Best of the best: Top RB classes in 2020 cycle
National Signing Day has come and gone. Recruiting classes are all but finished and the results are ready to be dissected. Today, Rivals.com’s position-by-position look at the 2020 cycles rolls forward with a look at the running back spot, where Georgia tops the list and No. 1 prospect Zach Evans is yet to choose a school.
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1. GEORGIA
The Bulldogs two-man haul was headlined by five-star Kendall Milton, who Kirby Smart and company managed to pull out of California and lure to the other side of the county. Milton chose UGA over a long list of powerhouse schools closer to his West Coast home.
The second running back in the Dawgs’ class would function as the first in that of most other programs, as Rivals250 prospect Daijun Edwards gives the position a rare level of depth. Edwards is a state-of-Georgia- product and picked the in-state school over offers from Florida State, Tennessee, Auburn and others.
2. CLEMSON
Five-star Demarckus Bowman leads the way for Clemson, which landed the touted prospect despite the fact that he attended a traditional University of Florida feeder high school just 122 miles away from UF’s campus. Bowman chose the Tigers relatively early in the process and stayed true to his pledge until the end. Joining Bowman in the Clemson running back class is Kobe Pryor, a big back with the kind of power that will compliment Bowman’s speed and shiftiness.
3. ALABAMA
The only school to land more than one Rivals100 running back, Alabama has restocked its cupboard at the position and has to be thrilled about the duo it signed. Jase McCleelan is the higher ranked of the two at No. 65 overall. He chose the Tide over Oklahoma and the programs in his home state of Texas. Roydell Williams, who sits at No. 90 in the Rivals100, also selected Nick Saban’s program despite a long list of other options. An in-state prospect, Williams also considered Auburn among others.
4. SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina lands in this spot by virtue of signing five-star MarShawn Lloyd, a 2011-pound power back out of Maryland. Landing a five-star is a good way to insure yourself of a top running back class, but adding depth comes with a level of importance as well. Rashad Amos does just that for the Gamecocks, who signed the Georgia-based thee-star to go along with Lloyd. The No. 39 running back in the county, Amos chose South Carolina over NC State, Tennessee and others. The main attraction, of course, is Lloyd, the No. 33rd-ranked player in the 2020 class.
5. TEXAS
Texas took just one running back in this year’s class, but that one happened to be the nation’s top option, landing them on this list via principal. Nobody in Austin is complaining much about depth because dynamic options such as Longhorns' signee Bijan Robinson don’t come around often. Tom Herman’s newest weapon can impact in the passing game as well as as the running game and should contribute right away. The Arizona-based star chose UT over offers from a long list of major programs.