Who Is Next? Looking Ahead To Class 5A RB Prospects

Just like the game of football at the NFL level, the running back position has changed in the state of Iowa. While several teams still lean on the ground-and-pound nature of years gone past, more and more have adapted to the spread style, using speed out of the backfield to really move the ball. Here is a look at some of the top senior-to-be running backs in Class 5A: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152703" first="Jazan" last="Williams"] - Cedar Rapids Kennedy - RB/CB - 5-11 - 180</strong> One of the best running backs in the state, [player_tooltip player_id="152703" first="Jazan" last="Williams"] returns for Cedar Rapids Kennedy this year with hopes of improving on his junior campaign. Williams led Kennedy with 1,239 yards, scoring 12 touchdowns. He was a true workhorse in a time when that term is hardly used. Williams carried the ball 258 times of the 379 attempts ran by Cedar Rapids Kennedy. He also had four more catches in the passing game, something we could see more of this coming fall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="246738" first="Makelle" last="Taylor"] - Cedar Rapids Prairie - RB/LB - 6-0 - 175</strong> Cedar Rapids Prairie was a run-first offense in 2021, racking up over 2,800 yards and 34 touchdowns on the ground. The leader of that attack was [player_tooltip player_id="246738" first="Makelle" last="Taylor"], who accounted for 1,150 yards and 15 scores, averaging 6.6 yards per rush. But where Taylor really changed things around for Prairie was with what he brought to the passing game. He caught 18 balls for 330 yards and a score, which averages out to 18 yards per touch. An incredible threat to really alter the course of a contest with a single play. Taylor can also handle returning duties, as he averaged 15 yards per kickoff return and eight more on punt returns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="246739" first="Carter" last="Henderson"] - Linn-Mar - RB/LB - 6-0 - 190</strong> At 190 pounds, [player_tooltip player_id="246739" first="Carter" last="Henderson"] can both run over you and past you, mixing excellent power and tremendous speed. He ran for 1,180 yards on 156 carries a year ago, averaging 7.6 yards per rush and 16 touchdowns. Henderson is also a real threat out of the backfield, hauling in 11 passes for 64 yards. Henderson does a tremendous job of scanning the field and finding the right hole to hit, and when he hits it, he takes off down the field without ever second guessing himself. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152704" first="Caden" last="McDermott"] - Pleasant Valley - RB/LB - 5-9 - 185</strong> In 2021, [player_tooltip player_id="152704" first="Caden" last="McDermott"] did a little bit of everything for Pleasant Valley. He was the leading rusher, second-leading passer and was involved as a receiver. But where he really hurt defenses was at running back, averaging over six yards per carry and scoring 13 touchdowns. McDermott is explosive with the ball in his hands, rushing for almost 1,000 yards on 155 carries. Pleasant Valley does a good job of keeping everyone fresh, and that really allowed McDermott to control things late in games. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="246740" first="Abu" last="Sama"] - Southeast Polk - RB/DB - 5-11 - 185</strong> With [player_tooltip player_id="23983" first="Titus" last="Christiansen"] gone, [player_tooltip player_id="246740" first="Abu" last="Sama"] should see an even bigger role in the offense moving forward. And you can bet the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is ready to carry the load. Sama ran for a team-high 931 yards with 12 touchdowns a year ago, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. His role in the passing game was limited just because of the incredible amount of weapons the Rams had. Now, though, he is the second-leading receiver back, so expect more out of the backfield that way for Sama.