Wisconsin Big Backs: Current and Former Mack Truck RBs
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Today I get to write about something near and dear to my heart: oversized running backs. I know it’s somewhat random but I’ve always loved seeing XL& plus-sized athletes run the rock over the course of a football game, and…
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Continue ReadingToday I get to write about something near and dear to my heart: oversized running backs. I know it’s somewhat random but I’ve always loved seeing XL& plus-sized athletes run the rock over the course of a football game, and although lineman trick plays and the occasional fullback carries are fun and exciting, what really gets my blood pumping is an actual RB1 who is built more like a LB or defensive lineman rather than the average 5’10-6’, 180-200 lb. RB. It’s not that there is anything wrong with the traditional-sized running backs, it’s just a fun little niche thing about football that I’ve enjoyed since I was a little kid, and I still enjoy seeking out and scouting for big RBs in my job with PrepRedzone. Even before I got my job with PRZ, when I was doing a lot of film/highlight tape watching recreationally, I always noticed this small trend of some of my beloved extra large RBs coming out of the state of Wisconsin, and after some hard work looking back on old rosters and Hudl programs, I finally have more than enough evidence to provide to our awesome subscribers a worthy list to defend my claim of Wisconsin being a special place for Mack Trucks at the running back position. Below I’ve listed some Wisconsin big-backs who ended up playing for the Badgers, a few of my favorite XL non-D1 RBs, and some class of ’21, ’22, and ’23 Mack Trucks and broke down their game and careers + linked their highlights so you can see some defenders getting run over as well. Enjoy the truck sticks, everybody!
Badger Big Backs
John Chanel (Grantsburg) 6’3, 225 lbs in high school. Is playing FB for Wisconsin
The elder Chanel boy was a standout LB at Grantsburg before going on to play fullback for the Badgers and despite his impressive high school RB stats, they were definitely overshadowed by his gaudy linebacker statistics. The University of Wisconsin appreciated his offensive capabilities, as he has played in 22 games with 3 starts at the fullback position where can get back to channeling his “run you over” attitude and playing style and continues a long legacy of nationally renowned FBs to don the white and red of the Badgers. As a prep tailback, however, he was really light on his feet for his size and I was surprised to see on his high school tape that he was not lacking in speed as he could and would pull away from defenses if given daylight. John’s vision was also better than expected and he was efficient when following his blocks but was capable of improvising and utilized well-timed cuts to get around tackle attempts, and he also of course showed absolutely no problem in lowering his pads and running defenders right over. His balance through contact is and was awesome for his size and his massive lower body allowed him to run through opponents with one powerful pull of his leg and barely losing any momentum. In his offensive career, he posted 4,578 yards and 65 touchdowns rushing and recorded 1,013 yards and 8 TDs receiving and earned First Team All-State honors as a senior to go along with three All-Conference nods. Top Senior Year plays Junior Year
Leo Chanel (Grantsburg) 6’2, 220 lbs in high school. Is playing LB for Wisconsin
The younger Chanel was the 2018 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year and a small school First Team All-American by MaxPreps to go along with a ton of instate awards including three All-State nods in two years, Wisconsin’s small school offensive player of the year, Wisconsin’s defensive player of the year, Wisconsin’s LB of the year, and four All-Conference nods. He finished his career with 385 tackles, 55 TFLs, 7 sacks, and 3 interceptions plus 3,706 yards and 68 TDs rushing as well as 1,300 yards and 17 TDs receiving. He was a very scary combination of speed and strength as a ball carrier and made some insane runs that show power, agility, balance, and athleticism. His stiff arm was on of the meaner ones I’ve ever seen, and like his brother, he was excellent through contact and could run through and bounce off of weaker tacklers with ease, and I do think he was a little shifter and quicker than his brother as well. I’ve watched a lot of RB film throughout the years, and Leo stands out as one of the RBs I would least like to try and tackle. He ran the ball with straight violence. Junior Season Top-5 Plays of 2018
John Clay (Racine-Washington Park) 6’1, 230 lbs. Played RB for the Badgers
The former Badger great didn’t have any high school film I could find, but his stat line from the early 2000s is pretty nuts. He went off for 19 carries for 259 yards and 3 TDs in the 2005 state finals to solidify himself as a can’t miss prospect of the future. He’d go onto rush for 2,032 yards and 30 TDs as a junior to earn First Team All-State honors and battled through injuries as a senior to tally 1,485 yards and 15 TDs and was picked to play in the U.S. Army All-American game for his efforts. He sounded like a giant on the gridiron and was probably the closest thing to a Mack Truck of any of the selectees on this list.
