Five-star RBs, state by state
There have been 58 five-star running backs in the Rivals.com era. Not surprisingly, over half (31 of 58) have come from Florida, California and Texas. Here is an
examination of where they're from, where they ended up and some comments from
Advertisement
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell on some of the best
prospects throughout the years.
Michael Dyer
Players: Michael Dyer, Little Rock (Ark.) Little Rock Christian
Overview: Dyer rushed for 1,093 yards as a freshman at Auburn, breaking the
school record by a freshman, previously held by Bo Jackson. He also rushed for
143 yards in the BCS title win over Oregon and was named the offensive player of
the game. The 2011 season also went well, with 1,242 yards and 10 scores but then
was suspended for a violation of team rules. He transferred to Arkansas State
and finally ended up at Louisville where he had two decent seasons.
Farrell's take: "He was a super-talented kid who really contributed to Auburn in
its national championship run but then he derailed his college career by transferring and some other issues."
California
Reggie Bush
Players: Darrell Scott, Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure;
Reggie Bush, San Diego (Calif.) Helix; Lorenzo Booker, Ventura
(Calif.) St. Bonaventure; Joe Mixon, Oakley (Calif.) Freedom, Oklahoma;
Dillon Baxter, San Diego (Calif.) Mission Bay; Marc Tyler,
Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian; Stafon Johnson, Los Angeles
Dorsey; Marlon Lucky, North Hollywood, Calif.; Najee Harris,
Antioch (Calif.) Senior
Overview: California has a long list of five-star running backs, but measured
success down the line except for Bush, who had a phenomenal career at USC and
remains in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. It's still too early to tell on
some guys like Mixon, who is just starting to get work in Oklahoma's offense and
especially Harris, a 2017 star-in-the-making who has already committed to Alabama.
Farrell's take: "There are a lot of busts in there. Reggie Bush should've been
No. 1 in 2003. He had amazing film. Some of these guys got injured, some of
them did OK after a transfer and some of them never really amounted to a whole
lot. The jury is still out on some of them. I'm really surprised the most by
Dillon Baxter, because I thought he had endless amounts of talent and would've
been a superstar, but it didn't work out."
Florida
C.J. Spiller
Players: C.J. Spiller, Lake Butler (Fla.) Union County; Noel Devine, North Fort Myers, Fla.; Randy Johnson, Miami (Fla.)
Norland; Antone Smith, Pahokee, Fla.; Ciatrick Fason,
Jacksonville (Fla.) Fletcher; Demetrius Hart, Orlando (Fla.) Dr.
Phillips; Dalvin Cook, Miami (Fla.) Miami Central; Trent Richardson, Pensacola (Fla.) Escambia; James Wilder Jr., Tampa (Fla.)
Plant; Sony Michel, Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage; Jacques Patrick, Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek; Greg Bryant, Delray Beach
(Fla.) American Heritage; Mike Bellamy, Punta Gorda (Fla.) Charlotte
Overview: The state of Florida has produced more five-star running backs than
any other state and this list includes some real speedsters and game-breakers
who were thrills to watch in high school and college. Cook is off to a
tremendous season at Florida State and the jury is still out on Patrick, the
third-best running back last recruiting cycle. There are some busts, some booms
but overall a lot of excitement. And, surprisingly, a lot of top talent that
other than Florida State, the in-state schools could not keep home.
Farrell's take: "It is interesting that the Florida schools, other than Florida
State, didn't keep these kids home. There are more busts than breakouts there and
a lot of it has to do with off-the-field stuff and not talent. Devine was the
most dynamic player I've ever seen in high school and that includes Jadeveon Clowney. He was just dynamic. He just didn't have the size.
The jury is still out on Cook and Patrick and some others. Bellamy was an enigma
off the field in high school and he bounced everything outside but that kid
should've been a smaller version of Spiller at Clemson."
Georgia
Isaiah Crowell
Players: Kregg Lumpkin, Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson;
Isaiah Crowell, Columbus (Ga.) Carver
Overview: Lumpkin was a five-star in the 2003 class and was behind only Bush in
the running back rankings. He had an admirable career at Georgia rushing for
about 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns but he was marred by injuries and splitting
time with other running backs. Crowell was the fourth-best RB in the 2011 class
and had a nice freshman campaign at Georgia before legal problems forced a
transfer to Alabama State. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted
free agent.
