2022 Ranking: Running Backs

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> Here in the month of June we’re updating all of our prospect rankings as the 2021 season gets closer and closer. For the 2022 class, we went from a Top 100 to a Top 150 as this class continues to get deeper and deeper. The margin between the ranked players is very close and this class has a chance to be fairly deep from top to bottom. The guys in the Top 10 are some of the best in recent memory, especially in that Top 5. You can check out the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2022-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Top 150 Right Here</strong></a>. Throughout the week, we’ll be adding some analysis on the players that have stood out in the 2022 class with positional breakdowns, newcomers and even prospects on the border of being ranked this time around. Go back and check out our updated rankings for the 2023 and 2024 classes. For now, we take a look at five running back prospects who stood out to us in the last ranking update. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] - Bixby (Ranked #8 Overall)</strong></span> We kick things off with a top ten prospect and the winner of the first ever Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year award in Bixby running back [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"]. The dynamic Bixby runner has had another strong offseason but it’s still hard to imagine that he can take another jump this fall like what we saw from him last season. He was steady during his sophomore season but he became one of the best players in the state as a junior. I’m very interested to see what elements he adds to his game this offseason to make another run this fall. Presley became much more than a running back last season, he also led the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns to go along with outstanding rushing numbers. So the biggest question with Presley going into 2021 is what else will he bring to the table when he steps on the field this fall. He’s already one of the top playmakers in the state and he’s gotten his recruitment out of the way by committing to Oklahoma State earlier this year. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38684" first="Buddy" last="Bizzell"] - Carl Albert (Ranked #29 Overall)</strong></span> We’ll go out on a limb (it’s not a big one) and say that it’s going to be a big year for Carl Albert’s [player_tooltip player_id="38684" first="Buddy" last="Bizzell"]. After his breakout sophomore season, Bizzell was Carl Albert’s feature back as a junior. Coming into his senior season, you can expect more from Bizzell after the graduation departures of quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="38534" first="Ben" last="Harris"] and fellow running back [player_tooltip player_id="38487" first="Javion" last="Hunt"]. Bizzell will almost certainly have more of a role in the offense, especially early on in the season as the Titans work in their new quarterback. Bizzell has the ability to be that workhorse back but he’s never fully unleashed that as he’s also helped out the Titans on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker. That might still be the case this fall but don’t be surprised if he’s asked to do a little more on the offensive side of the ball. The Carl Albert senior is one of the best power backs in the state and while he could end up playing defense at the next level at linebacker, for right now, we like him at that running back spot. The Titans are reloading for another run at the state championship and Bizzell has been so critical to the last two titles and nothing is going to change when it comes to that this fall. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38669" first="CJ" last="Brown"] - Beggs (Ranked #13 Overall)</strong></span> OSU has done a good job on recruiting the in-state class and have commitments from two of the best running backs in Presley as well as Beggs running back [player_tooltip player_id="38669" first="CJ" last="Brown"]. The Beggs standout will be a nice compliment to Presley at the next level as they do several different things well. Brown is a very dynamic player that has the size, speed and quickness to be a running back that can handle 20 carries a game. Besides Presley, Brown has some of the best moves that we’ve seen from the running backs in this class. He can juke defenders out of their shoes, he can hit defenders with the spin move. Or he can keep it simple, he can run around you, go through you or jump over you. Yes, he’s been known to hurdle a defender here and there. Beggs will have one of the best backfields in the state with Brown teaming up with one of the top 2024 prospects in [player_tooltip player_id="110739" first="Red" last="Martel"]. That 1-2 punch is good enough to help Beggs contend for a state championship. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38723" first="Daylan" last="Thompson"] - Elk City (Ranked #97 Overall)</strong></span> The word "underrated" gets thrown around a lot when it comes to recruiting but it’s incredibly true here. Elk City certainly doesn’t get a lot of attention when it comes to the football field but they should this fall with senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="38723" first="Daylan" last="Thompson"]. Because of his height and height alone, Thompson just cracked the Top 100. But when you watch him play, you see the raw talent and absolute power that he plays with. Thompson is similar in size to Presley at Bixby but he’s the opposite player. While Presley is flashy and needs to get into the open field, Thompson has the strength to overpower defenders and has no problems with running in between the tackles. We were very impressed in the limited window that we got to see Thompson this offseason and even more impressed with what he’s done in the weight room. Thompson isn’t your prototypical small back that you have to worry about taking a beating because in most situations, he’s the one dishing out the punishment. He’s a fun player to watch and should have a big fall. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38672" first="Maurion" last="Horn"] - Broken Arrow (Ranked #6 Overall)</strong></span> Our final prospect on this breakdown is the highest rated running back and what’s crazy is he might not be playing offense at the next level. After a stellar sophomore season playing defensive back, Horn started getting recruited at that spot. However, as a junior, he showed what he can do if you line him up at running back and we got to see plenty of fireworks when that happened. Horn was one of the true game changers when he got the ball in his hands. We got a chance to see the Tigers several times in person and we couldn’t help but be blown away by his abilities at the running back position. However, there is a good chance that when we update the rankings again in October, he will no longer be on the offensive side of the ball as all signs point to him playing cornerback at the next level. But until then, we’re going to hold out hope because he was simply dynamic with the ball in his hands in 2021. And with new head coach Josh Blankenship taking over the Tigers, Horn has a chance to take his game to the next level in a more wide open offense.