2023 Final Position Rankings: Running Back
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With a majority of the class of 2023 already committing or signing to college programs, I have released my final rankings for the class. As these rankings have been finalized, I have decided to break them down by position. With…
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Continue ReadingWith a majority of the class of 2023 already committing or signing to college programs, I have released my final rankings for the class. As these rankings have been finalized, I have decided to break them down by position. With that being said, I will kick things off on the offensive side of the ball. After already covering the quarterback position, here are my final 2023 running back rankings for the state of Kentucky.
TJ Horton TJ Horton 5’10” | 175 lbs | RB Frederick Douglass | 2023 State KY started off the season as my second ranked running back in the class but during his senior year, he impressed me enough to take over the top spot. Horton played a big role in the Broncos’ 5A State Championship run, carrying the ball 109 times for 774 yards and 14 touchdowns (played limited snaps due to blowout wins). TJ is a complete package as a ball carrier. He has great vision, finding the running lane and bursting through it in a hurry as soon as it opens. Once he hits the open field, Horton has the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss. He also has the strength to run straight through defenders without breaking stride. TJ is committed to Ball State where I see him developing into a productive player at the next level.
Kaden Moorman Kaden Moorman 5’10” | 205 lbs | RB Franklin County | 2023 State KY is a player that has been high on my radar for a while now that continued to impress this season. Moorman had a strong senior year, finishing with 94 carries for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games. He is a hard-nosed runner that gets downhill in a hurry and has the strenght/contact balance to break tackles without losing stride. Moorman also has the breakaway speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. He also proved to be reliable in the passing game, catching 15 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing one touchdown himself. Kaden is currently uncommitted but has drawn interest from several college programs, recently receiving an offer from Findlay University, and I see him becoming a very reliable running back wherever he ends up playing at the next level.
Daniel Swinney Daniel Swinney 5’11” | 220 lbs | RB Louisville Male | 2023 State KY is another running back that has been high on my radar for a while now that continued to impress this past season. Swinney played a key role in Male’s run to the 6A State Championship Game, carrying the ball 195 times for 1,1218 yards and ten touchdowns. He is a big, physical running back that has the strength and contact balance to break tackles without losing stride. On many occasions, it takes a swarm of defenders to bring him down as Swinney constantly keeps his legs churning to fight for extra yards. He also has the speed to run away from the defense once he gets around the edge or hits the open field. Swinney currently holds offers from Central Michigan and Eastern Kentucky but has yet to announce his commitment.
Blake Birchfield Blake Birchfield 6’0″ | 180 lbs | RB Pikeville | 2023 State KY continued to be one of the most productive running backs in the state with a very successful senior season. Birchfield played a huge role in Pikeville’s 1A State Championship run, finishing the year with 222 carries for 2,031 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has tremendous vision as a ball carrier, finding the running lane and getting downhill in a hurry. Once he hits the open field, Birchfield has the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss. He also has very good contact balance, showing the ability to break tackles without losing stride. Birchfield also showed the ability to pose as a threat in the passing game, finishing his senior season with seven receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Blake is committed to the University of Pikeville where I see him becoming a key piece of their offense.
Rounding out my final 2023 top five running backs is Tanner Wright Tanner Wright 5’10” | 190 lbs | RB Southwestern | 2023 State KY from Southwestern. Wright had a tremendous senior year, finishing with 192 carries for 1,681 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has very impressive vision, showing the patience to let his blocks set up and bursting through the running lane as soon as it opens. Once he gets to the second level, Wright shows very good contact balance, bouncing off defenders without breaking stride. He also has shown the ability to make cuts in the open field to make defenders miss. Wright also has impressive breakaway speed which he uses to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. Tanner also caught seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown this season. Wright hasn’t reported any official offers but he has received interest from multiple college programs and definitely has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 200):
6. Kenyata Carbon Kenyata Carbon 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Owensboro | 2023 State KY (Owensboro)
7. Harris Phelps Harris Phelps 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Paintsville | 2023 State KY (Paintsville)
8. Quintel Thomas Quintel Thomas 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Eastern | 2023 State KY (Louisville Eastern)
9. TJ Greenwell TJ Greenwell RB Bardstown | 2023 State KY (Bardstown)
10. Bryson Parm Bryson Parm 5'9" | 205 lbs | RB Daviess County | 2023 State KY (Daviess County)
11. Ryan Rayno Ryan Rayno 6'3" | 190 lbs | RB Logan County | 2023 State KY (Logan County)
12. Keiran Stockton Keiran Stockton 6'2" | 230 lbs | RB Glasgow | 2023 State KY (Glasgow)
13. Jayden Newsome Jayden Newsome 5'6" | 165 lbs | RB Shelby Valley | 2023 State KY (Shelby Valley)
14. Curtez Hill Curtez Hill 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Holmes | 2023 State KY (Newport)
15. Kye Boyd Kye Boyd 5'10" | 200 lbs | RB North Hardin | 2023 State KY (North Hardin)
16. Jeremiah Mundy Jeremiah Mundy 6'2" | 210 lbs | RB Bryan Station | 2023 State KY (Bryan Station)
17. Mason Gauthier Mason Gauthier 5'8" | 155 lbs | RB Bullitt East | 2023 State KY (Bullitt East)
18. Reese Music Reese Music 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Betsy Lane | 2023 State KY (Betsy Lane)
19. Quinton Hollis Quinton Hollis 5'8" | RB Warren East | 2023 State KY (Warren East)
20. Bennie Hill Bennie Hill 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Scott | 2023 State KY (Scott)
21. Ethan Jarvis Ethan Jarvis 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Prestonsburg | 2023 State KY (Prestonsburg)
22. Josh Moody Josh Moody 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Bourbon County | 2023 State KY (Bourbon County)
23. Kaiden Zulager Kaiden Zulager 5'7" | 200 lbs | RB Lloyd Memorial | 2023 State KY (Lloyd Memorial)