Lake County Stock Risers: Ten RBs Primed For a Breakout Season

Although an ariel evolution has taken over the game of football, it’s still necessary to have a guy that can tote the rock and carve up a defense on the ground. Lake County has a rich history of producing some talented running backs. Over 20+ years ago the great Michael "The Burner" Turner solidified himself as one of the GOAT running backs from Lake County. In recent years we’ve seen backs such as [player_tooltip player_id="20874" first="Maurice" last="Edwards"] dominate the Lake County scene and be considered one of the best running backs in the state. Not to mention, it gets cold in Illinois early, so having an effective rushing attack can be crucial in terms of team success late in the season. So without further ado, let’s get to know ten running backs from Lake County who are all primed for breakout seasons... <hr /> <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="266332" first="Michael" last="Maloney"] | Stevenson ’23</strong></em></h4> Maloney should be in line for a pretty decent workload with the departure of Stevenson’s leading rushers from last season. He’s a patient, downhill runner with good size who I believe can become a three-down back heading into his senior year. Maloney also shows some ability to be a receiving threat out of the backfield. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="267731" first="Ben" last="Choi"] | Vernon Hills ’23</strong></em></h4> Choi finished last season with 830 rushing yards and 8 total touchdowns and is definitely a name to keep an eye on when football resumes. He’s an elusive, all-purpose back with great speed who can make defenders miss in tight areas or in space. Displays great lateral quickness which allows him to accelerate and decelerate with no wasted motion. He’s one of those players who has the potential to hit paydirt whenever he touches the ball, so expect him to also be a focal point in Vernon Hills’ passing attack this season. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="227182" first="Kaiden" last="Miller"] | Grayslake Central ’23</strong></em></h4> Miller is probably one of the more intriguing prospects Lake County has to offer. I say that because he has a realistic chance to be one of the county’s top receivers and rushers. At 6-foot-3 190 pounds, Miller is a long strider with excellent straight line speed who also runs with some sneaky power for defenders that are caught half-stepping. He’s a touchdown machine with supreme athleticism and has a good chance to see his name climb up the rankings leading into his senior campaign. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="299551" first="Aiden" last="Lennon"] | Antioch ’23</strong></em></h4> Lennon is a no-nonsense north and south type of runner who excels in short yardage and goal line situations. Has an explosive, yet powerful burst through the line and relishes at the opportunity to initiate contact as a runner. He finished his junior season with 405 rushing yards along with 8 touchdowns, expect those numbers to rise with an increased workload this season. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130397" first="Nick" last="Day"] | Antioch ’24</strong></em></h4> Day burst onto the scene with an impressive sophomore season for the Antioch Sequoits in which he racked up 833 yards on the ground along with 6 six touchdowns. He’s a combo back with the ability to lower his shoulder and fight for extra yards, but he’s also elusive enough to wiggle around defenders and bust off long runs. Two things are true for this prospect out of Antioch; he’s going to be a joy to watch over the next few years and a headache for opposing defensive coordinators in Lake County. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="271836" first="Connor" last="Vanselow"] | Wauconda ’24</strong></em></h4> Vanselow contributed 657 rushing yards with 8 touchdowns as a sophomore on varsity. He’s not the biggest nor the fastest, but he’s an effective runner who understands how to read angles and cutback lanes and is capable of consistently moving the chains. <h4><em><strong>Armani Snow | Grant ’23</strong></em></h4> There’s not much film on Snow as of yet, but I did get a chance to see him in person last season and he does have good size for a running back. The Northern Lake County Conference isn’t known for its size, so with Snow measuring in at 6-foot-3 182 pounds, he’s easily one of the biggest running backs in the conference and can very well be a load to bring down for opposing defenses this fall. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="299408" first="Charley" last="Thompson"] | Warren ’23</strong></em></h4> Thompson will definitely have an opportunity to showcase just how talented of a runner he can be with [player_tooltip player_id="20874" first="Maurice" last="Edwards"] departing for Vanderbilt University. I watched him in person last season when Warren faced off against Zion-Benton and he made the most of his opportunities when it was time for him to carry the ball. He ran for a touchdown that game and flashed great instincts as a runner. Not sure if he’ll be able to replicate Edwards’ success on the ground, but I’m more than confident Thompson will be an effective runner who can hold his own on one of Lake County’s most talented teams. <h4><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="289338" first="Torey" last="French"] | Carmel ’24</strong></em></h4> French adds to the list of talented young prospects on Carmel’s roster. He’s your prototypical scat-back who can be lethal once in space. Excellent in changing directions and has game breaking speed to go the distance. Look for French to also make some noise as a receiving threat out of the backfield. <h4><em><strong>Keymarion Campbell | North Chicago ’24</strong></em></h4> Campbell makes defenders think twice before attempting to tackle him in the open field. He’s a downhill runner who’s looking to destroy anything in his path. He’s not going to wow you with long and exciting runs, but he’s going to get the tough yardage and play a significant role in wearing opposing defenses down with his aggressive running style. <hr /> <h4><em><strong>Other RBs To Keep an Eye On....</strong></em></h4> [player_tooltip player_id="158023" first="Nathan" last="Breeman"] | lake Zurich ’23 Vincent Sarrione | Deerfield ’23 Martin Cohen | Antioch ’25 Amariah Brown | Waukegan ’23 Adam Alkhatib | Mundelein ’24