AL Pops’ 2028 Running Back Prospect Potpourri – 11.9.23

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Use <strong>PROMO CODE: ALPOPS40 </strong>for a <strong>40% DISCOUNT </strong>on your Prep Redzone Next subscription. I literally check out the film of dozens, if not over 100, different middle prospects every single day. From coast to coast, farm towns to big cities, mountains to the beaches and fertile recruiting grounds to needles in a haystack. Here are five offensive prospects that stood out to me today from across the United States on November 9th, 2023. Please note the date, you'll want to remember it in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1082150"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Fresh off the heels of an Offensive MVP award-winning performance in the West Tennessee Middle School All-Star Game, Perez is a 2028 prospect I had never heard of before. However, the future Riverside High Schooler more than opened my eyes this past weekend. After watching the full all-star game twice, in addition to his regular season film from Decatur County Middle School, he's the type of kid you love if he's on your team and completely despise if you play against him. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, the running back/linebacker plays four quarters of fiery, in-your-face football. Plays with pretty above-average speed (comparatively across the country) and has a strong body for only being in eighth-grade. In the all-star game, he scored twice and had to be (unofficially) right around the 100-yard mark on the ground. More impressive his in-game play, it was very evident that he was the heart and soul of the victorious South Seam. Perez played animated, mouthy, inspired football all night long and wasn't afraid to let the North Team know that they couldn't handle him on either side of the ball. I'm not sure what his football ceiling is long term, but he'll be one heck of a player for the next four years (and likely beyond).","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1082569"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"While Brighton's Judah Valle is below average in terms of size and physical stature, that's the only thing u003cemu003enotu003c/emu003e on par with a lot of the other standout running back's in the 2028 class, at this point. Valle is a slippery, slashing running back that just needs the smallest crease to run up in for a big play. He played behind a nice-sized offensive line this past season and he held up his end of the bargain by making a ton of impressive runs. Again, he's a smaller back and correspondingly doesn't have the long stridesu002du002dbut it didn't matter. He has the speed to get to the edge on designed swings and tosses, but also the quick-burst to run between the tackles, and get beyond the second level quickly. It's personal preference, but I happen to love his demeanor behind the line of scrimmage; He takes the handoff, plants his foot, and gets vertical in a short order. With that said, he's got some shake to him while running in open field, too.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["965138"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Like what was said in Utah's Judah Valle's write up above, Nasir Johnson isn't the tallest back in the world (listed at 5-foot-7) but this 2028 back is one giant muscle, and I would absolutely hate to have to bring down for an entire game. At 175-rocked-up-pounds, he reminds me a ton of former first round pick out of Alabama and 12-year NFL vet, Mark Ingram. Johnson is like a boulder rolling downhill that picks up enough speed to flatten most would-be tacklers in open field. He has great foot speed and agility, which allows him enough time to decide if he's going to lower a shoulder or jump cut past some a tackler. The success that comes on the field is a by product of the work he puts in off the field, too. I urge you to watch the videos of him training and working outu002du002dhe puts in as much, or more, work than any other prospect I've seen in this classu002du002dhe's hungry. Lastly, it has nothing to do with on-field play, but he's also a super likable young man with a positive attitude. I've seen him in live settings three or four times over the past two years and he's the type of kid that others want to be around. He'll have his pick of high school's in the DMV.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1080736"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"To say that Kansas running back Edric Zorn has looked like a man amongst boys at running back over the last two season for Halstead Middle School, would be a vast understatement. Zorn's stats tell nearly the whole story. In 5 games as a seventh-grader he rushed for a reported 722 yards and 12 touchdowns. This year, as an eighth-grader, he rushed for a reported 1,063 yards and 17 touchdowns in 6 games. For all my fellow math majors, that's an average of just over 162 yards and nearly three touchdowns per game. Looking at his film, he's the kid on the field (out of both teams) that immediately sticks out. He's listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and looks like he spends more time in the weight room than the barbell's themselves. All that said, there are obvious questions about the level of competition he's playing against, considering Halstead High School has just 240 total students this year. I do think he moves pretty well for a kid of his size and build right now, but I also wonder if middle linebacker isn't a better fit for him, long term. Time will tell on all of that, but regardless, he's going to make some noise over the next four years.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1083683"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Rounding out the group of 2028 backs for today, Arkansas' Jon Richey is a prospect worth taking a look at. In what seems to be the unintentional underlying theme of this write up, he's another back with average to below average size, currently listed at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds. However, what the size listed on a sheet of paper doesn't show you, is just how explosive this kid is. If he is truly 5-foot-7 (I'd be willing to guess he may actually be shorter than that), the fact that he can jump, grab and hang on to the rim of a standard basketball hoop, should tell you everything you need to know. I love the instant acceleration he has, getting to top speed in just a few steps. That top speed is something worth noting too, because he can absolutely fly in the open field. In much of Arkansas, junior high football consists of eighth and ninth graders playing together, which makes his success for Benton Junior High, that much more impressive. As if the rim tidbit didn't give it away, he's also a standout guard on the basketball court with great hand-eye coordination. On the football field, that sharpened skill makes him a receiving threat out of the backfield. Hiding behind his line, while dipping and dodging defenders, Richy is a menace on swing passes and screens, too. As he moves on to Benton High School next year, the No.8 ranked team in the state is a pass-heavy team that returns their quarterback and looses its top running back in terms of rushing yards (per Maxpreps stats). There's a ton of time between now and then, but it's something certainly worth noting.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-654cdb1b64498"} /-->