Texas’ Top Rising Sophomore Running Backs

Texas&#8217; Top Rising Sophomore Running Backs

Jake Lemming

May 21, 2024 @ 10:08 AM

The state of Texas has developed some elite talent high school talent at the running back position over the years. Names like Adrian Peterson, Earl Campbell, and Eric Dickerson dominated on high school gridirons throughout the Lone Star State and made their names at the next level. Today, I took a look at some of the state of Texas's top-up-and-coming 2027 running backs. These young men are all high-level division one prospects with plenty of upside.   As always, If you have someone you think I need to see, please DM them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   Landen Callis-Williams, 5'7" 170, Randle   Landen has the wiggle & fiery footwork to make defenders miss within the box and shows the speed to get to the outside and outrun angles. He can run with power and finesse and has the vision to cut zone runs to the backside.   [player_tooltip player_id='1243196' first='Jordan' last='Smith'] 5'9" 170, Groesbeck   Smith shows elite acceleration once he spots a crease, he's a major weapon out of the backfield equipped with soft hands and the ability to contort his frame & adjust to poor throws. He's got swivelly hips for subtle yet effective cuts and has some grit through contact, speeding his feet once initial tackle attempts are made.   CaDarius McMiller, 6'2" 190, Tyler   McMiller has an impressive stature for a back and has the power & balance to go with it. He's a downhill runner that has laser-like focus to spot over-pursuing defenders and bounce a run to the outside. He is a forceful runner between the tackles who looks to barrel over second-level defenders who get in his path and finish runs falling forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='509564' first='Jakoby' last='Dixon'] 5'9" 190, Brenham   Dixon is a compact, fearless and reactive runner that shows exceptional contact balance, with defenders often pinballing right off of him. He's a more than willing blocker in both pass pro & the run game and has the body type to handle a high workload.   [player_tooltip player_id='1247740' first='Myson' last='Johnson Cook'] 6'3" 205, Katy   A big back that will drop his pads & drive through contact, but also has the top-end gear to run away from a defense. He's an upright runner until he senses danger, and his production after initial contact is just ridiculous. He should be among the top backs in the 2027 class.   [player_tooltip player_id='1243258' first='Wayne' last='Shanks Jr.'] 5'10" 175, Kinkaid School   An explosive back that can beat you rushing the football, catching it out of the backfield, or deep as a returner. Wayne shows great pace as a runner, he's a well-tuned receiving threat who can provide matchup issues out of the backfield and glides through his jump cut to find open rush lanes.

The state of Texas has developed some elite talent high school talent at the running back position over the years. Names like Adrian Peterson, Earl Campbell, and Eric Dickerson dominated on high school gridirons throughout the Lone Star State and made their names at the next level. Today, I took a look at some of the state of Texas's top-up-and-coming 2027 running backs. These young men are all high-level division one prospects with plenty of upside.