Farrell's take: "Both had tremendous potential and both essentially did not have
success for different reasons. Lumpkin injured his knee but it would've been
great to see what he could have been. Crowell ran into trouble. Lumpkin at the
time was being hailed, as many Georgia running backs are, as the great running
back since Herschel Walker. That's how good he was in a lot of people's minds."
Illinois
Players: Ty Isaac, Joliet (Ill.) Joliet Catholic
Overview: The book is still out on Isaac's career. As a freshman at USC, Isaac
finished with 40 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He had to sit out his
sophomore season after transferring to Michigan. Through two games this season,
Isaac has 47 yards and no touchdowns on 10 carries as De'Veon Smith has got the
bulk of the work.
Farrell's take: "He's another one of those tall, angular running backs that are
all the rage these days. He is a tremendous athlete but the jury is still out.
Everybody knew he was going to transfer out of USC though. That was not a
surprise."
Indiana
Players: James Aldridge, Crown Point (Ind.) Merrillville
Overview: Aldridge suffered a knee injury before his freshman season in South
Bend and while he had nice statistics during his career, he never became a
breakout star. He led the team with 463 rushing yards as a sophomore, then had
357 yards as a junior and fell behind some other talented backs. Charlie
Weis inserted Aldridge at fullback for his senior year.
Farrell's take: "He got injured. A lot of these guys on this list got injured.
When you get an injury as a running back, especially if it's a knee, you're never
going to be the same player."
Kansas
Bryce Brown
Players: Bryce Brown, Wichita (Kan.) Wichita East
Overview: The top-rated prospect in the 2009 class, Brown backed up Montario Hardesty as a freshman at Tennessee and finished that season with 460 yards and
three touchdowns. Soon after coach Lane Kiffin left Tennessee for USC, Brown
decided to transfer to Kansas State where he joined his brother, Arthur. The
Brown Bros. were named in a Yahoo! Sports investigation alleging players and
others took impermissible benefits from a Miami ex-booster. Brown left the team
in late September after marginal playing time. He entered the 2012 draft and was
selected in the seventh round by Philadelphia. In May 2014, Brown was traded to
Buffalo, which cut him this past week.
Farrell's take: "He really had a lot of off-the-field question marks, didn't
really pan out at Tennessee and found a little niche back at Kansas State and is
so talented that his college career was essentially nothing and he still made
the NFL. That really speaks to his talent."
Kentucky
Players: Damien Harris, Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern
Overview: Harris, the top-rated running back last recruiting cycle, is waiting
his turn in Tuscaloosa behind Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake. In the first two
games this season, Harris has rushed for 78 yards on 17 carries. In January, the
five-star back picked Alabama over a tough push from in-state Kentucky and
Ohio
State.
Farrell's take: "He has superstar potential but he's going to have to wait his
turn at Alabama like a lot of guys do. He could be that next Heisman candidate
in Tuscaloosa."
Louisiana
Leonard Fournette
Players: Leonard Fournette, New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine;
Joe McKnight, River Ridge (La.) John Curtis; Derrius Guice,
Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic
Overview: McKnight, who picked USC over LSU amid controversy, was tabbed as the
next Reggie Bush by some but never really panned out with the Trojans. He had
medical issues, fumbling issues, all kinds of problems during his time at USC. Fournette, the top back in the 2014 class is off to a phenomenal start with the
Tigers this season after rushing for 1,034 yards, a freshman record at LSU.
Guice, the second-best RB in the 2015 class, could be the next star back in
Baton Rouge if he waits his turn.
Farrell's take: "Some people had McKnight as the No. 1 player in the country and
he was supposed to be the next Reggie Bush at USC but it didn't work out. His
career was disappointing. Fournette is pretty much a sure thing, barring injury.
I think we're the only ones who had Guice as a five-star.
When he gets his chance, if he's patient and waits his turn, he will be fine."
