As well all know by now, South Georgia breeds toughness as much as any region in the country. The South Georgia heat is something lots of programs can’t handle, and it’s full of small towns who love to rally on their local team in the fall. The kids in this area fight hard, they’re physical, and they play their butt off every single play. South Georgia programs are known for running the ball as well as anyone, so they’re constantly producing some of the state’s best backs on a consistent basis.
Here are some of the top 2022 running backs to know in South Georgia for the 2021 season...
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33919" first="Omari" last="Arnold"] - Brooks County</strong>
Arnold is a guy that Prep RedZone has mentioned a lot now and it’s well deserved. Arnold may not get the attention he deserves yet, but the 5-foot-10 190-pounder still holds some smaller offers from Georgia Tech, App State, and East Carolina. The Quitman native is coming off an excellent season in 2020 where he led the region in rushing, carrying the ball 178 times for 1,666 and 26 touchdowns. He beat defenses with power, speed, and overall athleticism. The South Georgia native runs hard every play and is always tough to bring down by just one defender. He showed some explosiveness for his size and has enough mass and strength to bounce off tackles. He shows great balance and patience behind the line of scrimmage and knows how to burst through when a hole opens up. Arnold was one of the most productive backs in the entire state as a junior last year and will look to lead Brooks County to a state championship as a senior.
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33870" first="Jamie" last="Felix"] - Camden County</strong>
It wasn’t the best year for the powerful Camden County Wildcats last year, but they still proved to have one of the best running backs in South Georgia. In just 4 games last season as a junior, Felix showed that he’s a dynamic player not only in the rushing game, but in the return game as well. The 5-foot-10 205-pounder runs hard, but his balance and ability to keep his feet moving stand out the most about his game. He’s not the strongest or fastest back around, but he shows good vision, burst, quick feet, and tremendous balance.
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="95474" first="Kaleb" last="Robinson"] - Valdosta</strong>
The Valdosta Wildcats, the winningest high school program in the country, is always known for producing high-caliber talent. They have another big-time player on the roster this fall, and it’s senior, running back [player_tooltip player_id="95474" first="Kaleb" last="Robinson"]. The 5-foot-11 190-pounder is a slippery runner who knows how to fit through tight holes and burst through the line of scrimmage. He’s a lean, shifty back with quick feet who knows how to cut and make defenders miss at the next level. He didn’t play a ton last year, and Valdosta had to forfeit most of their games, so while Robinson didn’t light up the stat sheet, he did show that he’s an impact back and could be one of South Georgia’s leading rushers for the 2021 season.
