Class of ’23 Under the Radar: RB

With three players ranked in the top 15 including the top 2 players in the class of 2023, there is a great deal of talent at the RB position for this class.  In addition, there are also several talented RB who are looking to improve upon the great season that they had as sophomores and are looking to move up on the list and gain the attention of college recruiters. <strong>Sean Latendresse, 5’8, 140, Seaman</strong> Sean Latendresse is the 6th ranked RB and the 63rd ranked player in the class of 2023.  He displays good vision as he finds the open hole, uses his good quickness and agility to get to the outside, shows tremendous heart, play strength and contact balance as he lowers his shoulder and runs through the LB en route to picking up a few more yards and a first down on the play.  In addition to showing good power for the RB position, he also possesses good play speed as he shows the ability to outrun LB and some DB leading to big gains. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87650" first="Benson" last="Berndt"], 5’9, 170, Beloit</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="87650" first="Benson" last="Berndt"] is the 9th ranked RB and the 75th ranked player in the class of 2023.  He had an incredible sophomore season for the Trojans of Beloit High School as he rushed for 1,161 yards on 201 carries and scored 8 TD.  He displays very good burst through the hole and accelerates to top speed quickly making him difficult to stop once he gets into the open field.  When running the ball inside, he runs behind his pads and shows the ability to break tackles from LB and DB with ease. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87653" first="Tmarius" last="Nolen"], 5’9, 175, Wichita SE</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="87653" first="Tmarius" last="Nolen"] is the 10th ranked RB and the 78th ranked player overall.  His play during the 2020 season was a bright spot for the Golden Buffaloes of Wichita Southeast.  He shows good vision and decision making ability as he makes the correct decision on which hole to run through, displaying very good contact balance as he keeps his balance after the initial hit from the LB and DB and fights through multiple defenders gaining a first down in the process.  In addition to being a talented RB, he also plays LB where he is tough against the run and pass. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87651" first="Silas" last="Jones"], 5’11, 180, Norton</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="87651" first="Silas" last="Jones"] is the 11th ranked RB and the 79th ranked player overall in the class of 2023.  As a sophomore in 2020, he rushed for 135 yards on 44 carries and scored a TD.  He also caught 8 passes for 51 yards.  He also plays as a LB on defense where he made 51 tackles and an INT last season.  He displays very good vision as he is able to find the open lane when the play breaks down gaining significant yardage in the process.  He shows good competitive toughness as his play improves in the red zone while finding the 1st down marker or the endzone. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87699" first="Jake" last="Sasse"], 6’1, 215, Smith Center</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="87699" first="Jake" last="Sasse"] is the 13th ranked RB and the 81st ranked player in the class of 2023.  He had a very good sophomore season for the Redmen as he rushed for 821 yards on 158 carries and scored 8 TD from the FB spot while helping Smith Center win 8 games and advance to the 2nd round of the 1A playoffs.  He is a tough north-south runner who is quick for a big back.  He shows good burst through the hole as he is able to gain yards that the OL did not block for him, runs behind his pads, uses his very good play strength to run over smaller LB and DB and falls forward for extra yards.  He is an outstanding run blocker as he plays at a low pad level, squares up and uses his play strength and leverage to pancake LB with ease creating an open lane for the HB. &nbsp;