2028 Rankings Release: Running Back

<!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2028","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"2408","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"2494","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d4864a1671a"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we get deeper into the month of March, the 2025 high school football season is in full swing! With that in mind, we will now be beginning another round of rankings updates. To kick off this round of updates, we have released our first rankings for the class of 2028. With these rankings being officially posted, I will be taking the next week or so to break them down by position. After already covering the quarterbacks, here are our top running backs in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["470192"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d48c91931db"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='470192' first='Ashton' last='Taylor'] is one of the most intriguing young prospects in the state of Kentucky. He is a hard runner, showing the ability to lower his shoulder and keep his legs churning through contact to break tackles with ease without losing stride. Taylor has also shown the speed and elusiveness in the open field to break away on big runs at any given moment. Ashton currently holds an offer from BYU and I expect more to come his way as he is a Power 4/Division I caliber prospect with three years to continue to develop. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1023199"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d497c697578"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1023199' first='Eli' last='Thomas'] had a very impressive freshman year. He finished the season with 109 carries for 920 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games. Thomas has explosive speed which he uses to burst through the running lane with a sense of urgency then run away from the defense on long runs. He has also shown the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Eli also played a key role in the passing game as a freshman, catching 23 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas doesn't currently hold any offers but he should definitely be a player for college coaches to keep a close eye on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1069847"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d497c6975d0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1069847' first='Kaiden' last='Gibson'] is another running back who had a strong freshman year. He finished this past season with 126 carries for 869 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games. Gibson is a shifty ball carrier, showing the ability to make quick cuts in the open field to make defenders miss. Gibson has also shown the speed to break away from the defense on long runs. Kaiden also finished the season with eight receptions for 92 yards and made an impact on defense, accounting for 46 tackles and one tackle for loss. Gibson should be a ball carrier to continue to keep an eye on going into his sophomore year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1019701"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d49b3dca357"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1019701' first='Winston' last='Ford'] played in a rotational role in the Pulaski County backfield as a freshman but he was very productive when on the field. He finished the season with 39 carries for 254 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. Ford has impressive speed which he uses to burst through the running lane and break away for long runs. He also has impressive vision in the open field, showing the ability to find cutback lanes and make moves to make defenders miss. Ford also caught five passes for 71 yards this past season. Winston should be a player to keep a close eye on as his role in the Pulaski County offense continues to grow. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1593996"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d49b3dca3e8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up our top five running backs in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1593996' first='Antonio' last='Kinzer']. Kinzer impressed as a freshman, carrying the ball 84 times for 391 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. He has impressive balance, showing the ability to keep his legs churning through contact to break tackles without losing stride. Kinzer also has the speed to break away for long runs once he hits the open field. He also showed reliability in the passing game, catching 10 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Antonio should be a player to watch as he continues to develop over the next few years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->