The Rivals Five-Star is back next week in Jacksonville and some of the nation’s top running backs in the 2025 and 2026 classes will be working out.
Here are five storylines we’re watching heading into the premier summer event.
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1. Harlem Berry can stamp his No. 1 ranking
Not only did the LSU commitment earn his fifth star in the spring, but Berry vaulted to the top-ranked running back recruit in the class over fellow five-star Jordon Davidson. This setting will enable the duo to take the same field for the first time this year, no doubt helping evaluators to see either how far the duo is above the rest of the pack or if there is a potential gap between the speedy Berry and others at the position.
Berry has the notable wheels, but he has also shown some of the most versatile skills of any of the backs, nationally, with how effective he has become as a pass-catcher. It's not just speed, either, as the Louisiana native has been known to break down with just as much quickness on short to intermediate routes. Even in a non-contact setting, Berry's after-the-catch ability should be fairly evident by week's end, too.
Few backs on the roster have the competitive edge Berry brings to every setting, so he is hard to bet against in between any lines.
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2. Can another back earn a fifth star?
Berry and Davidson hold the top spots among the eight backs expected to compete, but the setting could provide a swift rise for any who break out among the 100-plus blue-chippers at work. Clemson commitment Gideon Davidson is the next highest-ranked among those in the Rivals100, tabbed at No. 60 overall entering the event. The top prospect in Virginia has a great frame and plus speed to his name, not to mention some of the most absurd production on his resume after rushing for more than 2,7000 yards last fall.
Undeclared backs Byron Louis, Jabree Coleman and Alabama commitment Anthony Rogers each rank near each other as top-130 recruits nationally, and will also be among those to make a case. Louis has bellcow qualities though he can hold his own on third down. Coleman is among the taller backs expected to get work in, but he has chunk scores as a runner, receiver and return man on his 2023 tape. Rogers' nickname has been 'Turbo' since middle school, so there is not much issue in the speed and/or space department with his game, even as he has added mass to the frame.
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3. Who is next to come off the board?
Half of the running back field is undeclared at the moment. Davidson has been considered a national battle for the bulk of his recruitment, with Ohio State always mentioned first and foremost with the Los Angeles-area star. Oregon just had him on campus for an official visit following trips to Michigan and Alabama. A preseason decision could solidify any one of the classes near the top of the national rankings with a five-star addition.
Louis is fresh off of an official visit to Georgia with Florida State up next as Miami and Wisconsin also contend for the South Floridian. However, his timeline appears to be wide open at the moment.
Perhaps it's Coleman who will make a pledge next. The one-time Georgia commitment could be zeroing in just a few programs as June winds down – Penn State, North Carolina and Michigan State.
The biggest back expected in Jacksonville, by a solid margin, is Shekai Mills-Knight. He may also have one of the more dramatic recruitments to track among the group, led by SEC programs Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss. Can the in-state Vols beat out the Yellowhammer State powers and Lane Kiffin's Rebels after the batch of official visits? What about non-SEC darkhorse Miami? This one can go in any direction, it seems.
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4. Many programs targeting Turbo Rogers
The other half of the backs set to work out in Jacksonville are attached to a program, most very solidly at that. Rogers was in that camp when he pledged to Nick Saban last summer, but Alabama has of course undergone considerable staff turnover following his retirement. Even as running backs coach Robert Gillespie was retained on Kalen DeBoer's staff, the door has been open for other programs to make a run at the speedy Crimson Tide commitment.
Naturally, one of the first programs to communicate its heavy interest in a flip was Auburn. Just a short ride up I-85 from Rogers' native Montgomery, AU offers a local angle following its own coaching transition since the time it began courting the four-star.
Another program to watch in this recruitment is Ohio State, which recently hosted Rogers on campus for the first time in an unofficial capacity. The Buckeye prestige speaks for itself, but new running backs coach Carlos Locklyn is a fellow Montgomery native who has known the rising-senior since his middle school days.
Rogers isn't taking any summer official visits, so if there is to be true challenges to his Alabama commitment status, the trips will come in the fall during game day trips to national powers in an official capacity. Naturally, this recruitment could be far from over.
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5. Could the setting hurt any of the elites?
There isn't a prospect rated under four stars set to compete in Jacksonville, at any position across the board. For the eight running backs, even with their different physical traits and natural styles, this setting can become a bit of an exposure point for those not comfortable in space and/or with the football in the air.
While there won't be major negatives to pull from recruits willing to compete against fellow blue-chippers, the opinion on the ceiling of backs uncomfortable in the passing game can reveal itself. Like we've seen with the NFL Draft relative to the position, it's nearly three-down back or bust at the highest level so Rivals will continue to reflect the most updated evaluation of that position and all others as best we can.
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