Deep Dives: 704 Metro Area Running Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are continuing our Deep Dive Series, now branching out to the surrounding counties outside of Charlotte, known as the 704 Metro Area! We are looking at players specifically in Cleveland, Gaston, Union, Cabarrus, and Iredell counties. If we have a special player in another adjacent county - such as Stanly, Lincoln, or Rowan - they will be eligible for inclusion in this ranking also!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will keep it going with the running backs in the 704 Metro Area, and we will follow the same setup as we did for Mecklenburg County: The top five players will get their own individual breakdown, while our remaining players will get a summarized analysis of their abilities. Let's get started!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1176263"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":2160134,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","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-69c71eb5b6327"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It was a tough decision deciding who was #1 on this list, so I really just let it come down to college offers plus pure talent, and with Ennis dominating on both sides of the ball, that won it for me. Even as he split carries with a talented senior last season, Ennis was able to make a strong impact in the running game. Ennis's power and speed combination, along with his vision, was very impressive to watch. But, adding onto that with what he did at the linebacker spot made that even more impressive. An All-Conference player last season, Ennis currently has offers from Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, Troy, Charlotte, East Carolina, and Duke. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["378966"],"_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-69c71eb5b63ab"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Pound for pound, I believe Savion is one of the best running backs in the state of North Carolina. With his natural strength, he's shown that he can be a bellcow running back if the Green Wave offense needs to lean on him. Behind a big offensive line, Savion had a really strong season in helping lead Ashbrook to the 4th round of the state playoffs. From a recruiting perspective, Savion has offers from Syracuse, Miami (OH), and a ton of interest from several other Division 1 college football programs. I'm excited to see what Savion does for his senior year - he's working very hard and looks to be motivated to have a huge season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1616134"],"_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-69c71eb5b6401"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Coming off of an impressive breakout sophomore season, Titus showed he was ready for this back at the CFI Carolinas MEGA showcase last season, coming out as one of the best players overall from the showcase at the time. Titus runs with excellent contact balance and power, fitting well in the Trojans ball-control offense. Titus was an All-Conference selection, and when he was running the ball well, Northwest Cabarrus was really tough to beat. That breakout season also earned Titus an offer from East Carolina. Titus also has a good bit of interest from in-state ACC schools, so I think this is truly just the beginning for this young man. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1348404"],"_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-69c71eb5b6450"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Landen was a major part of the offense for North Lincoln last season. Even when defenses knew he was getting the ball, Landen still found a way to produce against stacked boxes and increased defensive attention. Landen did very well at the CFI Carolinas Winter Showcase, being one of the top running backs in attendance. Landen has impressive athleticism and size with his physical frame. In the open field, Landen is very dangerous and has the speed to run away from defenders. College football programs are beginning to take notice as well, as Landen picked up an offer from Cornell as his first Division 1 offer last month. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2065235"],"_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-69c71eb5b6499"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kaveaun was featured on multiple occasions as an offensive player of the week for the numbers he put up in South Point's strong rushing offense. The thing with Kaveaun is, he's not just a product of the system. I identified him even before he went to the Red Raiders as a talented player with a ton of potential with the football in his hands. Kaveaun has a nice blend of speed, power, and vision that maximizes his abilities in the South Point offensive system. Because of that, camps and showcases will be important to show what he can do outside of the system from a recruiting perspective, so I'm interested to see him as camp season gets going in full swing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honorable Mention</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1608319' first='Max' last='Davis']</strong> - Burns <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk']</strong> - Monroe<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1905611' first='Jonas' last='Woods']</strong> - Shelby <br><strong>Jamir Jackson</strong> - Monroe<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1291000' first='Anthony' last='Barrino']</strong> - Weddington <br><br>Analysis </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1608319' first='Max' last='Davis'] is an absolute monster as a running back, and he's a pretty darn good linebacker at the same time. Burns is loaded with returning players, so expect him to have another strong season in helping lead the Bulldogs deep in the state playoffs once again. [player_tooltip player_id='1905611' first='Jonas' last='Woods'] burst on the season for the Golden Lions and made some impressive runs in helping lead them to a state championship as a freshman. Excellent speed and hands, he's going to be one of those legendary Golden Lions to continue that strong tradition. [player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk'] and Jamir Jackson on the same team just doesn't seem fair. It works because of the speed and versatility of Polk, and the power and agility of Jackson. They can truly be a thunder and lightning duo, and expect Monroe to get back to their big-time winning ways because of it. For [player_tooltip player_id='1291000' first='Anthony' last='Barrino'], opportunity is there to be the main man in an annually strong Weddington Warriors program. Anthony is a home-run hitter with great speed that doesn't need a ton of space to make some big things happen with the football in his hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lemar Grier</strong> - AL Brown<br><strong>Juice Hall</strong> - Cox Mill<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1970956' first='Devaunh' last='White']</strong> - West Rowan<br><strong>Nick Woolf Jr</strong> - South Rowan</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Analysis </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lemar Grier and [player_tooltip player_id='1970956' first='Devaunh' last='White'] are both All-Conference players who rushed for over 1000 yards each this past season. Both AL Brown and West Rowan will lean on these guys to be the engine of their respective offenses and provide much-needed balance in their respective attacks. Nick Woolf Jr from South Rowan came on strong last season and had a couple of really impressive games with big rushing yardage on the ground. Juice Hall brings some electricity to the running game - when your nickname is Juice - that tells you what you need to know. Great energy and speed with the football in his hands, expect a big impact season from him this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->