Friedman's East Spotlight: The best RBs I've seen in 2023
National recruiting analyst Adam Friedman scouted more than a dozen high-profile games this season in person. With the playoffs underway in the East Region, now is a good time to take a look at some of the players who shined in those games. Today we look at the running backs.
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Davison is a five-star for a reason and he was awfully impressive this season. He has the size, speed, quickness and vision to hold up against top competition. Seeing him in person, it was evident that Davison is one of the best backs in his class.
Davison did a great job patiently finding running lanes and using his explosiveness and overall quickness to pick up yards in chunks.
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Frazier is an aggressive, angry runner who has fantastic burst and straight-line speed. The Georgia commit likes to deliver hits when the ball is in his hands instead of waiting for the defender to hit him. Frazier can be a factor in the passing game and he's dangerous when he gets the ball in space.
Don't be surprised when Frazier breaks off, especially on runs to the outside, once he arrives at Georgia next season.
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Speaking of Georgia commits, Coleman is a bruising running back with great straight line speed and vision. He patiently finds running lanes and generally makes the first tackler miss. Coleman has reliable hands so he should be useful in the passing game too.
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Forster is an explosive back who excels on the edges of the defense. He can be elusive in space and can be difficult to bring down, especially with a head of steam. It'll be interesting to watch Forster develop as a between-the-tackles runner but there's no doubt he can be effective as a receiver out of the backfield.
Once he gets the ball in his hands, he generally picks up chunks of yards and can change the momentum of the game.
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While only seeing Jones during a practice this fall, it's obvious that the Wisconsin commit is an extremely talented running back who can be used in a variety of ways at the college level. He's a strong runner between the tackles and has the speed to be elusive when on the edge of the defense.
Jones has reliable hands and his quickness in the open field or running routes make him a very difficult matchup for linebackers.