Rumph was a part of the Eagles’ fourth-place 4X200 relay team. This fall, he was essential to EP’s always-potent running game. The junior will line up in the traditional running back position but will also line up more as a tight end. While he has good speed, he knows when to use it and when to downshift and follow his blockers. He is at his best when he can make one cut and get downhill to use his combination of speed and strength. He can power through most arm tackles if a defender does not square him up. He is not just a threat in the running game; Rumph has good hands out of the backfield – and not just in the flat; he can make plays down the field in the passing game.

Rumph was a fun, electrifying running back to watch. He is a tough downhill runner who embraces physicality. His ability to power through defenders adds another dimension to his game, combined with overall speed. His long strides quickly eat up ground, enabling him to quickly reach top speed. His explosive acceleration makes him a threat whenever the ball gets in his hands. With his speed, Rumph effectively reaches the edge and turns the corner, which he has the potential to take to the house. His agility shines through in his sharp cuts and precise footwork. These attributes make him elusive in the open field, allowing him to navigate through defenders easily. Running with a proper pad level, Rumph becomes a challenging target for defenders attempting to bring him down. His low center of gravity and strong lower body enhance his balance and make him a tough runner to tackle. He deeply understands how to set up blocks and choose the right lanes using his vision and awareness. Undoubtedly, he will light up the scene again in the 2024 season.

RB1 in the PRzMN 2025 rankings update is a new addition to the rankings as well as the state of Minnesota overall, and should be a name MN high school football fans should know and get excited about. I recently did an in-depth breakdown of Elijah Rumph Elijah Rumph 6'1" | 200 lbs | RB Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN for our headlining feature so I’ll try not to repeat myself here as we have a lot of other RBs to get to, but Rumph has NFL bloodlines (dad is the DL coach for the Vikes, brother is a Duke grad now playing OLB for the LA Chargers) and showed a balanced and dangerous skillset as a RB on the JV ranks of the Eagles in 2022. His combination of speed and power at 6′, 195 lbs. made him a man amongst boys versus JV competition and allowed him to run by and/or run through tackle attempts. It’s hard to get a full read and eval. on the young man with him still lacking in varsity reps, but as a testament to his athletic skillset and the quality of the JV film the Central Michigan ‘Chips offered a FBS scholarship on February 1st. I hope he finishes out the next two years in MN and am particularly excited to watch him play next season.

The son of Minnesota Vikings DL coach Chris Rumph and brother of Chris Rumph II, a current OLB for the LA Chargers, the Eden Prairie Eagles have another potential superstar on their hands in 6′, 195 lb. RB Elijah Rumph. On a fun and small-world note, Chris Rumph II graduated from Gainesville Buchholz High School before playing college ball at Duke, and Buchholz is my current hometown team while my fiancé and I live in Gainesville. Elijah makes for a wonderful new addition to the MN 2025 class, and is one of only four current sophomores to hold a college football offer in MN, with Central Michigan offering a FBS scholarship on February 1st. This is more impressive given the fact that he did not play varsity for the Eagles in 2022. However, the JV RB highlights are legit, as Rumph runs the rock like a man amongst boys against non-varsity competition and shows off vision, contact balance, and the speed to finish big runs when given daylight. He also shows a great get-off and closing speed as a DE/EDGE, and was naturally disruptive and able to make tough tackles in space. He’ll be a big-time varsity contributor next season and should be adding to his list of offers this camp season.