Iowa’s Top 2023 Running Backs

While scouring through film for our 2023 Iowa rankings update, I was very impressed by the running back group as a whole. You had a strong mixture of speed backs &amp; power backs in the group, that was led by Cascade’s Jack Mesnter. With that, here are a few of Iowa’s Top running backs in the 2023 class. <strong>J</strong><strong>onathan Humpal, 6’, 165, Lewis Central</strong> Jonathan very easily could be listed as an athlete on our site, based on his versatility. Humpal shows good straight-line speed, the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield &amp; can split out in the slot, and look like a polished wide receiver. He shows great body control with the ball in his hands and has the ability to create chunk plays after contact. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104114" first="Nolan" last="DeLong"], 6’, 190, Durant</strong> A tough runner between the tackles, equipped with solid strength and size. His vision and ability to burst through arm tackles make him a nuisance to tackle. Nolan has the speed to pull away from a defense, but also the ability to lower his shoulder if need be to pick up the tough yards. He could project as a safety or outside linebacker at the next level, but only time will tell. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104115" first="Shakur" last="Wright"], 6’2, 200, Waterloo East</strong> A long-running back prospect who consistently keeps his feet churning on contact. Wright shows good patience behind his pullers before accelerating through an opening. He’s a physical runner with the football and rarely is brought down by the first tackler. Wright is a really intriguing prospect to me because he most certainly has his best ball ahead of him &amp; is only going to grow at the position. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104112" first="Anthony" last="Isley"], 6’1, 165, Mediapolis</strong> A back who can stick his toe in the ground and easily change direction. Isley was the best player every time he lined up on the field, making big plays whether it was in the backfield or out in the slot. He’s a dangerous return man too, who gashed opposing teams with big return after big return. Keep an eye out for his junior tape. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104107" first="Jack" last="Menster"], 5’10, 175, Cascade</strong> To me, hands down the best back in all of Iowa. Jack has 4.4 speed to go with exceptional wiggle in space and pure determination as a runner. His balance is downright special, as you consistently saw him throw defenders off of him in order to stay on his feet. Safties stand no chance taking this guy down in the open-field as he juked a bunch of them out of their shoes with one simple cut.