Drawing Comparisons- Which pro does each top offensive player resemble?

We revealed our preseason top prospect list for the 2021 class and now it’s time to go more in depth with the rankings. First, we’ll take a look at the offensive players that made the top of our list. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28433" first="Will" last="Shipley"], RB, 5’10 205, Weddington - Saquon Barkley</strong> We’ve listed Shipley as a running back, but he does it all for the Warriors. The Clemson commit has elite speed and even better acceleration, probably the best of any prospect I have ever covered. Throw in some superb balance, strength and an innate ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and he’s the complete package, ranking first overall in the state. Just one NFL back compares from an athletic standpoint, and it’s not who you’d think. I’ve seen Christian McCaffrey as a trendy pick, but McCaffrey had a slighter build and developed the power Shipley already displays later in his college career. As for a like-for-like comparison? <strong>Saquon Barkley </strong>posted an identical 40-time at a quarter-inch taller and four pounds heavier and is one of the only NFL running backs with a Nike SPARQ score as high as the 128.9 Shipley put up as a sophomore. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28438" first="Evan" last="Pryor"], RB, 5’10, 190, Hough - Matt Breida</strong> Pryor is a burner. He could beat almost every current NFL running back in a footrace and shows impressive wiggle in the hole. While he’s a better prospect than <strong>Matt Breida</strong> was at this stage in his high school career, the two compare favorably. Like Breida, Pryor’s numbers don’t absolutely jump off the page, but he’s a home run threat every play and has a high breakaway percentage, just like Breida. Neither player puts up crazy touchdown numbers, probably due to their smaller statures, but are threats as both runners and receivers. Like Breida, Pryor breaks the "fast guy" mold by doing the bulk of his damage between the tackles. When he’s one-on-one with a linebacker, watch out, because he might take it all the way. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28440" first="DeAndre" last="Boykins"], Ath., 5’11, 195, Central Cabarrus - Sony Michel</strong> Boykins is so talented that he truly could play both ways in college. I think he eventually makes his home on the offensive side of the ball in Phil Longo’s spread system at North Carolina. The NFL player that comes to mind is Patriots running back <strong>Sony Michel</strong>. Though both have shown the ability to create big plays in the passing game, neither racks up a ton of receptions. That being said, Boykins is shifty and displays deceptive strength for his size. Like Michel, Boykins has good enough speed to break away from defenders once he gets to the second level, but that’s not where his bread is buttered. He’s going to make people miss and run through arm tackles more than he’s going to take one cut and outrun the defense. It all adds up to make a dynamic playmaker that’s going to make North Carolina very happy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28442" first="Kobe" last="Paysour"], WR, 6’2 175, Kings Mountain - Keenan Allen</strong> If a guy doesn’t have burner speed or incredible size at receiver, he better be able to get open, and boy can Paysour do just that. A master route-runner, Paysour thrives in the more technical areas of the receiver position. He has soft hands and excels in one-on-one blocking situations. <strong>Keenan Allen </strong>is considered one of the best technicians in the NFL, despite running a slower 40 than Paysour’s 4.7. It doesn’t matter, really because Paysour’s skills will translate well to the next level. We’re so confident that we’ve ranked him our top receiver in the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28443" first="Gavin" last="Blackwell"], WR, 6’0 160, Sun Valley - Emmanuel Sanders</strong> Blackwell is an interesting case. He burst onto the scene as a freshman and became one of current Tar Heel quarterback Sam Howell’s favorite targets. A year later, he scored 19 touchdowns, averaging 22 yards a touch in the process. Once Howell graduated, Blackwell struggled a bit with inconsistent quarterback play. Similarly, <strong>Emmanuel Sanders </strong>started his career with Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning putting up huge numbers before playing with the likes of Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian. Like Sanders, Blackwell is not a big receiver, but he excels in the middle of the field and has the catch radius of a much larger receiver. &nbsp;