Gabe Lloyd (Northeastern Wisconsin Lutheran) 6’4, 220 lbs. Played TE for Wisconsin before transferring to North Dakota State
The collegiate TE was a physical, productive, and exciting RB as a prep who totaled 2,305 yards rushing and 42 touchdowns during his varsity career and was named First Team All-State, conference player of the year, and a 2x two-way All-Conference pick. His senior highlight tape first off shows an explosive and violent blocker from the fullback position who leavers defenders airborne and completely shaken when he runs right through them. As a RB, his long arms allow him to fully extend into a stiff arm that was very effective at not allowing tacklers to get into him and get hip to hip, and his long legs also helped him to cut at the very last second and keep his balance when quickly starting and stopping. He also had good speed for his size and could hurt defenses when he got the sideline, and his leg drive allowed him to run through smaller tackles as well. His overall length just made him really fun to watch run the ball and he was a unique ball carrier and a great athlete at TE size. Senior Highlights
Former Big Backs (some of my personal favorites)
Sam Santiago-Lloyd (Brookfield East/Winona State) 5’10, 235 lbs. in high school
The owner of an electric highlight tape in my eyes, the now Winona State Warriors First Team All-NSIC running back rushed for 1,861 yards and 27 TDs, won a state championship and won the state finals MVP, and earned First Team All-State honors as a senior in 2016-17 to go along with his 2016 state player of the year honor. The bowling ball of a RB could run over tacklers by simply dropping his shoulder, and makes trucking a kid going full speed look scary easy. With an already low center of gravity, he was incredibly hard to get to the ground and could bounce off tacklers going low and throw them off his body if they went too high, all without seeming to lose a step. His massive and balanced frame helped him to rarely need to cut – especially in the open field – but his vision when making his first cut near the LOS looked impressive and very deep into his highlight tape he is still running kids over like it’s nothing. I love his tape and have it bookmarked on my phone if we’re being honest, and I’m also happy to report his college career is going well. In 2017 as a freshman he played in 11 games and rushed 49 times for 244 yards and 2 TDs. He followed it up with a sophomore 2018 season that saw 11 game appearances w/ five starts and led the team in rushing attempts with 121, rushing yards with 550, and touchdowns with five to earn NSIC honorable mention honors. As a junior in 2019, he went off for 956 rushing yards and 8 TDs and ranked third in the Northern Sun with 95.6 rushing yards per game and was named First Team All-NSIC. I’m psyched for his senior season in Winona! Senior Year 16-17
Joshua Komis (Green Bay SW/University of St. Thomas) 5’10, 230 lbs. in high school
The 2018 graduate of Green Bay Southwest High School recorded 4,309 rushing yards and 60 TDs in his career and earned two All-Conference nods and an All-Region selection for his efforts. His senior season tape displays a stout and thick running back who looks nimble and light on his feet for 230ish pounds as a senior. His change of direction ability and quickness is very impressive for his size as he doesn’t need to rely on straight power or North/South toughness to beat a defense and find the endzone. In fact, he actually has the speed to get to the sideline and gouge defenses by beating angels of would-be tacklers, and when you combine this with his balance and ability to throw opponents off of him and cut at the last possible second plus his overall wrecking ball frame and build and you have a very unique and tough to prepare for offensive weapon. He’s the niftiest runner on this list thus far and I hope things are going well for him in St. Paul at UST. Senior Season
Jacob Zabrowski (Antigo/UW-La Crosse) 5’8, 225 lbs. in high school
The former UW-La Crosse Eagle was a versatile player and ball carrier in high school who handled both FB and tailback duties + played LB and handled them all well. As a runner, he was a tough North-South back who fought and clawed for every yard and capable of carrying and dragging would-be tacklers, and where he really excelled was as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He was dangerous running screens and traditional routes from the slot, and with his low center of gravity, he was capable of really packing a punch when he could generate a full head of steam. He contributed as both a FB and TE at UWL and played on special teams as well! 2013 Highlights
