Best WI RBs on the Market
In this article:
Use code Johnson30 for 30% off a new subscription to PRZ WI! Over the past week or so we have seen multiple top RBs make their college commitments. RB1, Corey Smith Corey Smith 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Catholic…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingUse code Johnson30 for 30% off a new subscription to PRZ WI!
Over the past week or so we have seen multiple top RBs make their college commitments. RB1, Corey Smith Corey Smith 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB Catholic Memorial | 2024 State WI , has been committed to Penn State. RB2, Terrance Shelton Jr Terrance Shelton Jr 6'1" | 205 lbs | RB Franklin | 2024 State WI , recently committed to Buffalo. Now RB3, Braden Anderson Braden Anderson 6'2" | 220 lbs | RB Marshfield | 2024 State WI , has committed to play for MNSU- Mankato. With the top of the rankings announcing their home I want to dive into the position and look at who is still available. It is a talented group that I foresee earning plenty of D2-D3 interest and offers along the way, and leading it off is a player who I expect to be in the running for Player of the Year and further establishing his presence on the radar of D1 programs…
You can rank the 6′ 205 lbs athlete out of Columbus HS at RB, LB, or ATH. However you want to look at Colton should result in the same way. Brunell is well on his way to being a D1 prospect. He dominated the WI HS scene as a junior. 2,800+ yards, 43 TDs, 9.1 yards per carry. All culminating in one of the best games of the year where he helped win the State Championship.
Turn on the tape and the traits are just as exciting as the production. Colton plays with the burst and vision to dominate at and behind the line of scrimmage. He sees and reacts to gaps and blocks so quickly and when he sticks his foot in the ground Colton explodes to full speed. That burst and his balance pair together to generate the power to be able to run through arm tackles with ease, and lower his shoulder and punish defenders. The quickness, power, and balance pair together to make him a nightmare for defenses. Add in enough long speed to break off big plays and you get an RB that should be high on the boards of many programs. He currently holds offers from Duluth, Winona state, North Dakota, Sioux Falls, Mankato, and Illinois State.
Next up we have another ATH who should be considered at multiple positions by college coaches. That is Bay Port’s Tevyn Montgomery Tevyn Montgomery 5’10” | 225 lbs | ATH Bay Port | 2024 State WI . The 5’10” 225 lbs athlete has been a three year varsity starter at FB and LB. His FB play has been what has really stepped up and increased over the past couple years.
While Tevyn is listed at FB, he lines up a lot as the single back in Bay Port’s backfield and gets a lot of work as the ball carrier. Tevyn uses that compact, thick, powerful frame to set the tone between the tackles. He is a one cut runner who has the agility to be able to make that quick cut up field when he finds the hole. Montgomery has developed a low center of gravity to be able to bounce off tackle attempts, or run behind his pads. I believe the big man has enough long speed to be able to continue to have a role in the running game at the next level. Not to mention his impact at MLB. Give his tape a look. I believe he is still looking for his first offer.
The 6’2″ 215 lbs athlete out of Manitowoc Lincoln is the biggest back in this article. The big back has spent his summer at camps and putting up 40 times in the 4.6-4.7 ranges. That long speed shows up on the film too. When Gavin gets a shot at getting outside the contain man he is able to pull away in the open field. The big back plays at a faster speed, and he plays at a different level of physicality. Gavin has repeatedly shown that he can absorb the big hits and keep his footing, and when he runs his feet through contact can bulldoze right over the top of LBs/DBs. Lettenberger also has proven to be a well rounded option at RB with his soft hands. He is still looking for his first offer, but that can’t be too far away. He is our highest ranked uncommitted RB currently, and the tape shows notable traits. Give it a look.
