Loaded 2025 Louisiana RB class more impressive with every update

Two cycles after an elite quarterback class led Louisiana's recruiting headlines in 2023, the running backs have been the clear face — from a position standpoint — of the current rising senior group.   And the familiar faces of stars who have lived near the top of the rankings throughout their high school career continue to be pushed and bolsters with major stock-risers and debuts in every round of updates to the list.     LEADERS OF THE PACK   [player_tooltip player_id='291097' first='Harlem' last='Berry'] — 5-11, 175 RB — St. Martin's Episcopal   Berry has been the highest ranked running back in Louisiana's 2025 class throughout the group's high school career and the state's top-ranked prospect overall the past couple rounds of updates. His combination of size, power, elite track speed, quick feet and balance make it easy to see why he's so widely discussed as not only Louisiana's, but the nation's top running back. And his skill set and confidence as a pass-catcher out of the backfield or potentially lining up elsewhere around the formation make him all the more well-rounded and dangerous of a weapon in the modern game.   [player_tooltip player_id='710073' first='James' last='Simon'] — 6-0, 200 RB — Calvary Baptist   Simon entered junior season already among Louisiana's top tier of prospects, regardless of position, and only continued to raise his stock with his electric performance to help the Cavaliers win their first state championship since 2020. He and Berry are Louisiana's most complete prospects at the position — and arguably in the class as a whole. Simon is a big, powerful back who runs violently through contact, but smooth and shifty in his deep bag of elusive moves from making first defenders miss to his slight shifts at high speed in the open field. He's also arguably the top receiving back in the class, or certain in the top tier.     TOP TIERS CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN   [player_tooltip player_id='913900' first='Jasper' last='Parker'] — 6-1, 185 RB — Archbishop Shaw   The Eagles' big back is the biggest storyline here, making a huge leap from an intriguing, under-the-radar athlete with good size and physicality that caught our attention during spring practices last May to becoming one of the nation's most heavily recruited prospects in the class so far this year. Parker boasts 4.5-second 40-yard speed that showed on multiple breakaway runs in his 1,100-yard all-district first-team and all-state honorable-mention breakout campaign.   [player_tooltip player_id='710077' first='Nate' last='Sheppard'] — 5-11, 185 RB — Mandeville   Sheppard was already highly ranked, at No. 26, entering junior year before making a hyper-productive case this fall that he should be more heavily discussed along with Berry, Simon and others among the state's top tier of backs. He has continued to work and get bigger, stronger and faster and more skilled as both a rusher and a receiving threat on his way to more than 2,100 total yards as a junior — more than 1,800 on the ground and another 300-plus through the air.   [player_tooltip player_id='914208' first='J.T.' last='Lindsey'] — 5-11, 190 RB — Alexandria   Lindsey's breakaway track speed typically leads the conversation on the Alexandria standout, including his 4.48-second 40-yard and 10.85-second 100-meter dashes. But he shows some good patience to his running, as well as some physicality and balance to work through or bounce off contact for additional yardage. And Lindsey has skyrocketed up both college recruiting boards around the country and rankings lists in the months since the season.     THE FULL 'RB' LIST FROM NEW UPDATE      OTHER FAMILIAR FACES HOLD STRONG   [player_tooltip player_id='145332' first='Jaylon' last='Coleman'] — 5-9, 160 ATH — Vandebilt Catholic   Coleman has been listed as "ATH" the past couple of updates, but is important to keep in mind with the strength of this running back class — along with Cecilia jack-of-all trades [player_tooltip player_id='145333' first='Diesel' last='Solari'] and prolific Ascension Catholic star [player_tooltip player_id='710080' first='Chad' last='Elzy'] Jr., among others. Whether working out of the backfield, out of the slot or in the return game, the Terriers' multisport star and his 4.34-second 40-yard speed are a constant threat to burn the opponent for the end zone at any moment.   [player_tooltip player_id='710072' first='D'Shaun' last='Ford'] — 5-11, 210 RB — Opelousas   Another of the leaders of this group throughout high school, Ford put a productive and historic junior season on film this fall with more than 1,800 yards in the regular season alone to help lead the Tigers' first-ever state championship run. He spoke in the offseason about working to improve his elusiveness on top of his eye-catching power. And while that physicality between the tackles were still a calling card, Ford did show some nice ability to bounce plays outside and beat defenders to the corner, the sideline and the end zone.     TWO MORE NOTABLE RISERS   [player_tooltip player_id='914094' first='Tavias' last='Gordon'] — 5-10, 185 RB — Westgate   Another back we'd only had a chance to see in person prior to this season in some limited intrasquad offseason work. Gordon's burst and track speed stood out then, but his physicality through contact and consistency and durability to hold up through heavy-carry games and a long season as an abolsute work horse for his Tigers were equally impressive.   [player_tooltip player_id='914215' first='Jalen' last='Noel'] — 5-7, 185 RB — Lafayette Christian   Some intriguing big-play ability that showed on the small, but explosive athlete's sophomore film was on full display all fall as he earned a bigger varsity role and ran with it. In addition to his quick feet and breakaway speed, Noel repeatedly showed his abilities to absorb and bounce off attempted tackles for yards after contact and to make big catches out of the backfield.     TWO MORE NOTABLE DEBUTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1220973' first='Calvin' last='Smith Jr.'] — 5-10, 200 RB — Hahnville   C.J. is a thickly built athlete with some power to his game, but also shows some good wiggle to make defenders miss, burst in the open field and receiving ability. Southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi Valley State recently extended his first scholarship offers, a pair of Division-I options as his recruitment starts to pick up.   [player_tooltip player_id='1221036' first='Armariyan' last='Asberry'] — 5-11, 205 RB — Southern Lab   Kittens coach Darrell Asberry took time after the team's Division-IV Select state championship this December to share the backstory of his son trimmed down about 40 pounds to be able to play running back, and Armariyan did so at a high level this fall — including title-game Outstanding Player honors and multiple Division-I college offers — still running physically, but with some more explosiveness upfield.

Two cycles after an elite quarterback class led Louisiana's recruiting headlines in 2023, the running backs have been the clear face — from a position standpoint — of the current rising senior group.