Indiana’s Best Up and Coming 2024 RBs
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We’re looking into the future a bit and looking at some of the best young RBs are in the state and what to expect in the coming years. Josh Ringer Josh Ringer 6'1" | 190 lbs | RB East Central…
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Continue ReadingWe’re looking into the future a bit and looking at some of the best young RBs are in the state and what to expect in the coming years.
Josh Ringer Josh Ringer 6'1" | 190 lbs | RB East Central | 2024 State IN – East Central – RB – 6’1″ 175 lbs
Ringer is a different breed at RB. Normally a guy that big isn’t as agile as Ringer is. He stands at 6’1″ but moves and has the lower center of gravity you’d expect most smaller backs to have. He’s got great speed and is able to get to the corner in a flash. He’s definitely much better at making guys miss than he is at breaking tackles. He’s able to stop on a dime and send the defender right past him. He plays a very patient running style when he needs to. He will stay on the toes of his feet and wait for a block to be made. Waiting for blocks to be set and being patient at the line of scrimmage is the hardest thing for a back to learn. Ringer has it down naturally which immediately gives him a big edge. Ringer also has great vision overall. He isn’t going to miss very many reads and is able to squeeze into any gap. He’s young and only getting better and by the time he picks his college, my guess is he will be able to hand-select it.
Ringer finished the season with 854 scrimmage yards and 7 TDs on the year in only 6 games due to an injury. The future is incredibly bright for Ringer and as he nears his recruitment end in a few years keep an eye on him.
Glenn Patterson Glenn Patterson 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Lafayette Jefferson | 2024 State IN – Lafayette Jefferson – RB – 6’0″ 175 lbs
Patterson is lightning in a bottle. He’s very similar to Jonathan Taylor in the fact that if you blink while trying to tackle him, he’s probably already 10-yards downfield. Patterson has impeccable acceleration and speed. He gets full speed before you know it. He’s got great vision and if something isn’t there, he will create yardage. He doesn’t go down on first contact if you ever even touch him. Once he gets to the second level he’s going to start weaving in and out of the defense. The great thing about Patterson is that he doesn’t get super crazy until he’s beyond the LOS. He gets the bare minimum that is blocked and designed and then does the rest on his own. He will juke you out of your shoes and make you go flying right past him and he won’t even lose any speed. Patterson has the potential to be special at the next level as well. When you watch him he’s got that “IT” factor that you look for in every RB.
Patterson put up 953 scrimmage yards and 14 TDs on the year as he helped guide LJ for a 7-4 record on the year.
Ray Crawford Ray Crawford 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Triton Central | 2024 State IN – Triton Central – RB – 5’9″ 175 lbs
Crawford is an absolute weapon for Triton Central. Not only will they use him at RB, but they will also have him return kicks and operate out of the slot at times very similar to an Alvin Kamara. He’s got soft hands and is a great receiving back which compliments how the offense uses him perfectly. He’s got very fast feet and you can tell spends a ton of time doing ladders and getting faster. His feet never stay still and he’s always churning for more yards when being brought down. He has no issue being the leading blocker as well. Crawford will do it all for Triton and then a little more. He isn’t the most explosive back on this list but he’s probably the most well-rounded when you factor in his pass-catching ability. He gets to full speed almost instantly and has no issue putting his head down to initiate contact.
Jaden Hart Jaden Hart 6'0" | 210 lbs | RB Michigan City | 2024 State IN – Michigan City – RB – 5’10″ 170 lbs
Hart is a very compact back who is really good at just about everything. His instincts are what sets him apart. He knows when to bounce it outside to where he’ll get the edge and a long TD and when to just lower his head and get what he’s already got and fight for another down. He doesn’t make many mental mistakes and is a student of the game. I was able to attend a Michigan City game at one point this year and the most common word thrown around when describing Hart was “Coachable.” They love him and he seems to take every piece of coaching on the chin and improve with it. Hart has elite speed and once he gets to the second level you aren’t going to catch him. He doesn’t have a ton of receptions but he’s more than capable of catching the ball and learning how to be a pass-catching back.
Hart put up just over 1200 scrimmage yards and 15 TDs on the year as he helped lead Michigan City to a 9 win season and a nice playoff run.
Grayson Thomas Grayson Thomas 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB New Palestine | 2024 State IN – New Palestine – RB – 5’11″ 175 lbs
The very first thing that stands out about Thomas is his elite speed. By the time he’s getting the handoff, he’s already full speed. It’s rather impressive and he can absolutely fly. There are times he’s running so fast that he will literally have a defender bounce off of him because of how fast Thomas is running. The one big knock on Thomas as a back is that he’s so fast there are times he doesn’t let his blocks develop. Being patient with the blocks and letting them set up is something he will get more comfortable with over time. With his speed, he’s great at making guys miss and weaving around the defense but he won’t break many tackles. He’s also got soft hands and is able to come out of the backfield as a receiver. There is still quite a bit about being a receiving back that he could learn but he has the time. I think by the time he comes out he’s going to be one of the most sought-after recruits in the state. The coaches in New Pal keep talking about his work ethic and what he says he wants to improve on during the offseason.
Thomas had a huge year. He put up just under 1300 scrimmage yards and had 19 TDs on the year. New Pal did have a “down” year compared to their normal standards but I’d expect them to bounce back with a vengeance in 2022 with Thomas primed and ready to go.