Michigan
Players: Kevin Grady, East Grand Rapids, Mich.
Overview: Grady had 783 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in his Michigan career
but fumbles were a problem and he always seemed to be playing the backup role.
Later in his career, Grady suffered a knee injury and was moved to fullback.
Farrell's take: "Fumbles. That's the one word that comes to my mind. He was a
big guy, physical between the tackles, all the talent in the world and he just
fumbled a lot."
Mississippi
Players: Jerious Norwood, Brandon, Miss.
Overview: Norwood totaled about 8,000 all-purpose yards and 92 touchdowns in
high school and then was a three-year starter in Starkville where he rushed for
more than 100 yards 13 times, a school record. He finished his career at
Mississippi State with 3,222 yards. The Atlanta Falcons drafted Norwood in the
third round of the 2006 draft and he had a couple good seasons with that
organization before moving to St. Louis and then the CFL.
Farrell's take: "He was an old, old evaluation. Norwood was a slasher and a guy
who I remember having a ton of talent and a ton of potential and he just didn't
really take it to the next level."
New Jersey
Players: Kareem Walker, Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic
Overview: Walker is the top-rated running back in the 2016 class after rushing
for 1,607 yards and 26 touchdowns on 199 attempts in his junior season. In
January, the DePaul Catholic standout committed to Ohio State over
others. He made his pledge to the Buckeyes during halftime of Ohio State's
national championship game against Oregon.
Farrell's take: "The jury is still out, the ranking could change but he's an
upright guy and that's kind of the trend in running backs these days. They're
upright, big guys with speed."
New York
Players: Jason Gwaltney, Long Island (N.Y.) North Babylon
Overview: Rated as the third-best running back in the 2005 class, Gwaltney left
high school as Long Island's leading rusher. But he lasted only six games at
West Virginia and transferred to Nassau Community College on Long
Island, bounced around to other schools and was never drafted. Only Jonathan
Stewart and Marlon Lucky were rated higher than him in that 2005 running back
class.
Farrell's take: "Gwaltney wasted a lot of talent. I always thought it was
interesting that he chose West Virginia because they ran a spread under (Rich
Rodriguez) when he was a power back. He went there because of his half-brother,
Scooter Berry. He would have struggled anywhere he went because of the
off-the-field issues but it makes me wonder what he would have been like if he
went to Ohio State like he originally wanted to."
North Carolina
Elijah Hood
Players: Elijah Hood, Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Catholic
Overview: Rated as the fourth-best running back in the 2014 class, Hood played
in nine games his freshman season and finished with 259 yards and four
touchdowns. He was sidelined with an injury he suffered in the Notre Dame
contest. Through two games this season, Hood is the primary workhorse in
North Carolina's backfield with 29 carries for 194 yards and two
touchdowns.
Farrell's take: "He needs more touches but he has the potential to be a star in
college. He's a big guy who fits into that offense which Larry Fedora
runs and that's rare big guys can fit into that scheme which relies on guys
doing so much in space."
Ohio
Maurice Clarett
Players: Chris Wells, Akron (Ohio) Garfield; Maurice Clarett,
Warren (Ohio) Harding
Overview: Clarett was the only five-star fullback in the Rivals.com era and he
went on to great success at Ohio State before multiple off-the-field issues that
are well-documented. Wells was the top-rated running back and the third-best
player in the 2006 class behind Percy Harvin (Florida) and Andre Smith (Alabama). Wells was a first-round draft pick of the Arizona
Cardinals in 2009 but is no longer in the NFL. He is a sports radio host in
Columbus, Ohio.
Farrell's take: "They were two big backs. We had Clarett as a fullback which is
essentially a big-back position. He was one of the most-heavily recruited kids
and most-famous recruits we've covered. Beanie was just like him, a big,
physical kid who could run between the tackles and he had great athleticism.
Clarett derailed his career and Wells was a first-rounder."
South Carolina
Marcus Lattimore
Players: Marcus Lattimore, Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes; Demetris Summers, Lexington, S.C.
