With the Early Signing Period now firmly in the rear-view mirror, the available player pool has been significantly narrowed. That’s not to say there’s no talent left on the board, however. Today, Rivals.com continues its look at the best available unsigned players in America with a look at which players are left at the top of the running back position.
MORE: Top 10 uncommitted prospects | Top remaining QBs | Late additions that flew under-the-radar in the Early Signing Period | Grading Big Ten Early Signing Period | Grading SEC Early Signing Period
1. Mark-Antony Richards
Richards is an enigma of sorts. The star athlete has strong family ties to Miami and most still consider him to be a UM lean. That said, he appears to seriously be considering Auburn and others. Richards can play a number of positions but prefers to play running back, which may make the fact that Penn State has two highly touted backs already signed in this class significant.
Meanwhile, Auburn currently holds a letter of intent from just one running back, while Miami has yet to land a prospect at the position. The Hurricanes should still be seen as the favorite here, but it’s far from a done deal. Any number of teams could sneak into the mix in the month ahead.
2. Deondrick Glass
A Texas-based back, Glass declined to announce his choice during the Early Signing Period. Some see him as an Oklahoma State lean, but Texas remains in the market for a running back and could make a serious run at the in-state target. Georgia is also a possibility here. Alabama was pursuing Glass prior top landing five-star Trey Sanders last week and is likely out of that. The Longhorns will likely turn up the heat in the coming weeks, leaving Oklahoma State to play defense.
3. Keilan Robinson
Another committed prospect that is yet to make things official, Robinson is unlikely to look around in the months ahead. In fact, some wonder if he’s already signed, but electing to keep things quiet. There’s no way of knowing, of course, but the four-star back signing with anyone but Nick Saban seems like a long shot at this juncture. Stranger things have happened in recruiting, of course, but Robinson’s process seems over.
4. Darwin Barlow
Barlow has been committed to TCU for some time but declined to sign with the Horned Frogs during the early period. That’s obviously less than ideal for Gary Patterson’s program, which will now have to continue its effort to fend off hard-charging Oklahoma State. Barlow could see new suitors emerge as other teams reassess their needs post-Early Signing Period. TCU may be in for a drama-filled ride when it comes to keeping the tailback in the fold.
5. Jamious Griffin
Griffin could see his choice to hold off on signing with NC State, to which he is committed, pay off with an expanded list of options. Georgia Tech could soon re-emerge as a player to land Griffin, who has an older brother currently in the program. The fact that the tailback is coming off of an impressive senior season could also attract new schools that haven’t pursued him in the past. Griffin visited Miami in early December, and the Hurricanes are still in the market for a running back, but things haven’t gotten particularly serious on that front yet.
