Film Evaluation: Georgia’s Rushing Leaders
Everyone loves to watch the RB position, especially when there is an outright, and dominant star at the position. Throughout the state of Georgia, the top 5 rushing leaders have already made their stamp on the season, and have each…
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Continue ReadingEveryone loves to watch the RB position, especially when there is an outright, and dominant star at the position. Throughout the state of Georgia, the top 5 rushing leaders have already made their stamp on the season, and have each ran for more than 900 yards up to this point of the season. Due to how impressive this is, we wanted to take some time to break down and evaluate each of these players, as to get a better understanding of their success thus far. Check them out below.
Narada Levett- Central High (1,230 rushing yards)
When cutting on the tape of Narada Levett, it comes as no surprise that he has had the amount of success that he has seen so far this season. To this point, he has displayed a large amount of burst, and explosion our of the backfield. With that, even though he is a bit shorter, due to his great lower body build and ability to run downhill, he has seen a ton of yards the hard way. With this, Levett is by no means a blazer with his speed, but he has a bit of short area quickness, that pairs with his burst, that allows him to sift through traffic efficiently with his awesome vision. Because of this, he slices through defenses for chunks of yards, thus putting his team in great offensive position.
Jessie Phelps Jr- Rutland High (1,002 rushing yards)
Jessie Phelps Jr, who has had plenty of success so far this season, also has a great frame and lower body build. When he touches the football, it can be seen that he runs with an attitude, and at a good pad level. He keeps his eyes and feet tied together, and this allows him to make jump cuts, and change direction decently at times While he has this ability, it can also be said that it is not at an elite level. Phelps is also not a burner, but will definitely be the first player to try to run someone over if they take a bad angle.
Phillip Johnson Phillip Johnson 6'2" | 215 lbs | RB Temple | 2021 GA – Temple High School (947 rushing yards)
So far this season, Johnson has totaled 947 yards, and stands at a tall 6’2. While he has a big body, he finds ways to move elusively as he turns the corner. With this, if given a hole, he will take the ball the distance due to his explosive ability. Johnson can also be seen to be a back that gets the hard yards as well for his offense, especially due to his frame and size. While his footwork is decent, one thing we would like to see more of from him is good vision and solid decision making with the ball in his hands.
Trenton Johnson- McIntosh County (946 rushing yards)
Perhaps one of our favorite backs on this list, Trenton Johnson, runs with power, and strength, but also displays the ability to be shifty outside of the tackles. He reminds us a bit of Leonard Fournette due to his punishing running style. He not only plows over defenders, but can get in and out of his cuts well too, and dodges tacklers in the process. With this, he has decent burst and acceleration. Johnson is also a willing blocker and is willing to dip his shoulder to get the job done. As a 2021 prospect, Johnson does not have too many offers, so it will be interesting to see where his level of success this season takes him with potential opportunities to play at the next level.
James Schlegel- Aquinas High (902 rushing yards)
At this point of the season, James Schlegel, a QB has already had tons of success, and this has helped his team immensely. While he has many traits that jump off of the screen, the first thing that one may notice is his elusive speed, and ability to play multiple positions. Even though Schlegel can be a bit tight hipped at times, he still manages to turn the corner, gain positive yards, and make people miss whenever he has the ball in his hands. His ability to be slippery in the pocket, with big play ability, certainly creates match up problems for opposing defenses. Look for him to continue to play at a high level and have a huge rest of the season.