Highlights
A kid who seems to rise up my board every time I come back to him is the Oak Creek RB Jackson Phelps Jackson Phelps 5’11” | 190 lbs | RB Oak Creek | 2024 State WI . The 1,200 yard 16 TD scorer is on the hunt for that first offer. If the drought makes it to the season I have a feeling it won’t last very long into it. Phelps is poised for a good workload, and with those carries will come opportunities to show off the talent. The 5’11” 185 lbs RB has the vision and patience that OL love to block for. He allows blocks to develop, finds them, and then accelerates. Phelps also plays with the contact balance needed to bring a physicality to the field, especially in the Southeast Conference. Get the well rounded back on your radars now.
One of my favorite Swiss Army knives in the Class of 2024 is the Fond du Lac RB/WR. Tanner plays with enough long speed to create the big plays, but where he really excels is with his quickness and burst. Between his pre-snap alignment and the second level is where Dalske plays at a different speed than the rest of the field. He is able to win with burst or agility, and has the leg drive to be able to rip through the arm tackle attempts. That quickness also shines when Dalske is lined up at WR. He is able to run sudden breaks in his routes, and his hands make him a reliable target. The 6’1″ 190 lbs athlete is a viable three down back and has earned offers from UW- River Falls, UW- Oshkosh, and UW- Platteville.
Teams looking to add an explosive spark to their offenses need to get the St. Cat’s RB on their boards. It took the big play threat only 89 touches to rack up 1,200+ yards and a 10.7 yds/att average. The 5’8″ 170 lbs RB plays at a different speed than everyone else on the field on a weekly basis. It doesn’t matter if it is weaving/cutting through tight quarters or racing down the sideline in the open field. Jayvion does everything quicker than those around him. Speaking of those tight quarters, Hunter brings the elusiveness to leave LBs or DBs diving at air with his jump cuts and jukes. The electric athlete holds an offer from UW- Oshkosh. More schools need to take a look at the tape.
Highlights
Another big back option for college coaches is the River Falls athlete. The 6’3″ 210 lbs ’24 has a massive frame that should also get him looks at positions such as OLB. On offense though, Jonah proved he could be a workhorse. The long striding, north-south runner relies on power, vision, and straight line speed to make his impact. He is a patient runner who does a great job of following his blocking. Once past his lead blocker, Jonah has surprising speed to pull away in the open field. He also is strong and has good balance despite his long frame. It will be interesting to see which position Jonah is recruited as. He gives a team options.
For these final three athletes we dove a little deeper into the rankings of RBs to shine the light on more hidden gems. All three of these are in position for big years, so get them on your boards before the breakout seasons begin.
I said above that the breakout seasons were coming, but Trenton should already have had his. The Mount Horeb RB put up a dominant 19 TDs in 2022 and nearly 1,200 All- Purpose yards. The 5’9″ 190 lbs athlete has that compact, bowling ball style build, but with Trenton it also comes with breakaway speed. Speed that can break a game wide open if you give him a seam. That thick frame also has allowed him to excel between the tackles. He runs with violence and is very hard to knock off his path or balance because of his strong contact balance. Owens has the traits to be able to pile up yards after contact as well as the yards before contact because he can make people miss just as consistently as he can run through their tackles. Trenton is becoming one of my favorite hidden gems.
Highlights
Nick is fun tape to watch because of how versatile he is. You will see him lined up all over the offensive formation because in the end it is about just getting the best 11 on the field. Foster has proven he can line up out at receiver and be a receiving threat or an impact as a blocker. On the ground, Nick’s speed is utilized as he stretches the defense horizontally while scanning for the running lane, and then cutting up field with his burst. The speed, vision, blocking, and receiving threat are all there. Look for him to have an even bigger role this fall. He holds an offer from UW- River Falls.
We end with the 5’10” 180 lbs RB who has shown he is fine handling a big workload. He scored 23 total TDs in 2022 while piling up 1,400+ yards. Zack is gifted with the quick twitch short area agility to be able to create space in tight quarters. He can jump cut or juke away from defenders, and he has the track speed to be able to get the corner and win the race down the sideline. Southern Door will need him to continue to produce at that rate this fall to continue the success they have had. Zack is looking for his first offer.