Tyler Zirpoli (Waukesha West/Winona State) 5’10, 230 lbs. in high school
Currently serving as Winona State’s FB1, Zirpoli has carried his hard-hitting running style from the high school to the college ranks and looks to build on his list of accomplishments as he was named First Team All-Conference, All-Region, First Team All-Suburban, First Team All-Freeman, and All-State HM as a senior at Waukesha West. Although he was more of a traditional fullback as a prep and was a powerful blocker capable of reaching the second and third level, as well as the edge, with ease, and uses impressive foot drive and a ton of natural pop despite a sometimes higher pad level that put kids on their butts for three and a half minutes straight on his senior highlight tape. When he did get carries he was not your typical hit the hole as hard as possible and try to get a couple of yards, and showed off an ability to bounce gaps and cut to daylight if need be. He also had great balance and could spin and shake through tackle attempts and was lethal up the seam out of the backfield and made an impact on the passing game as well. Check out his college highlights as well they are quite impressive. Senior Year 2017
Beyond a blessing to play next to some of these seniors. Check out my redshirt freshman year. The future looks bright #warriornation #40 pic.twitter.com/lI2Mj3s4vI
— Tyler Zirpoli (@TylerZirpoli75) December 15, 2019
Dylan Hecker (Winneconne/UW-Oshkosh) 6’1, 220 lbs in high school.
The Winneconne grad put up some eye-popping numbers while playing for WIAC heavyweight UW-Oshkosh and was a four-year contributor as a 6’1, 230 lb. RB who finished his career having appeared in 43 games and totaled 626 rushes for 3,582 yards and 61 TDs. He also caught 49 balls for 504 yards and 2 TDs and finished his college career with a litany of awards and honors, but prior to that he was just a giant Wolves RB who tore up defenses across the Eastern Valley and East Central conferences. With a giant lower body, Hecker used some impressive knee drive and a low pad level upon contact to rumble and stumble through opponents without much resistance. I was also impressed with his speed when given daylight, and he proved that he could make attempted tacklers miss with well-timed cuts too, but it was most enjoyable watching him run over opponents with his face, shoulders, and knees, walk over their reaching bodies as they look up at him from their butts, and continue to drive forward like horses pulling machinery through the mud. It’s also worth noting he looks absolutely massive on film compared to the defenders he facing and even his own OL, and it’s a safe bet to say he was the strongest player on the field when he suited up back in high school. What a tank! Highlights
Current Big Backs
2021:
Cam Devine Cam Devine 6'3" | 220 lbs | RB Brookfield Central | 2021 State WI (Brookfield Central) 6’4, 225 lbs. Signed to North Dakota State (PWO)
The biggest and baddest running back in Wisconsin for the class of 2021 comes out of Brookfield and the massive NDSU signee Cam Devine Cam Devine 6'3" | 220 lbs | RB Brookfield Central | 2021 State WI . The Bison cleaned up in the Badger State with PWOs in 2021 and Devine is arguably the most intriguing of the trio of signees, as his frame and athleticism for his size lead me to believe NDSU got a steal of a PWO signing. Devine rushed for 1,057 yards and 11 TDs in 2020 and added two passing TDs to boot, and on film, he is a very exciting big back who shows excellent vision as well as patience when finding and hitting holes. His long legs help him produce some impressive burst for his size, and with the power he holds in those tree trunks he can easily through tackle attempts and maintain his momentum as if nothing happened. He’s the tallest back on this list, so his running style is definitely different, but he still possesses the trademark power and physical running style of my beloved XL RBs. The Bison signee also displayed some of the best speed of anyone on this list, and that speed really made him a scary combination for defenses to have and deal with throughout four quarters. I know that the chances are slim that NDSU keeps him at RB but a man can still dream. Senior Year
Albert Romero Albert Romero 6'3" | 215 lbs | RB Onalaska | 2021 State WI (Onalaska) 6’3, 215 lbs. Not sure if he’s playing in college
