Five RBs You May Not Know, But Should

There’s nothing better than watching a running back burst through the LOS, put a juke move on two defenders, and spin his way out of traffic while throwing a stiff arm at another defender as he breaks up the sideline for six. Although football pundits have tended to devalue the running back position, in my opinion, it’s still one of the more exciting and valuable positions on a football field. So with all that being said, let’s get to know five running backs from the Land of Lincoln who you may not know, but should... <hr /> <h5><em><strong>Brian Stanton | RB | Plainfield South ’23</strong></em></h5> Stanton is without a doubt one of the more underrated backs in the entire state of Illinois. A home run threat with exceptional straight-line speed. A natural runner of the football who runs with a violent purpose and isn’t afraid to initiate contact and plow through his opponents. Displays excellent contact balance and almost always makes the first defender miss. I genuinely believe Stanton will be one of the more productive running backs in Illinois this upcoming season—you heard it here first. <h5><em><b>Anthony Holloway | St. Patrick (Chicago) ’24</b></em></h5> Holloway has the tools to see himself climb up our rankings over the next few years. Brings a ton of speed to his position which enables him to be an explosive home-run threat out of the backfield. Stretches the corner and excels on rushes to the outside. Can be dangerous in space and is exceptionally elusive in traffic. <h5><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="278899" first="Tyler" last="Lofton"] | Marian Catholic ’25</strong></em></h5> When you cut on his film, you can tell Lofton has that coveted "IT" factor that only a handful of players possess. He’s entering his sophomore year, so it’s going to be a treat to watch him over the next few years; for opposing defenses, it’s going to be anything but a treat to contain this kid for the next few years. He’s a patient runner with an excellent burst. He has a good combination of size and speed and can run around or through his opponent, and is a threat to take it to the house whenever he touches the ball. I’ll definitely be clearing my schedule to make it out to a Marian Catholic game this upcoming season. <h5><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="267817" first="Brandon" last="Fisher"] | Brooks ’23</strong></em></h5> I feel that Fisher could very well emerge as one of the top running backs in the Chicago Public League this upcoming season. He’s been on my radar since he was a sophomore, and I think this is the year that he will put it all together and show the state what he’s capable of. He’s sculpted like a bodybuilder and will bring it every play. A downhill runner who loves to initiate contact but also has the speed to go the distance. <h5><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="299543" first="Carter" last="London"] | Glenbard South ’23</strong></em></h5> I had the privilege of seeing London in person at our Prep Redzone Prospect Tour last month, and since then, he’s been very active in hitting multiple camps this offseason in an effort to raise his stock as he heads into his junior year. He physically has the size to carry the load and possesses enough speed to rip off long gains. He excelled during 1-on-1s and catching the ball when I got a chance to see him last month. A running back who is a reliable receiving threat out of the backfield is a valuable asset to any team.