Class of ’22 Under the Radar: RB

With 6 RB in the top 50, it is safe to say that there is a plethora of talent at the RB position in the class of 2022.  However, there are also several great RB that are currently under the radar that will help their teams win in 2021.  Here are five of those RB. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="88868" first="Jovanni" last="Blackie"], 5’10, 190, Paola</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="88868" first="Jovanni" last="Blackie"] is the 7th ranked RB and the 52nd ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  His play during the 2020 season was a big reason why the Paola Panthers had a very successful season going 8-1.  He shows very good vision as he quickly finds the open hole, uses his very good play strength to break tackles from DB and LB with ease and accelerates to top speed quickly once he enters the secondary as he is able to run for big gains consistently. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35573" first="Brandt" last="Cox"], 6’1, 196, Salina South</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="35573" first="Brandt" last="Cox"] is the 8th ranked RB and the 71st ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  In 2020, he  ran for 654 yards on 141 carries and he also caught 10 passes for 86 yards and 2 TD.  He displays good burst through the hole while showing very good physical toughness as he runs behind his pads, keeps his feet moving constantly and is able to run through DB and LB.  He is a reliable receiver coming out of the backfield possessing good hands as he is able to make on target catches with ease and uses his play speed and athletic ability to run for several yards after the catch. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="89241" first="Caiden" last="Barber"], 5’10, 185, Pittsburg</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="89241" first="Caiden" last="Barber"] is the 9th ranked RB and the 80th ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  In 2020, he ran for 1,078 yards on 137 carries and 11 TD.  He shows very good quickness and agility as he quickly gets to the outside, turns the corner, delivers a powerful stiff-arm to send the larger LB or DB to the ground and uses his play speed to outrun DB making him very difficult to stop once he gets into the open field.  In addition to being a powerful runner, he also possesses the elusiveness to make LB and DB miss by stopping on a dime and changing direction. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="89695" first="Gabe" last="Martin"], 5’10, 190, Columbus</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="89695" first="Gabe" last="Martin"] is the 10th ranked RB and the 98th ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  He is coming off a very impressive season in 2020 where he ran for 1,244 yards on 150 carries and scored 16 TD.  In addition to his prowess as a rusher, he also caught 10 passes for 81 yards and a TD.  He uses his very good vision to find the open hole, if the hole isn’t there initially, he uses his very good quickness and agility to bend it back inside while showing very good burst through the hole and uses his play speed to outrun almost all defenders for a TD or a big gain.  He displays very good contact balance balance as he is able to keep moving forward after initial contact from LB and DB. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="88871" first="Tyler" last="Butash"], 5’10, 175, Gardner-Edgerton</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="88871" first="Tyler" last="Butash"] is the 11th ranked RB and the 103rd ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  He played in 5 games in 2020 but was still very productive as he rushed for 451 yards on 48 carries and scored 5 TD.  He also caught 6 passes for 95 yards and a TD.  He uses his excellent athletic ability to get to the outside and accelerates to top speed quickly while outrunning DB for large gains.  He shows tremendous heart as he runs behind his pads, is not afraid to lower his shoulder against larger defenders and falls forward for a few extra yards.  A very good contributor in the passing game as he runs seam routes, uses his play speed to get behind all defenders, tracks the ball in the air while showing good hands as he is able to make on target catches with ease. &nbsp;