Southern California: 2022 Best Available Running Backs

<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25262" first="Jaylen" last="Thompson"], Alemany</strong> Thompson is one of two elite running backs at Alemany. He has excellent field vision and his versatility is his biggest strength. There is a play on his highlight film where it’s a designed sweep but he cuts back through the B gap and makes a first down out of what would have been a loss. He is smaller at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, but he can break tackles and has proven himself to be durable. Thompson has 17 offers and his last two visits were to San Jose State and Colorado. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16589708/Jaylen-Thompson">Hudl link</a></strong></em> https://twitter.com/SpillerDerron/status/1469334899492491264?s=20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25266" first="Jabari" last="Bates"], St. John Bosco</strong> Bates would have been a 1,000 yard rusher for most teams in the state but he had to share carries at Bosco with [player_tooltip player_id="25233" first="Rayshon" last="Luke"] and [player_tooltip player_id="25315" first="Michael" last="Hayes"]. He is not as fast as Luke but still has breakaway speed. He can break tackles and reads his offensive linemen well. He was the best receiving running back on the team and made big plays against top competition. He has six offers. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9599171/Jabari-Bates">Hudl link</a></strong></em> https://twitter.com/latsondheimer/status/1444154117560045568?s=20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25290" first="Floyd" last="Chalk"], Alemany</strong> Chalk was one of my favorite running backs to watch this fall. He is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare because even when there is nowhere for him to run, he breaks tackles or finds cutback lanes that you didn’t know existed. He hits the hole hard and as enough speed to breakaway after getting by the second level. He is undersized as is everyone on this list, but there are backs his size that have already signed. He has offers from Penn State and San Diego State but the Aztecs have signed a lot of running backs in this class. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12100428/Floyd-ChalkIV">Hudl link</a></strong></em> https://twitter.com/Tarek_Fattal/status/1449474825638924289?s=20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25307" first="Derek" last="Boyd"], Lawndale</strong> Boyd is the biggest guy on this list and he may get offended at me classifying him as a running back because he is an "athlete" on most recruiting boards. Lawndale is fun to watch because they mix up their personnel groups well on offense and they find multiple ways to get Boyd the ball. Lawndale has a really good offensive line and Boyd takes advantage and breaks big runs because he trusts his line to handle the first two levels. He has a long stride and is tough to bring down. Boyd has offers from Boise State and Oregon State. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11248954/Derek-Boyd-II">Hudl link</a></strong></em> https://twitter.com/DerekSBoydII/status/1470149859785150465?s=20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="120793" first="Nova" last="Kebeli"], Portola</strong> When I first saw Kebeli as a sophomore I thought he was just a good high school back who played in a system that was designed for him to succeed. After seeing him grow over two years he’s evolved into a better player. The system is designed for him to put up numbers but he is the reason the offense works. He breaks tackles, makes people miss and reads his linemen very well. The only knock on Kebeli is the level of competition he plays against, which is not his fault of course. Can he adapt to the increased speed of the game at the college level? If I were a college coach, I would take a chance to find out. He has a lot of NAIA and some Division 3 offers but I think he could play at the FCS level if given the opportunity. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11195332/618a2b0a066b9f08aceb058d">Hudl link</a></strong></em> https://twitter.com/novakebeli/status/1462836594004533252?s=20 <hr /> <em><strong>Other best available running backs:</strong></em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="187292" first="Jason" last="Jones"], Sierra Canyon</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25315" first="Michael" last="Hayes"], St. John Bosco</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253284" first="Jalen" last="Shaw"], Scripps Ranch</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141998" first="Elijah" last="Kelsey"], Moreno Valley</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208989" first="Matthew" last="Caldera"], Vista Murrieta</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="187301" first="Kenny" last="Manassero"], Mission Viejo</strong>