If you thought the Covid era was going to ruin or slow down the sport of football, the verdict is in. You were wrong. It is a testament to the coaches, parents, administrators, and everyone involved that the development of high school football players has not missed a beat. Nowhere are the results of their hard work more noticeable than the the 2023 running backs.
Speed, quickness, cutting on a dime, power, vision, pass catching ability, it is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the running back talent in the Class of 2023. This is a dynamic group and each player brings a unique set of skills to the table. They say history repeats itself, and as you will see, some of these running backs are a throwback to a different time.
Let’s take a look at the criteria used to evaluate these running backs.
Criteria for Scoring Running Backs
The criteria used to evaluate and score each running back are: speed, vision, cutting ability, explosiveness, and pass catching. The top 60 running backs in the country, according to the top three recruiting services, were evaluated to arrive at the top ten that have the most talent and skills to achieve stardom at the college football level.
The speed of a running back determines how they are able to take advantage of openings in the defense and whether they are a threat to turn small gains into big plays. Vision is the skill that allows a running back to anticipate the opening in the defense and take the most efficient path to gain yardage.
Cutting ability allows a running back to avoid defenders in close space and create holes in they defense through misdirection. Explosiveness, especially at the point of separation, means the running back can turn big plays into touchdowns. Pass Catching is a college level skill that makes a running back more valuable because they can attack the defense in multiple ways.
Mental make-up and making the adjustment to college are the boxes that need to be checked for the criteria above to be valid. Some running backs will struggle with the change to a college environment and that should be taken into consideration when evaluating their potential.
Here are the criteria used to determine the top running backs in the class of 2023:
The top end speed the player can reach compared to his peers.
10 Points
The player’s ability to read the placement of the defense and find the opening.
10 Points
The player’s lateral quickness and ability to make quick, controlled cuts to avoid the defense.
10 Points
The player’s scoring ability and explosiveness at the point of separation.
10 Points
The player’s ability to catch the ball and run passing routes.
10 Points
Speed (10 Points) + Vision (10 Points) + Cutting Ability (10 Points) + Explosiveness (10 Points) + Pass Catching (10 Points) = 50 Points Total Possible Score
Ranking the Top 10 Running Backs
Now that you know the criteria used to evaluate these running backs, let’s take a look at the list. Presenting the top 10 running backs in the 2023 recruiting class:
10. Cedric Baxter, Jr.
School: Edgewater
Location: Orlando, FL
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 210
College: Texas
Cedric Baxter, Jr. is a shifty runner with quick cut back ability and elusiveness in space. He runs with good vision and anticipation.
Cedric is explosive at the point of contact with the ability to bounce to the edge before the defense can stop it. He has long strides to make yards in a hurry when in the open field. He is also able to effectively use the stiff arm to repel defenders.
Cedric runs straight up at times and needs to continue his development at running with leverage and he can also improve his explosiveness and top end speed.
Statistics
Carries: 174
Yards : 1,375
Yards/Carry: 9.7
Rushing Touchdowns: 13
Receptions: 4
Receiving Yards: 46
Receiving Touchdowns: 0
Evaluation
Speed: 7/10
Vision: 8/10
Cutting Ability: 10/10
Explosiveness: 7/10
Pass Catching: 7/10
Total Score: 39
9. Jeremiyah Love
School: Christian Brothers
Location: Saint Louis, MO
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 190
College: Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love is an athletic and fast running back. He has long strides which allows him to reach a high top end speed and makes him explosive at the point of separation.
Jeremiyah has good vision to find openings in the defense and is elusive in the hole with his cutting ability. He has not been asked to catch the ball much up to this point but has been productive in his limited duty.
Jeremiyah could benefit from developing a more effective stiff arm to fight off defenders.
Statistics
Carries: 140
Yards : 1,291
Yards/Carry: 9.2
Rushing Touchdowns: 22
Receptions: 13
Receiving Yards: 370
Receiving Touchdowns: 5
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 8/10
Cutting Ability: 7/10
Explosiveness: 8/10
Pass Catching: 8/10
Total Score: 39
8. Sam Singleton
School: Fleming Island
Location: Orange Park, FL
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180
College: Florida State
Sam Singleton is a long, fast runner with excellent lateral quickness at the point of contact. He can get yards in a hurry with his long strides.
Sam runs through arm tackles and is a strong candidate for goal line carries. He is an experienced and skilled receiver compared to some of the other running backs.
