Class of 2023 Running Backs: Where are they now?

A good amount of the Class of 2023 are now earning playing time at the collegiate level. Here, I'll talk about six class of 2023 running backs who've earned some amount of playing time.    In High School, Cole was an ELECTRIC player. Also, he was a true dual-threat Running back. During his senior season, he totaled 1500 yards on the ground with another 470 through the air.   Currently, Cole is still at Michigan and seems to be on the brink of consistent playing time. Last year, he had a few carries against Bowling Green State and has participated in the games against Texas, Minnesota, Fresno State, and Arkansas State.   It's difficult to gauge where Cole is on the depth chart, but it's hard to imagine him not being a productive Power 4 player sometime soon. I personally can't imagine what it's like earning playing time at any D1 school but from what I knew of Cole in High School it seems like he has the work ethic to make it happen.     Darius is a major success story in the Class of 2023. He's currently RB1 for the Gophers and has five touchdowns on the year. A week ago against Michigan, Darius racked up two touchdowns.   He remains a phenomenal elusive back. You still won't see him bouncing off many tackles, but he seems to have gotten way better in that regard. By all accounts, he's continued to train hard, he's gained a ton of muscle, and has grinded to being a starting B1G back. He's only a sophomore, and could be a true breakout player in addition to an NFL prospect next year.     Ohhh man- Nolan Ray has made some solid plays this year for Maryland. Right now, he's a rotational running back who consistently receives 5-10 carries per game. His <a href="https://youtu.be/j_nxGTGydvw?si=6WHvdcrWaOUpu92X">marquee highlight</a> came during Week 1 against UConn, where he broke one 48 yards for an explosive score. In that highlight, you can see the fantastic athleticism and solid vision. In all of his other games except one, he's broken a run for 10+ yards. On a limited number of carries, that is very promising.   You can really see flashes in Nolan's performances. It looks like he'll remain a rotational piece this season, but next season, we could see Nolan truly break out.     Kenneth is playing phenomenally at GVSU this season. He's earned a good amount of playing time and has been great against some of the best teams in D2. In all games but one, he's earned 10+ carries. In addition, a Touchdown in all of his first three games.   So far, his best game has come against Central State, where Kenneth totaled 116 yards and a touchdown. It's hard to imagine his production decreasing, barring an injury. GV has some incredible athletes, and Kenneth could realistically be a MAJOR part of a Division 2 national championship.     Xavior is another back who's been earning playing time at the Division 2 level.   In High School, I watched Xavior have the performance of a lifetime against Byron Center. In that game, I want to say he rushed for over 200 yards. I was incredibly impressed with Xavior's contact balance and vision. He was trucking people, running through arm tackles, and straight-up dominating the game.   So far, Xavior has appeared in three games. His best performance to date came against Findlay, where he totaled 11 carries for 66 yards. In his other two appearances, Xavior carried the ball a combined 15 times for 38 yards. Earning playing time is an achievement alone, and I'm very optimistic about Xavior, especially next season.     I remember Paschal being a very late bloomer. This was someone I discovered very late in the rankings process.   He's only played in one game for GVSU so far. But get this- he's got four attempts for 84 yards and a touchdown. Not much else to say besides that, but I'm expecting a breakout season for Paschal in 2025.

A good amount of the Class of 2023 are now earning playing time at the collegiate level. Here, I'll talk about six class of 2023 running backs who've earned some amount of playing time.