Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the RB rankings
The final prospect rankings of the 2019 have been released and Rivals.com continues its release with a position-by-position look at how things shook out. Here, we examine the headlines on a group of talented running backs that will shape the college football landscape for the next few years.
FINAL 2019 RANKINGS: Running backs | All-purpose backs | Fullbacks
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Monday: Top 10 revealed
Tuesday: Rivals100 released | Mind of Mike | New five-stars | Five-star regrets
Wednesday: Rivals250 released
Thursday: Position rankings released
TEAM WITH THE TOP SIGNEE: Alabama
Alabama landed the top running back in the country when Trey Sanders signed with the Tide during the early signing period. That news was huge for a couple of reasons. First, Sanders’ talent is unmistakable. He’s a truly elite prospect with an almost certain NFL future. Secondly, Nick Saban and company held off a strong late push by Georgia to seal the deal with the five-star prospect, who could have an immediate impact in Tuscaloosa. Sanders is a rare talent and should shine in the SEC from the jump.
PROSPECT TO WATCH: Mark Antony-Richards
Mark-Antony Richards declined to sign during the early period and remains uncommitted. Miami is seen as the front runner to land his letter of intent, as Richards’ brother played for the Hurricanes. Auburn is involved to an extent, as was Tennessee for a time, but a recent official visit to Florida made the Gators the wildcard. Richards has been careful with his recruitment and has worked through the process at a snail’s pace, so it’s hard to be too certain about his landing spot.
TEAM TO WATCH: Miami
As noted above, Miami is the frontrunner to land Richards. Still, not much has gone as planned for UM this cycle, so you never know what sort of twist may take hold in the weeks ahead. The Hurricanes do not have a running back in the 2019 class, so missing on Richards would be a tough pill to swallow considering the player pool is incredibly thin. The blow would, of course, be lessened by the fact that Manny Diaz’s program has some talented backs already in the program, but Richards remains a must-get nevertheless.
