Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the 2024 RBs
With the final 2024 Rivals250 being unveiled Tuesday, it's time to dive into the position rankings. The offensive position rankings are being released today, and the national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia Jr., Adam Gorney and Greg Smith – is giving their takes on which player is the best fit with the team they signed with. Up next are the running backs.
FINAL 2024 RANKINGS: Pro-style QB | Dual-threat QB | RB | All-Purpose Back | WR | TE | OT | OG | C
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1 in the 2024 Rivals250?
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars
Tuesday: Rivals250 released | Biggest movers | Gorney's thoughts
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | QB breakdown | RB breakdown | WR/TE breakdown | OL breakdown | Podcast
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released | DL | LB | DB | ATH
Friday: State rankings released
Saturday: Final thoughts on the 2024 Rivals250
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FRIEDMAN: Taylor Tatum
It would be easy to say Nate Frazier here because of the way Georgia churns out NFL Draft picks at running back but I really like how dynamic Tatum is and the kind of weapon he'll be at Oklahoma. The offense in Norman may change slightly compared with last year but Tatum's abilities with the ball in his hands should allow him to make a sizable impact during his career.
He's an explosive runner and can be dangerous in space. When he gets on the edge of the defense, there's a good chance he'll pick up big chunks of yards. Expect Tatum to get more involved in the passing game at the college level too.
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GARCIA: Jordan Marshall
A well-built, physical runner without much wasted motion and a one-cut style? Michigan has made that style of back ascend over the last decade or so and Marshall is the next in line to fit that mold.
He runs bigger than he is and while he doesn't possess elite top-end speed, he is tough to bring down in the open field and has a nose for the end zone. He is a decisive player with good vision and instincts in the wash, displaying plenty of toughness along the way.
To put the icing on the cake for Wolverine fans, Marshall is of course an Ohioan and heads north as the reigning Mr. Ohio Football.
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GORNEY: Kameron Davis
Davis played a lot of quarterback in high school because his Albany (Ga.) Dougherty team needed it. So did Cam Akers. Davis is a muscled-up running back who had the power to shed shoe-string tackles between the tackles but he also has the speed to break runs to the outside. So does Akers.
When Florida State's coaching staff talked about Davis reminding them of Akers maybe there was a little recruiting going on and the compliments were flowing heavily but there are a ton of similarities between the two. Akers was more established as a national name and he was under consideration as the No. 1 prospect in the entire country. Davis was not.
But in terms of playing style and fit at Florida State, the two are almost mirror images.
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SMITH: Caden Durham
This was one of the tougher decisions I had to make but the speedster heading to LSU won out for me. Durham runs with good vision, power and patience. But it's his breakaway speed that separates him from the pack.
The Texas native ran for 2027 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior. He’s an explosive athlete that will also run track for the Tigers. Durham also has an infectious personality that will surely win fans over.