Overview: Summers was the leading rusher at South Carolina in his
freshman and sophomore seasons before being dismissed from the team for a
violation of athletic department policy. In high school, Summers rushed for
9,076 yards and 127 touchdowns. Lattimore rushed for 2,677 yards and 38
touchdowns during his career with the Gamecocks and could have done so much more
if not for numerous knee injuries. The former Byrnes standout was drafted in the
fourth round of the 2013 draft but announced his retirement in November 2014.
Farrell's take: "Lattimore was as good a kid as he was a player. It's
heartbreaking to see the injuries he suffered because he would've been an
absolute superstar in college and the NFL."
Tennessee
Players: Gerald Riggs Jr., Chattanooga (Tenn.) Red
Bank; Jalen Hurd, Hendersonville (Tenn.) Beech Senior
Overview: In 2004, Riggs was one of two 1,000-yard rushers for the Volunteers,
the first time that happened in Tennessee history. It looked like in 2005 Riggs
was going to continue running the ball well but he was injured toward the middle
of the season and did not return. Riggs bounced around some NFL camps. In his
freshman season, Hurd finished with 899 yards and five scores on 190 carries.
Through two games this season he has 232 yards and four scores on 47 attempts
(all team-highs) so Hurd's career is moving along well.
Farrell's take: "Riggs was the son of an NFL player but he didn't quite pan out.
That happens a lot. The jury is still out on Hurd. He will be compared with Nick
Chubb at Georgia for quite some time. Georgia and Tennessee are rivals, they
came out of the same class and a lot of people were upset that Hurd was ranked
ahead of Chubb."
Texas
Adrian Peterson
Players: Johnathan Gray, Aledo, Texas; Adrian Peterson,
Palestine, Texas; Malcolm Brown, Cibolo (Texas) Steele; Jermie Calhoun, Van, Texas; Lache Seastrunk, Temple, Texas; Trey Williams, Spring (Texas) Dekaney;
Christine Michael, Beaumont
(Texas) West Brook; Brandon Williams, Brookshire (Texas) Royal; Soso Jamabo, Plano (Texas) Plano West
Overview: Peterson has been a complete hit on all levels and is arguably the
best overall prospect in the Rivals.com era. There have clearly been some
disappointments on this list and others who still have the opportunity to emerge
as great players. Jamabo, the fourth-best running back last recruiting cycle,
has just started his career at UCLA. Other than Seastrunk, the former
Plano (Texas) Plano West star is the only one to leave the Big 12 as well.
Farrell's take: "The greatest No. 1 we've ever had, Adrian Peterson, is on the
list. There are a couple guys who just didn't live up to their potential, including
Gray. Malcolm Brown also falls into that category. There are a lot of
five-stars, but not a stellar group when in comes to huge success."
Virginia
Players: Derrick Green, Richmond (Va.) Hermitage; Taquan Mizzell, Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside; Michael Johnson, Newport
News (Va.) Heritage
Overview: Green was the top-rated running back and Mizzell the No. 1 all-purpose
back in the 2013 class, but both have had marginal success so far in college.
Mizzell is starting to become a major factor in Virginia's offense.
Through two games, he leads the team with 111 rushing yards and is second with
12 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Green is third on the depth chart at
Michigan and has only rushed for 36 yards and one score in two games.
Farrell's take: "Green and Mizzell were the same year, so that was historic.
Johnson was pre-camp evaluation years, but was fast as heck and had no wiggle to
him and busted out. Green, the jury is still out, but obviously not in favor at
Michigan right now. Mizzell is starting to get in his groove as an all-purpose
back, but all three right now didn't live up to or aren't living up to five-star
status."
Washington
Jonathan Stewart
Players: Jonathan Stewart, Lacey (Wash.) Timberline
Overview: The all-time leading rusher in the state of Washington, Stewart
finished with 7,755 yards and 105 touchdowns in his prep career. He then went to
Oregon where he had a successful career early as a running back but
also on special teams. After three seasons, Stewart left for the NFL where he
was the No. 13 pick in the first round by the Carolina Panthers and he is still
with the team.
Farrell's take: "He has had a great, successful NFL career after a great college
career. He was one of the better all-around big running backs we've ever scouted
because of his speed and versatility."
Adam Gorney
National Recruiting Analyst