RB recruiting updates as action heats up for 2027 class

Rapid-fire transfer-portal movement dominated recruiting headlines all over the country for the first two and a half weeks of the new year.   That was as prevalent as anywhere in Louisiana where a long list of former prep standouts and current college players alike were on the move.   But once the transfer action largely subsided and college coaches were able to start hitting the roads and the phones to high school prospects, a slew of new offers headed out to rising seniors as the 2027 class begins to take more of the forefront in prep recruiting.   Note: Many colleges continued adding 2026 athletes on the traditional February signing day — although in many cases just some final pieces to incoming high school classes that were heavily stocked in December's early period — and some may potentially still find room for limited late additions.   But Prep Redzone Louisiana is in the process of through the biggest updates on the recruiting trail that caught our attention during the second half of January and first half of February, position group by position group as 2027 starts taking center stage.     [player_tooltip player_id='1610246' first='Trey' last='Martin'] — 5-9, 197 RB/DB — Franklin Parish   Prep Redzone Louisiana has been bullish for quite a while on the Patriots' standout as one of the top running back prospects in the state's 2027 class, and Martin's recruiting profile continues to rise on the heels of an all-state junior season. His most recent run of offers during the past month-plus includes Mississippi State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Ohio State and Louisville, while LSU and Alabama are both among other major options pushing heavily.   [player_tooltip player_id='934559' first='Javon' last='Vital Jr.'] — 5-10, 195 ATH — Lake Charles College Prep   The versatile and dynamic two-time all-state selection at Hamilton Christian — now at nearby Lake Charles College Prep — has been listed as a wide receiver by some networks, but has increasingly appeared to be primarily recruited by running backs coaches at the colleges most heavily pursuing him. Old Dominion, Ole Miss and Kentucky have been among his most recent offers. LSU, USC and Houston have been at the forefront of his options, but notably the home-state Tigers' offer came when running backs coach Frank Wilson III and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan — now at Ole Miss and Kentucky, respectively — were still in Baton Rouge.   [player_tooltip player_id='1356161' first='Jermond' last='Macklin'] — 6-0 RB — Edna Karr   Macklin has been a top-50 prospect overall and top-five running back in Prep Redzone Louisiana's class rankings since a strong spring last year, but had to exercise some patience this fall behind a senior teammate in the backfield. He should be in line for a heavier workload this fall and has already received Old Dominion and Arkansas State offers early in what should be a big offseason on the recruiting front.   Aymaud Sykes — 5-10, 171 RB — Grant   Bookmark Sykes as another fairly under-the-radar running back prospect likely to have a big offseason ahead. He opened some eyes with a prolific, all-state junior campaign and recently picked up a McNeese State offer and some FBS and even Power-Four programs have started to check in on Sykes, who will debut this spring as his Panthers' highest-ranked prospect since Prep Redzone Louisiana's launch in 2020.   Fabian Celestine Jr. — 5-10, 185 RB — Hahnville   The Tigers' speedy back's recruiting process has officially kicked off with Nicholls State and Louisiana (Lafayette) offers. Celestine is another previously under-the-radar prospect to watch for a top-100 debut in the next round of Prep Redzone Louisiana rankings updates.   Tylek Lewis — 6-1, 210 RB — Zachary   Lewis provided 1,100 yards and 21 touchdowns this fall as part of a 1-2 running back punch that helped his Broncos weather some ups and downs and hit their stride at the right time for a deep, semifinal playoff run. And his recruiting process has taken off with offers from Arkansas, Alcorn State, Prairie View A&M, UTEP, Louisiana (Lafayette), Old Dominion, McNeese State, South Alabama and South Florida.   Jaden Terrance — 5-10, 160 RB/ATH — Archbishop Rummel   The smallest, but one of the speediest and smoothest athletes on this list, Terrance racked up more than 1,600 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns this fall as part of a strong running back duo at Rummel and an explosive threat in the return game. Nicholls State extended an early offer last offseason — a credit to position coach Collin Guggenheim, a former John Curtis quarterback and strong recruiter of the area — and Old Dominion recently extended an FBS offer that marked his first of the new offseason.

Rapid-fire transfer-portal movement dominated recruiting headlines all over the country for the first two and a half weeks of the new year.