Behind The Rankings: 2024 RBs

<strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering AJ30 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong> The 2024 RB class is starting to take form with a lot of talent deep in the state. Today, we will begin to break down the running backs in our most recent rankings update. See what we had to say about some of the state’s best now! [player_tooltip player_id="344053" first="Chris" last="Davis"] | Picayune Checking in at the No. 1 spot, Picayune’s [player_tooltip player_id="344053" first="Chris" last="Davis"] exploded onto the scene last season. With Picayune’s loaded backfield, Davis gets his fair share of snaps and turns routine carries into huge gains. Davis stands at 5’11" 170 and has plenty of room left to continue adding weight. His skillset displays some of the most talent in the state. Davis is an extremely fast and agile back with great field vision and contact balance. Although he isn’t the biggest, Davis runs with a head full of steam and is incredibly difficult to bring down. He bounces off contact and makes people miss in the open field. Currently Davis holds offers from Ole Miss, Oregon, Mississippi State, and Boston College among others. [player_tooltip player_id="161267" first="Jalen" last="Washington"] | Houston Totaling over 2000 yards on the ground as a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id="161267" first="Jalen" last="Washington"] has been one of the best backs in the state since his freshman season. Listed at 5’9" 195, Washington has good size for the position and should continue to grow with his two years left in high school. A versatile runner, Washington does a great job on both outside runs and inside gap runs as well. He plays with low pad level, making him hard to tackle in the open field. Washington has good speed to him and can turn on the jets when he reaches the second level. A hard runner, Washington bounces off contact and can break free of arm tackles with ease. Currently holding an offer Southern Miss, Washington is bound to add more interest and offers as time goes on. [player_tooltip player_id="273259" first="Nate" last="Blount IV"] | Brandon A talented member of a loaded Brandon backfield, [player_tooltip player_id="273259" first="Nate" last="Blount IV"] plays more of the bruiser role for the Bulldogs. Blount is listed at 5’11" 220 and plays the game with a ton of physicality. While he has good speed in the open field, Blount does his best work between the tackles. He is a patient runner who sees holes open up and hits them with a ton of speed. A hard player to tackle, Blount has some of the best contact balance in the entire class. He sheds arm tackles with ease and can bowl straight over defenders who get into his path. Blount is also equipped with a nice stiff arm move that helps him get incoming defenders off balance. Looking forward to watching him play this 2022 season and start to add college interest in time. [player_tooltip player_id="346421" first="Jay" last="Stevenson"] | Eupora Totaling 24 touchdowns as a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id="346421" first="Jay" last="Stevenson"] was a scoring machine for the Eupora offense last season. The rising junior is listed at a massive 6’1" 210 pounds and has the frame that college coaches all over the country are trying to find. As big as he is, Stevenson has the speed to match. He is a long strider that can take a second to get going, but once he’s in full stride, there is nobody catching him. Stevenson is a violent and hard nosed runner who dominates defenders who come in his way. With his speed in hand, he has a variety of moves in the open field such as his quickness and nasty stiff arm that free him up to score from afar. Stevenson currently holds one offer from Mississippi Gulf Coast, but that list should continue to grow with time. [player_tooltip player_id="293192" first="Omar" last="Scott"] | Winston Academy Standing at 6’2" 195, Winston Academy’s [player_tooltip player_id="293192" first="Omar" last="Scott"] has been one of the best backs in the MAIS. Scott has a unique build that few backs have. He looks like an outside linebacker in the backfield, but runs like a wide out in space. Scott has great speed and knows how to hit holes quickly before they close. As fast as he is, Scott also plays with good pad level and can deliver some big blows to defenders. With his added arm length, Scott does a great job at utilizing his stiff arm move to avoid arm tackles from defenders in the open field. Really excited to see how far Scott can take his game during his junior season. [player_tooltip player_id="344054" first="JJ" last="Claiborne"] | Adams County Christian A talented back out of Adams County Christian, [player_tooltip player_id="344054" first="JJ" last="Claiborne"] rushed for over 800 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore. Playing both sides of the ball, Claiborne also showed a lot of promise at outside linebacker last season. As a running back, Claiborne plays with good pad level and has a ton of ability in the open field. He is a tough back to bring down due to his size and power that he plays with. Claiborne is naturally strong and tough, making the defenders group together to hold on and bring him down. Looking for a big season from the rising junior this year. [player_tooltip player_id="346261" first="Lamarion" last="Buchanan"] | Central Holmes Christian When discussing some of the fastest players in the 2024 class, you have got to mention Central Holmes Christian’s [player_tooltip player_id="346261" first="Lamarion" last="Buchanan"]. Buchanan stands at 5’10" 180 and has some jets to him. With the ball in his hands in the open field, Buchanan looks like a track sprinter. He shows the ability to hit holes with quickness and outrun any defenders that try and pursue him. Buchanan also has some quickness to him, helping him make people miss in the open field. In addition to his rushing talent, Buchanan shows some nice ability to catch the football out of the backfield. Although he currently holds no offers, look for a lot of eyes to start coming his way soon. Really talented player that is due for another big season.