Prospect Watch: Runningbacks of Texas

[caption id="attachment_315604" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-315604" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/04/RecruitingSpotlight-crop-658x432-1648855136-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Photo: Prep Redzone[/caption] The runningback position is one of my favorites when going through Texas prospects, it seems that the list of names that Texas puts out is just as good as it ever was! In this list I'm going through some of the runningbacks I found that will get more attention in the 2022 season. This group of upcoming junior and senior recruits is diverse in skill set and I will be covering them as diligently as the film will let me! [player_tooltip player_id="276074" first="Dominic" last="Ramirez"] RB 5’10" 165lbs Cyress Creek 2024 2021 stats: 1,350 All purpose yards 11tds 2nd team All District Ramirez is a legit receiving threat out of the backfield, running a variety of routes and using his hands to take balls out of the air, even in a crowd. From what I’ve seen, Cypress Creek runs alot of shotgun, which makes it harder for runningbacks to generate momentum when taking handoffs. Even so, Ramirez has amazing vision when carrying the football, finding the hole and breaking through tackles with alot of power for someone his size. Ramirez still has a couple years to grow and get stronger heading into his junior season, I would like to see if the offense will be under center more next season to show off their runningback. Trey Morris RB 5’10" 190lbs Cypress Falls 2024 2021 stats: 1,136 rushing yards 8 touchdowns Morris has a good field of vision and patience when finding the hole and hitting the second level. Running right behind his lead blocker , Morris bursts through with great acceleration! He runs very shifty, like lightning in a bottle when entering the third level of the defense, often making safties look like they take bad angles because Trey made the right move at the right time and runs right past them. Morris runs tough and picks up yards after contact with his eyes on the prize! Its exciting to think he still has his junior and senior season to develop! Jacob Gonzales RB 5’10" 175lbs Harlan 2023 2021 stats: 198 carries 1,299 rush yards 17 touchdowns Jacob Gonzales has one of the smoothest running motions I’ve seen at the highschool level. He just glides down the field while defenders just slip right off of him. Gonzales has extraordinary agility and balance while while finding open field and his speed is on another level than his opposition, all of these traits together allow Gonzales to also be as much of a threat at kick returners his is at runningback. In my opinion , whoever offers Gonzales the opportunity to play at their school will get one of the most dynamic runningbacks in Texas! Alex Witt RB Austin Vandegrift 2021 stats: 81 carries 465 yards 4 touchdowns With a limited role in 2021 Alex Witt showed tons of potential! Witt is so slippery and explosive, making him a hard guy to tackle in open space. He reminds me of a water bug the way he goes this way and that way, I expect Witt to have some big time production with a heavier work load this season. Keith Willis RB 6’ 225lbs North Forrest 2023 2021 stats: 150 carries 1,077 rushing yards 16 touchdowns Willis is a power back running full steam ahead with his great size and strength. He is redzone machine, taking on contact and battling for extra yards on his way to the endzone! His shiftiness for his size is pretty remarkable, Willis is nimble and runs with balance that keeps him up right with his eyes up, searching for open field. Keith currently is unranked which really surprises me because he seems to be a well-rounded runningback. If he keeps up this production, Keith Willis will be a big name in the 2023 recruiting class! Fabien Garcia RB San Benito 2024 2021 stats: 170 carry 1,204 yards 12 Touchdowns Garcia has some of the best vision when getting through the line of scrimmage, even in a crowd, somehow you can see Garcia break free and burst through the endzone. His shiftiness makes him untouchable at times, he’s not just hard to take to the ground, Garcia is even hard to get your hands on! With 2 more seasons to go, it’s exciting to think that he still has time to grow in his craft. Tyrone Scyrus RB 5’8" 160lbs Houston C.E. King 2024 Scyrus really understands the runningback position and plays football the right way. He shows excellent balance and determination with every run, giving him the ability to break through the line, get upfield quickly and run through whoever is in his way. With a limited workload his sophomore season, I saw Scyrus make the most of his touches, scoring 5 touchdowns on 38 carries and 181 yards being behind a 1,200 yard senior to go along with a 2,000 yard senior. With the backfield being his for the taking I expect Tyrone Scyrus to be a top rated player come 2024! [player_tooltip player_id="131356" first="Jaylen" last="Jenkins"] RB 5’8" 175lbs Allen HS Jenkins is an explosive runner with the ball in his hands going over 100 yards in 9 of 12 games this season. After putting up just over 1,500 rushing yards with 22 touchdowns, I’m honestly surprised that he doesnt have BIG TIME offers coming his way. Jaylen’s game breaking speed makes him dangerous at about any postion you put him at. Runningback, Kick Return , I think with his hands and quickness Jenkins could even play some slot. Runs with good balance and forces missed tackles at a high rate. [player_tooltip player_id="131356" first="Jaylen" last="Jenkins"] is a prospect you dont want to miss out on!