Film Session: Small School 2021 RB Prospects

Over the years, players at the RB position have become such an instrumental key to plenty of program’s success. While some RB’s, such as [player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"] and [player_tooltip player_id="33678" first="Phil" last="Mafah"], have ended up becoming “Can’t Miss” prospects, other players have been great role players, and have played very well in the process. These players, who may have been seen to be less dynamic than other prospects, oftentimes become underrated, and can even go unnoticed. Lucky enough for these prospects, Prep Redzone loves to be able to show love, and give attention where it is due. even to players who can be seen to be a bit of a project coming out of high school as they have a chance to enter into smaller football programs. <strong>Jiaquez Thorpe- </strong><em>Archer</em> When cutting on the tape of Thorpe, it can be seen that he is a bit of slasher style of running back. With the ball in his hands, he can gash a defense for plenty of yards, whether in between the tackles, or outside. His straight line running style allows him to use his speed to pick up as many yards as he can. With this, it can also be assumed that he does not have great vision, but has decent footwork at the line to react and make good gains. Despite this, an underrated part of his game is the fact that he can run at a good pad level, put his shoulder down, and gain hard yards. He is not afraid to get his jersey dirty when he does such things, as long as he is doing what it takes for his team to win. This same kind of mindset can be seen in his willingness to block for his teammates as well. Going into the next level, if a small program gives him a chance, they will not be disappointed in his overall ability to run the ball, and do whatever it takes to win the game. <strong>Joshua Thomas- </strong><em>Fayette County</em> Thomas, who also plays Safety, and LB, certainly plays like it when he is at the RB position. Not only is he not afraid to put his shoulder down and run downhill, but he also runs very strong, picking up whatever yards he can. He also has the ability to use his burst and speed to make big plays if he is in space, which is evident in the fact that his offensive coordinator uses him in the passing game at times to create mismatches. While Thomas can be seen to turn and run very well, it is also evident that he moves a bit stiff as well, causing him to have wasted movement at times. While he may be a bit of a project at RB, and can be used in rotation, we still feel he can be a great player for a smaller program regardless. <em> </em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94018" first="Justin" last="Johnson"]- </strong><em>Pace</em> [player_tooltip player_id="94018" first="Justin" last="Johnson"], who measures in at 6’1, 225 is listed as an ATH due to his ability to be an efficient ball player on both sides of the ball. While he is not the quickest player on the field, his ability to understand the game, and make good plays off of that is what sets him apart. Not only does he have solid ball skills, but his vision allows him to be able to run well in between the tackles and pick up quality yards. Because of his size, once he does this, he is very hard to bring down, which is why he is used in this way to begin with. Johnson also shows that he can be used on screens to pick up yards, and in doing so, he catches the ball with clean hands, and has a small burst after the catch. We feel that Johnson is a player who can play at the D2 level if he wants to give it a shot, and that he can be utilized in a similar way there as well. <strong>Jahni Clarke- </strong><em>Norcross</em> As a senior, Clarke had a very solid season for Norcross, and he certainly displayed talent that could allow him to play past high school if he so desires. With the rock in his hands. Clarke displays good vision, patience, and the ability to burst at the line of scrimmage. He allows the play to develop and open up, and then he strikes for big gains. With this, Clarke is also very slippery, and hard for defenders to bring down due to his balance. In all of this, perhaps what helps Clarke the most is his ability to keep his legs moving, and to also change direction with his quick twitch at any second. This ability is very hard to come across and most definitely makes Clark the best player on this list. Even though the reason behind him not receiving many offers to this point is probably due to his size and frame, we feel he plays above such things and would be very worthy of an opportunity to shine at the next level. If he decides to continue playing, he will definitely be worth tuning in to.