2023 Running Backs With the Best Hands
If you want to play running back in the peach state, not only do you have to be tough and quick, but more and more, you have to be able to catch the football. Versatile backs who can help in…
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Continue ReadingIf you want to play running back in the peach state, not only do you have to be tough and quick, but more and more, you have to be able to catch the football. Versatile backs who can help in the passing game can really help an offense open up, and they can quickly become a quarterback’s best friend.
There are plenty of 2023 backs who can make plays out of the backfield, and many could see an opportunity to play at the next level because of it.
Here are a few 2023 backs who showed excellent hands last fall…
Javious Bond – Jones County
The Middle Georgia back made a lot of plays as a junior last fall for the Greyhounds, and many of his biggest plays came as a receiver out of the backfield. He was an excellent runner who rushed for over 900 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he proved to be a major weapon in the passing game. Showing soft, consistent hands all season, Bond caught 49 passes last year for 555 yards and six touchdowns. He’s quick and explosive with the ball, but his consistent hands made him a dangerous threat on any particular play. He can bring down a pass with one hand and he can make a tough catch in traffic. He’s a back with a receiver’s skillset, making him tough to handle for any defense in the area. Look for Bond to continue catching the ball with ease as a senior in 2022.
Lang Windham – Rabun County
If there’s one “under the radar” back to know about in the North Georgia mountains, it’s Windham. He may have zero offers right now, but that’s strictly due to his size. At only 5-foot-9 150-pounds, Windham is a smaller back but has proved to be one of the more versatile backs in the state. The rising senior is coming off an excellent junior season where he rushed for over 800 yards 13 touchdowns. He was deadly in the passing game, catching 44 passes for 664 yards and another 9 scores. His reliable hands made him a go-to option on screens and underneath passes, and when he’s given some space to run, he’s always a threat to take it the distance. He gets up-field in a hurry and can be dangerous in the open field due to his sudden quickness and ability to change direction. He clearly has some of the best hands for any back across Georgia, and he’s bound for another big season next fall.
Dorian Graham – Sandy Creek
A dynamic, versatile back from the Atlanta area, Graham is an under the radar back in the 2023 class who had a very productive season as a junior in 2021. A smaller, quicker back at 5-foot-7 185-pounds, Graham has plenty of muscle for his size and shows a natural running style with the ball. As a rusher, Graham picked up 616 yards on the ground and found the endzone 9 times. As a receiver out of the backfield, Graham was extremely consistent and showed reliable hands all season. The Sandy Creek back caught 24 passes and made them all count for 428 yards and five touchdowns. He’s a solid dump-down option when there is noting down the field, and he knows how to make plays when given space out of the backfield.
Justice Haynes Justice Haynes 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Buford | 2023 State GA – Blessed Trinity
Don’t let the stat sheet fool you. He’s the best running back in the state, and even though he didn’t catch the ball often last fall as a junior, make no mistake, the four-star back can be a deadly weapon out of the backfield at the next level. He’s a good route runner for a back his size, he can create separation in coverage, and he’s shown great hands during the camp circuit. He rushed the ball over and over again at Blessed Trinity, but his athleticism and ability to catch out of the backfield should give him an opportunity to make more plays out of the backfield at the next level. He’s a back who checks all the boxes, and one of those boxes is his great hands. He’s reliable option in the passing game, and it’s easy to see when you watch him play.