The All-Region selection fits the bill of the “Mack Truck” description I like to give these guys and on the first play of his senior highlights he looks like a runaway train got off the tracks and the poor defense was tasked with stopping it. He’s got a little bit of shiftiness in his step, and easily runs through arm tackles and opponents trying to simply grab him, and man when he lowers the shoulder he really brings the pain. Although his balance through contact when running over someone is a little behind some of the other members of this list it looks like it hurts a ton when you get in his way and he pumps the truck stick. His lower body also is strong enough to drag tacklers extra yards and was also a willing and devastating lead blocker when called upon. I hope he’s signed to play somewhere next season! Senior SZN
Patrick Daniels (Marquette University) 5’11, 235 lbs. Signed to play both football and baseball at St. Norbert’s College
Up until the writing of this article I was not aware Daniels was signed to play anywhere so I was very excited when I saw on Twitter that he is signed to SNC to play multiple sports in college. This kid initially caught my eye after he went off for 41 carries for 283 yards and two TDs against Sussex Hamilton, and after peeping his size I was immediately in love. His senior highlights are a blast, and he has some pretty nimble feet for a big guy who can cut, jump, and continue going forward in impressive fashion for an almost 240 lber., and possesses a strong stiff-arm and a good motor that never quits pumping his feet. He rarely was taken down by a single tacker and was great at getting you a couple of extra yards after first contact but also had good burst for a ball carrier of his size and could hurt ya if he got the sideline. Best of luck, Patrick! Senior Season Highlights
Brye Hardel Brye Hardel 6'1" | 230 lbs | RB Iola- Scandinavia | 2021 State WI (Iola-Scandinavia) 6’1, 230 lbs. Signed to Southwest Minnesota State (PWO)
The All-Region selection had a great first play of his senior highlight tape where he showed off speed and power on route to a 70-80 yard TD scamper that saw him run through a couple of attempted tacklers in impressive fashion. He banged out more than a few long TD runs as a senior and a physical OL who never stopped trying to open holes for him, but when he needed to make a play he definitely has the athleticism to make some magic with efficient cuts, vision, and improvision skills. At around 230 lbs. he’s smooth for his size as a ball carrier and can hurt defenses a couple of different ways besides the traditional “run you over” method. Good luck in Marshall, Brye! Senior Highlights
Quincy Klister (Wrightstown) 6’1, 215 lbs. Not sure if he’s signed anywhere
The Wisconsin All-Star Game selection foremost stood out to me after he bumped up from the 220 lb. wrestling weight class to heavyweight (285) right before the state tournament and ended up winning the title for Division 2. That ain’t easy! As a senior on the gridiron, he was a powerful North/South runner who could drag gang tackles for yards and will send you flying if you try to tackle him 100%. He attempts to throw and shuck opponents off of him when running and does a great job of continuing to pump his feet and knows how to break tackles when running thanks to his understanding of leverage and wrestling background. I hope he’s playing on the gridiron or wrestling mat next season! 2020 Senior Season
2022:
Colton Geurink Colton Geurink 5'11" | 215 lbs | RB Wausau West | 2022 State WI (Wausau West) 5’11, 215 lbs.
The rising senior led his conference in TDs and rushing yards last season and earned All-Conference and All-Area honors to go along with some impressive numbers in the weight room such as a 285 lb. clean, 300 lb. bench, and 465 lb. squat. His junior highlights stand out initially for his noteworthy ability to cut and make defenders miss that way for a man of his size. His balance and agility look like they really surprise defenses and when you combine that with his stiff arm and lower body strength that can run through weaker tackle attempts at his legs you have a balanced and not fun to tackle ball-carrier who is easily capable of wearing down a defense throughout the course of a football game. He has the patience to follow his blocks and allow a hole to develop as well as the vision to make plays happen when things break down and he needs to improvise in the open field, and he is also capable of knocking defenders onto their butts with some natural pop in his pads. At some points on his junior tape, he would bounce kids off him a couple of yards right onto their butts, rendering his opponents almost limp while h looks like nothing has even happened. I know with kids this size that more often or not you get moved to defense, but Geurink would be a prospect I would bang the table for as a RB at the next level. 2020 Junior Highlights
Cal Martine Cal Martine 6'0" | 230 lbs | RB Appleton North | 2022 State WI (Appleton North) 6’, 228 lbs.
