The 2019 class is officially on the clock and with the early Signing Period just about nine months away and the first opportunity for prospects to take official visits coming this spring, it’s time for recruiting fans from across the country to start familiarizing themselves with the class of 2019.
We at Rivals.com are here to help. Over the next two weeks, we will introduce the top five players at each position in the class. Today we take a lot at all-purpose running backs.
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Early contenders: Miami, Florida, Georgia, Auburn
Breakdown: A versatile athlete who could project to the next level at any number of positions, Richards is most dynamic with the ball in his hands. His older brother, Ahmon, is already a star at Miami and most think the pull of staying close to home and playing for The U will be too much to pass up. But Georgia has pulled elite running backs out of South Florida before (See Sony Michel and James Cook), while the Gators and Tigers are also going to continue to chase Richards going forward.
Early contenders: USC, Oregon, Washington, Florida State, among others
Breakdown: Dollars' offer list continues to grow, but a trio of Pac-12 schools sit highly on his list. USC is always going to be a factor with elite prospects from Southern California and Dollars recently named the Trojans his top school. He’s also spoke glowingly of the Huskies and the Ducks in the past. The wildcard here could be the Seminoles, who have a chance thanks to head coach Willie Taggart and running backs coach Donte Pimpleton, who developed a strong bond with Dollars while at Oregon.
Early contenders: Alabama, Miami, Georgia, Tennessee, among others
Breakdown: Much like Richards, Wright is high on the board of several elite programs. Georgia has often been mentioned with him and Miami is also heavily in the mix. Wright has kept a low profile over the past year, but expect his recruitment to heat up this spring. He’s talked about taking visits and it will be telling if he pops up on campus in Athens or Knoxville instead of continuing to be a regular in Coral Gables.
Early contenders: Virginia Tech, Michigan, Nebraska, Alabama, Kentucky, Penn State
Breakdown: Robinson’s recruitment is really just starting to take off in earnest, with several new programs joining the race on a weekly basis. Among the programs to offer in the last month are Alabama, Michigan and Virginia Tech he’s spoken highly of all three. Penn State has been a factor in Robinson’s recruitment for longer, with an offer over the summer leading to an on campus visit in the fall. Expect his travel schedule to pick up this spring and summer and that should help provide some clarity into his line of thinking.
Early contenders: TBD
Breakdown: Henry has wowed both in games and on the camp circuit but has yet to break through with his first major scholarship offer. Obviously we are high on him considering his lofty ranking and standing on this list and it will be worth watching to see which school is the first to offer. Henry recently transferred to Texas power program Allen High, which should lead to plenty of coaches getting a chance to see his skills in person this spring.
