to the 2020 class as we search for some three-star running backs who could outplay their rankings in the coming years.
Leading the way at running back among three-stars is Ole Miss’ Kentrel Bullock followed by Iowa’s Gavin Williams, Oregon’s Trey Benson, Mississippi State’s Dillon Johnson and Minnesota’s Ky Thomas at No. 28 at the position.
But let’s also not forget all-purpose backs because there could be some hidden gems among that group as well.
Utah’s Ty Jordan, Stanford’s Casey Filkins, Kentucky’s Jutahn McClain and Tennessee’s Jabari Small are the ranked three-stars among that group.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to name some three-star running backs who will outplay their ranking in college and shine in backfields across the country in the coming years?
“I’m going with Jutahn McClain at Kentucky. No, this won’t be Benny Snell part two as McClain isn’t built to be a workhorse but he can be a valuable asset in the Kentucky offense. McClain could really cause some matchup problems depending on how he’s used. He’s an odd pick for me because there’s no chance he’ll be a high NFL Draft pick based on his current size, but he’s going to be a leader on that offense. The Wildcats will get him in space quite a bit. Keep an eye out for him on an improving Kentucky roster.”