Benched 365 this Spring and squatted 520 pounds to follow it up. Junior highlights open with an electric run where he took a pitch to the field, stopped after a few years, cut back through two tackle attempts, follows it by stiff-arming a kid off his hips, slipped through an ankle biter, and then showed off the jets as he hit the sideline and slipped another tackle for a solid 60-yard TD run. This kid can seriously move for his size and in six games this spring he rushed for 834 yards and 13 TDs and really stood out for the strength and power he runs the rock with. Opponents will run into him as hard as they can and simply bounce off into the turf, and Martine can also keep tacklers at bay with a devasting and well-timed stiff-arm. He was named All-Conference and the Co-Offensive POTY in the conference and next year his highlights are going to be even crazier with a full season. His speed at almost 230 really stands out amongst the selections on this list, and he’s one of the freakiest players in the state of Wisconsin when talking about athleticism, size, and testing numbers. I could watch him run all day long and have already watched his junior tape double-digit times since he posted it. Junior Highlights
Maximus Blamey (Hurley) 6’2, 235 lbs.
More of a fullback than a tailback, Blamey can still run the ball with impressive results and was named an All-Region FB/HB this past season. The first play of his tape he shows off some sweet body control and flexibility at spinning off a tackle while very low to the ground, and he follows it up by flashing some nice top-end speed for his size the following couple of plays. His lower body is powerful enough to run through weaker tackles at his hips and thighs, and if he drops the shoulder you gotta be ready for some power coming your way as he is easily capable of putting opponents on their butts and continuing forward like it was a breeze in the wind. There’s a lot to like on film and I’m very interested to see his senior tape once that day comes. Junior Season
Zach Gloudeman Zach Gloudeman 6'2" | 215 lbs | ATH River Valley | 2022 State WI (River Valley) 6’2, 215 lbs.
A returning All-Region pick at LB and Conference Offensive POY at RB, Gloudeman has a lean frame and a ton of burst for 6’2, 215 pounds who uses his long legs to beat opponents angles and pull away before they really know what him them. He’s also strong enough to run through tackle attempts on his lower body without losing his stride, and he can cut on a dime and set up defenders that way as well. His speed is by far the most evident thing on his tape and he would make a really intriguing linebacker or possibly RB at the next level.
2023:
Zander Rockow Zander Rockow 6'1" | 240 lbs | ATH Eau Claire Regis | 2023 State WI (Eau Claire Regis) 6′, 220 lbs
A Top-3 prospect in the 2023 class of Wisconsin who is possibly going to see that rank climb once we update soon, Rockow has been putting up eye-popping testing numbers since his appearance at our inaugural PrepRedzoneWI Showcase last winter and throughout this summer camp season. He’s a really special back with noteworthy burst, contact balance, speed, and power for only a sophomore who can break tackles in just about any way he wants to. He runs like a kid weighing 185 lbs., but runs behind his pads like a 225 lber., and when also remember he has vision and a nonstop motor that never quits on a play I think he’s about as surefire of a P5 prospect and potential future Badger as there is in Wisconsin for ’23. Keep your eyes out for Zander, he’s also a great kid who is humble, hungry, and out to prove something. Big big fan of the Regis product.
Jay Dayne Jay Dayne 6'0" | 255 lbs | ATH Sun Prairie | 2022 State WI (Sun Prairie) 6′, 240 lbs.
Couldn’t find any recent tape of him after this soring season but I did find this one worthy clip below!
https://twitter.com/GeorgeBalekji/status/1375641234350428162?s=20