Sam has a tendency to run too high at times and he does not have the elite top end speed of some of the other running backs. He will have an opportunity to improve upon these skills with coaching and development at the next level.
Sam has a similar running style to former Arkansas great running back Darren McFadden. See if you agree:
Statistics
Carries: 129
Yards : 1,015
Yards/Carry: 7.9
Rushing Touchdowns: 12
Receptions: 10
Receiving Yards: 227
Receiving Touchdowns: 3
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 7/10
Cutting Ability: 8/10
Explosiveness: 8/10
Pass Catching: 8/10
Total Score: 39
7. Dylan Edwards
School: Derby
Location: Derby, KS
Height: 5’8”
Weight:160
College: Colorado
Everything about Dylan Edwards screams quick. Quick reaction times, quick change of direction, quick straight ahead speed. He will be a weapon for any offense on, you guessed it, quick plays. Think slant patterns, crosses, and quick screens.
Dylan is a versatile running back who may end up at the slot receiver position. He is a great route runner with excellent intangibles for the receiver position. The top pass catching receiver in this class.
Dylan has excellent cutting ability, making defenders grasp for air. He is a weapon returning kicks and should be considered for that role at the next level. Colorado has gained a multi-dimensional playmaking weapon.
Statistics
Carries: 203
Yards : 1,900
Yards/Carry: 9.4
Rushing Touchdowns: 32
Receptions: 15
Receiving Yards: 227
Receiving Touchdowns: 3
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 7/10
Cutting Ability: 8/10
Explosiveness: 9/10
Pass Catching: 9/10
Total Score: 41
6. Daylan Smothers
School: West Charlotte
Location: Charlotte, NC
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180
College: Oklahoma
Daylan Smothers is a determined and creative running back with outstanding lateral quickness and elusiveness. He runs with great vision and possesses an effective stiff arm to repel defenders.
Daylan is the most elusive running back in the class of 2023. He can also line up at wide receiver or wildcat and is a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield. Daylan is a versatile player with excellent return skills.
Oklahoma has a player who will stuff the stat sheet and make the players around him look better.
Statistics
Carries: N/A
Yards : N/A
Yards/Carry: N/A
Rushing Touchdowns: N/A
Receptions: N/A
Receiving Yards: N/A
Receiving Touchdowns: N/A
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 8/10
Cutting Ability: 9/10
Explosiveness: 8/10
Pass Catching: 8/10
Total Score: 41
5. Trey Holly
School: Union Parish
Location: Farmerville, LA
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 180
College: LSU
Trey Holly is a strong, physical runner with breakaway speed. He shows great vision and elusiveness at the point of contact.
Trey runs with good leverage, easily breaking through arm tackles. He has a low center of gravity which makes him a threat around the goal line.
Trey is an efficient runner with short, quick strides. He has good feet for a running back of his size. Trey has an effective stiff arm to avoid defenders.
His top end speed is not as high as some of the other top running backs or he would be ranked higher. Trey will be a productive runner at the next level if he stays healthy.
Statistics
Carries: 305
Yards : 2,694
Yards/Carry: 8.8
Rushing Touchdowns: 38
Receptions: 6
Receiving Yards: 61
Receiving Touchdowns: 0
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 9/10
Cutting Ability: 9/10
Explosiveness: 8/10
Pass Catching: 7/10
Total Score: 41
4. Richard Young
School: Lehigh Senior
Location: Lehigh Acres,
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200
College: Alabama
Richard Young has the best footwork of any of the top running backs. His lateral quickness and cut back ability make him difficult for any defender to get leverage on him.
Richard is a strong runner who hits the hole with reckless abandon. He has excellent hip bend and is able to break tackles with ease due to his strong leg drive and effort. He is explosive at the point of separation.
Richard is a weapon working out of the wildcat formation. Although not asked to do much pass catching so far, he can run routes and catch the ball.
Again, it shows the depth of this class that Richard Young is not ranked higher. Alabama got a foundational player who brings a unique set of skills to the running back position.
Statistics
Carries: 164
Yards : 1,102
Yards/Carry: 6.7
Rushing Touchdowns: 9
Receptions: 3
Receiving Yards: 58
Receiving Touchdowns: 0
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 9/10
Cutting Ability: 10/10
Explosiveness: 8/10
Pass Catching: 6/10
Total Score: 41
3. Kaleb Jackson
School: Liberty Magnet
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180
College: LSU
Kaleb Jackson has a unique combination of physical tools and athleticism that is unmatched by any running back in the class 2023. He is a strong physical runner with explosiveness in the open area. He is a matchup problem for any defense. Do you stack the box to stop the run? You better not let him get to the second level or you will be down 6 because the chances of a safety or a cornerback getting him down are slim.
