2024 Rankings – Top Five Running Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 football season is right around the corner and at the conclusion of spring practices across Oklahoma, it's a perfect time to update the prospect rankings! We're wrapping up our ranking updates this week with the state's 2024 class and it went from a Top 125 to a Top 150. If you missed that update,&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2024-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">you can check that out right here!</a></strong>&nbsp;Throughout the week, we're diving deep into the rankings with prospect breakdowns. We're discussing why these players are already on our radar and already on the radar for the next level. Keep it locked in throughout the week as we break down more 2024 prospects. And if you missed any of our other ranking updates, you can check those out now!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this breakdown, we're putting a spotlight on the running back position with the top five running backs in this latest ranking update. The group is headlined by three Big 12 commitments, including the reigning PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year. Three out of the five prospects on this breakdown have committed to Big 12 programs and four out of the five prospects are all in Class 5A. We break each of them down right here and keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the week for more prospect breakdowns and check out the website for more breakdowns and other ranking updates!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["360239"],"_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_0_evaluation":"We're leading this breakdown off with the top prospect at the position and a top five overall prospect in the class. Carl Albert standout [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson'] was our PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year after running for nearly 2,600 yards and leading the Titans to another state championship. Robinson was without a doubt the best and most dominant player that we watched in person last season and he did it against some really strong competition. Robinson also leads off the group of running backs committed to Big 12 programs as he announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Tuesday evening. Robinson shattered the record book for running backs at Carl Albert last season and he's back for more this fall. The Titans are massive favorites to repeat in Class 5A and Robinson is arguably the biggest reason behind that. He is a prototypical big running back that has the size to overpower just about anyone trying to bring him down. But once he's in the open field, he's not lacking the ability to turn that small play into a big run. That's why he had nearly 40 touchdowns last fall.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["393974"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"While Robinson had the best season last fall of any running back in the state, you can definitely make the argument that Del City standout [player_tooltip player_id='393974' first='Rodney' last='Fields'] had the best offseason of any running back in the state's 2024 class. Fields, fresh off a fantastic junior campaign at Southeast, came to our January prospect camp and ran away with the MVP award for his position group. He would then join Sooner 7 on the 7v7 circuit and was routinely one of the better players that we watched during various tournaments. In late January, he would announce his commitment to Oklahoma State and has been committed to the Cowboys ever since. Fields also moved to Del City this offseason and joined an offense that has the chance to contend with their Mid-Del rivals at Carl Albert for top offensive unit in Class 5A this season. Fields is truly dynamic and can do so many different things at a very high level. That was on full display when we watched him in person this offseason and when you look at some of the production he had last fall, the best is still yet to come.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["110739"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Beggs running back [player_tooltip player_id='110739' first='Red' last='Martel'] is definitely near the top of the list when you're talking about 2024 prospects we knew about early on in their high school career. Martel has been on our radar since his freshman season and he's been considered one of the top running backs in the state, really ever since. Last year was an interesting season for Martel after splitting carries with CJ Brown for his first two varsity seasons, Martel became the guy at running back for Beggs and he was absolutely ready for the added workload. Martel is also the third of the Big 12 commitments as he committed to the Jayhawks a while ago and has remained loyal in that pledge to Kansas as the Jayhawks have continued to do a good job recruiting in Oklahoma. Martel is going to be an interesting player to watch this fall because Beggs has to replace most of their offensive line but we have no doubt that we're still going to see a few highlight runs from Martel every single week. He's been one of the top offensive prospects in the class since the start and nothing is changing now.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["315548"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"We've said this a few times in the last twelve months but we'll keep at it as long as it's still true. East Central running back [player_tooltip player_id='315548' first='Larontae' last='Clayton'] is one of the more underrated playmakers in the state's 2024 class. Clayton first got on our radar around this time last year and he's been there ever since. We've watched Clayton on film quite a bit but last month was the first chance to see him in person and really spin in the open field. He's an incredibly strong runner with speed and acceleration. He checks a lot of the boxes for us and there's no real reason why more schools shouldn't be on him in recruiting. He definitely belongs among the state's best at the position. He checked all the boxes on film and then backed it up when we got a chance to see him in person at the Rejoice team camp. Clayton is nearly impossible to bring down in a 1 on 1 situation and the combination of strength and speed seems like it's only continuing to improve. He's definitely one of the more underrated offensive weapons in the 2024 class coming into this fall.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["336358"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Honestly a lot of what we said about Clayton at East Central can be followed up right here with our final prospect on the breakdown. Lawton MacArthur running back [player_tooltip player_id='336358' first='Jeremy' last='Hutcheson'] is incredibly underrated as well when you look at his size and production that he had last season in a breakout year with the Highlanders. It feels like Lawton MacArthur is one of those program that always has a standout running back and Hutcheson is the latest example of that. And just like with Clayton, we knew more about him from watching him on film and seeing some of the numbers he was able to put up last season. But last month, we got a chance to watch him in person at the Westmoore team camp and once again, he checked all of the boxes. He's a good runner and knows how to find the right holes and gaps in a defense to spring into the open field. We know that Hutcheson has a goal of outdoing his production from last season and if that happens, the Highlanders will contend in Class 5A. They are one of our dark horses for a deep run this fall.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-649c82685cad2"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->