2028 Prospect Watch: Don't Forget These Rural County RBs

We're well into the offseason, and we're keeping things going ahead of spring workouts and summer practices. In a new series that will run concurrently with some of our other cornerstone content, like my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/community-film-room-episode-4-2/">community film room series</a> or Matt Morrow's <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/deep-dive-union-county-wide-receivers/">county-by-county Deep Dives</a>, we're looking at what some of our 2028 players (both ranked and unranked) did as freshmen.   One of the toughest things with these lists is differentiating based on geography. Usually, we group players into the major metro areas, but there are several talented running backs around the state from smaller, more rural areas. That doesn't mean they all play for smaller schools, but don't miss these guys who play outside of Raleigh, Fayetteville, Greensboro, and Charlotte.    McPhatter isn't just a shifty running back, he's a standout on the basketball court, an elite athlete and shooter who can dunk. On the football field, he's the best athlete on any given Friday. He has elite speed and leaping ability while having an excellent feel for the game. He played several positions as a freshman, rushing for over 1,700 yards, while throwing three passing touchdowns and catching a pick six. He's a guy I'm watching intently as a potentially elite prospect in two sports.     Bryant doesn't have a ton of film, but he was productive for Rockingham County in the fall. A two-sport athlete, Bryant has great vision and speed at the running back position. He's a guy we could see having a huge sophomore year with more opportunities. He has elite explosiveness with a huge vertical and after getting 65 carries as a freshman looks poised for a big sophomore year.     Brinton ran for 81 yards on four carries in his first JV start and that was enough for the Asheboro staff to elevate him to the varsity level, where he continued to put up great numbers as a freshman. He ran for over 1,000 yards thanks to a downhill running style that works perfectly in Asheboro's pistol-heavy system. He hits the hole first, then makes guys at the second level miss. He's not the most powerful back you'll find, but he's shifty and hard to wrap up.     While Cromartie was excellent on offense, running for over 1,000 yards on an offense that struggled in other areas, Cromartie made his biggest impact on special teams. He ran three kickoffs back for touchdowns, scoring nearly as often on special teams as he did offensively. He's a two-sport athlete with great athletic upside.     Herman keeps his legs churning and that helped him break a lot of arm tackles in 2024. What he lacks in elite long-speed, he makes up for in great burst. He's already a smart runner with great upside, so as he gains speed and strength, he should be able to put up some great numbers in high school and play at the next level.

We're well into the offseason, and we're keeping things going ahead of spring workouts and summer practices. In a new series that will run concurrently with some of our other cornerstone content, like my community film room series or Matt Morrow's county-by-county Deep Dives, we're looking at what some of our 2028 players (both ranked and unranked) did as freshmen.