Ed O’Brien’s Top New Jersey Class of 2022 RB’s on the Rise

In this article, I will be taking a look at several Class of 2022 running backs that I feel have improved their stock through the first-half of this season. Several of these running backs were not ranked at the beginning of the season and have earned their way onto out radar. <strong>No. 13 [player_tooltip player_id="206981" first="Damon" last="Phillips"] | 5-7 | 170 | East Orange</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Phillips has carried the football 70 times for 702 yards and eight touchdowns this season. He carried the football four times for 86 yards and one touchdown in a 47-7 win over Livingston this past Friday. Phillips may not be the fastest but he can definitely cut on a dime and make people miss when it's a 1-on-1 situation with a defender. <strong>No. 11 [player_tooltip player_id="28027" first="Mike" last="Leanza"] | 5-8 | Bernards</strong> Previous Ranking: W/L Leanza has carried the football 127 times for 817 yards and seven touchdowns this season. His quickness off the ball and his north-south running style allows him to hit the hole close to full speed. Several of his long runs have been via inside runs. <strong>No. 10 [player_tooltip player_id="211419" first="Curtis" last="Whiting"] | 5-10 | 175 | Hackensack</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Whiting has carried hte football 99 times for 711 yards and five touchdowns this season. <strong>No. 9 [player_tooltip player_id="196703" first="Steve" last="Burkhardt"]</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Burkhardt has gained 623 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 50 carries this season. <strong>No. 8 [player_tooltip player_id="206982" first="Jackson" last="Ferrante"] | 5-10 | 185 | Haddon Heights</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Ferrante has carried the football 110 times for 718 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He's a smooth runner that doesn't slow down when he has to make a cut. Ferrante runs with low squared pads and has a nose for the end zone. He's able to make early run lane adjustments and is able to break some of his inside runs to the outside. <strong>No. 7 [player_tooltip player_id="190978" first="Lawrence" last="Hunter"] | Old Bridge</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Hunter has rushed for 762 yards and seven touchdowns on 113 carries this season. <strong>No. 6 [player_tooltip player_id="211418" first="Theodore" last="Lockhart III"] | 5-6 | 170 | Woodbury</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Lockhart has carried the football 64 times for 829 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. He plays bigger than his size and is not an easy player to tackle. Lockhart understands blocking schemes and is a patient runner. He has good peripheral vision once he's up to the second-level. <strong>No. 5 [player_tooltip player_id="206984" first="Joshua" last="Paduani"] | Lakeland Regional</strong> Previous Ranking: N/A Paduani has carried the football 119 times for 936 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. <strong>No. 1 [player_tooltip player_id="27984" first="Kanye" last="Udoh"] | 6-0 | 190 | St. Augustine</strong> Previous Ranking: No. 2 Udoh has been performing at a high level though the first-half of the season. He’s carried the football 119 times for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season. Udoh rushed for over 150-plus yards three times during the month of September. He has a great blend of power, speed, and vision that has served him well during the first-half of the 2021 season.