Houston’s Top 2024 Running Backs to Know

HTown’s top sophomore running backs will now get their time! The players listed made a huge impact during their sophomore years and helped their teams in great ways! The future is bright for every one on this list, and with some many talented backs in the area it can be easy for us to miss, so please send some more names in!! &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lloyd Avant - Summer Creek</span></strong></em></span> Avant showed that he is a big play hitter out of the backfield. He showed very good initial burst after taking a handoff and proved to be slippery in the open field. Avant made defenders miss at crucial times which usually turned into touchdowns. Avant’s vision at the second and third level are something special. He looks for and sees different escape routes when being pursued, and has the agility and athleticism to execute his moves smoothly. Avant had himself an extremely productive year, rushing for 1,794 yards and 27 touchdowns on 190 carries. I believe Avant has much more to show for the coming years! Great player! <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15063929/6178ed2190ef610ccc5c142f" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Ifeanyi Monye - Jordan</strong></span></em></span> Another young talent representing the Jordan squad, Monye shows that he is a work horse with great power. He is a strong back with very good open field speed and a quickness that can catch defenses by surprise. It takes multiple defenders to bring him down and by that times he has already gained an extra 5 yards. A very tough, well balanced back who shows great effort and who can put a lot on his shoulders. I’m telling you now, watch out for the Jordan team and expect Monye to pick up where he left off last season. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15008950/61a91ea304284a07fc8065b0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Caleb Blocker - Tompkins</strong></span></em></span> Blocker showed that he is an agile back who can maneuver through crowded areas with his quickness and elusiveness. Blocker keeps his feet moving, bouncing around around until he finds that crease to take off. It doesn’t take much space for Blocker to slash through either, just a little sliver and he can be off to the races. He is a hard player to take down in those tight spaces as well. He possesses the ability to make defenders miss in the phone booth and make you pay for it. For his sophomore campaign, Blocker rushed for 1,017 yards and 13 touchdowns on 160 carries. He will be a name you hear a good bit for the next couple of seasons. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15046877/61ab9d3bbd6a1d077c01828f" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="146592" first="Nathaniel" last="Palmer"] - College Station</strong></span></em></span> Palmer is without a doubt one of the most dynamic backs in his class and shows it. He is electric, and is a fluid athlete with the combination of speed and power. Palmer is shifty and a nightmare to take in space where he can either run you over or drop you with his elusiveness. The vision and agility are top notch, and the scary part is that he is only getting better. For the season Palmer ran for 897 yards and 9 touchdowns on 120 carries. He is next up! <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15093769/61be6c0b176c7909f425f280" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="148281" first="Johann" last="Cardenas"] - St. Thomas</strong></span></em></span> Cardenas ability to be a strong runner and a reliable receiver put him on this list. He is lethal out of the backfield, either by run or pass. As a runner, he shows great initial burst and open field speed. He does not slow down and is too powerful to be taken down by arm tackles. Cardenas shows good wiggle and an ability to make defenders miss. In the passing game, Cardenas is a problem. When he is in the open field after a screen pass, it is extremely hard for defenders to take him down. He is going full speed and has every intention to score. Cardenas has confident, strong hands and has shown that screens are not the only routes he can run. He is a matchup issue for linebackers and even some safeties when he is running down the seam. On the season, Cardenas ran for 975 yards and 9 touchdowns on 147 carries and caught 38 passes for 571 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. Keep eyes on him as he continues to develop. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14843354/620bbc52b3d2d00d94be97ec" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>