Kaleb has outstanding lateral quickness for a running back his size. It is a testament to the depth of this running back class that Kaleb Jackson is ranked 3 on this list. His potential is up there with some of the greatest running backs in recent memory.
Kaleb runs by defenders like a scat back but has legs like tree trunks. His sidestep move leaves defenders grabbing air. He can run quick efficient passing routes, displays above average hands, and has experience as a pass catcher.
Kaleb has great leg drive with the ability to bounce off defenders and gain yards after contact. His quick, strong stiff arm makes him even more dangerous as a runner. He has a tendency to run a little high at times, a characteristic that will be further refined once he receives some college coaching.
One former running back that he reminds me of is former Oklahoma great Marcus Dupree, a strong, physical runner with breakaway speed.
See what you think:
Statistics
Carries: 138
Yards : 2,031
Yards/Carry: 14.7
Rushing Touchdowns: 29
Receptions: 21
Receiving Yards: 394
Receiving Touchdowns: 4
Evaluation
Speed: 9/10
Vision: 8/10
Cutting Ability: 8/10
Explosiveness: 9/10
Pass Catching: 8/10
Total Score: 42
2. Justice Haynes
School: Buford
Location: Buford, GA
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200
College: Alabama
Justice Haynes is a smooth and polished runner with instincts and vision that are next level. With the skills that he possesses it was a really difficult decision to rank Justice number 2, so consider him 1A.
He has cat-like quickness with excellent cutback ability. Justice is an efficient runner who uses running angles to his advantage. He displays good change of direction at the point of attack to avoid the defender and execute the play.
Justice shows good hands catching the ball and explosiveness after the completion. He has breakaway speed when he gets to the second level. If he displayed the elite top end speed of Rueben Owens, he would be number one.
There are some players who you can tell have received excellent coaching at this level and Justice is a clear example.
His vision and cut back ability make him a dangerous weapon returning kicks at the next level if the Tide coaching staff wants to take on that risk. Barring injury, Justice Haynes is going to be a superstar at the college level and will have NFL GMs giddy at the prospect of drafting him.
His body type reminds you of Barry Sanders, strong legs and a low center center of gravity. However, the running back he most resembles is none other than Emmitt Smith. How’s that for a combination.
See if you agree:
Statistics
Carries: 121
Yards : 1,528
Yards/Carry: 12.6
Rushing Touchdowns: 19
Receptions: 4
Receiving Yards: 125
Receiving Touchdowns: 0
Evaluation
Speed: 8/10
Vision: 10/10
Cutting Ability: 10/10
Explosiveness: 8/10
Pass Catching: 7/10
Total Score: 43
1. Rueben Owens
School: El Campo
Location: El Campo, TX
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190
College: Texas A&M
Rueben Owens has the rare combination of hip bend, meaning he doesn’t run high, and long strides which makes him so dangerous. He has tremendous lateral quickness in space with the ability to cut on a dime. He has great feet which allows him with operate with balance and precision.
Rueben makes defenders look silly with his fakes and runs through arm tackles easily. He has the fastest speed displayed on film out of any of the top running backs and is a a threat to score on any play. Reuben possesses outstanding explosiveness at the point of separation. His vision and anticipation of the hole is excellent.
Reuben does not display a lot of pass catching on film so that is one skill that is a question mark.
If NFL GMs are not already salivating at the prospect of drafting this kid they are behind the times.
That is why Rueben Owens is at the head of the class for 2023, because his top end potential is out of this world!
His running style reminds me of Lawrence Phillips, the former super star running back for Nebraska, but faster.
See if you agree:
Statistics
Carries: N/A
Yards : N/A
Yards/Carry: N/A
Rushing Touchdowns: N/A
Receptions: N/A
Receiving Yards: N/A
Receiving Touchdowns: N/A
Evaluation
Speed: 10/10
Vision: 9/10
Cutting Ability: 9/10
Explosiveness: 10/10
Pass Catching: 7/10
Total Score: 45
The Top Ten Running Backs in Review
1. Rueben Owens
2. Justice Haynes
3. Kaleb Jackson
4. Richard Young
5. Trey Holly
6. Daylan Smothers
7. Dylan Edwards
8. Sam Singleton
9. Jeremiyah Love
10. Cedric Baxter