Running backs grab spotlight from class of 2005
By Tom Lemming, special to USATODAY.com
Last year's recruiting class was known as the Year of the Quarterback, featuring Chad Henne of Michigan, Erik Ainge of Tennessee, Brian Brohm of Louisville, Rhett Bomar of Oklahoma, Xavier Lee of Florida State, Anthony Morelli of Penn State, Brent Schaefer of Tennessee and Robert Reid of Oklahoma State.
By Tom Lemming
This year's class will be known as the Year of the Running Back.
It's pretty good year for quarterbacks, an average year for wide receivers, a below-average year for offensive linemen an above-average year for tight ends.
But there is one position that is extremely well-stocked and loaded with difference-makers. In fact, if the top eight running backs of this year came out last season, they would all be ranked second through nine, behind last year's No. 1 running back, Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma, who proved this season why he was the top-rated player overall last year.
This year's group of super tailbacks is led by Jonathan Stewart of lacy Washington, a 5-10, 220-pounder with 10.5 100-meter speed who reminds many of a young Bo Jackson.
This season, he averaged 11 yards per carry and completely dominated the Seattle-Tacoma prep football scene. He has been heavily recruited by Southern California, Miami, Ohio State, new Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham and Notre Dame.
Right behind Stewart is a 5-11, 218-pounder from Jamestown, N.C., Toney Baker. Baker has a great combination of size, speed, strength and, most importantly, vision and balance. He has an uncanny knack of breaking tackles and staying on his feet just what it appears he is going down. For the second year in a row, Baker topped 3,000 yards, and averaged close to 10 yards per carry. North Carolina State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech lead for his services.
Next comes Kevin Grady, 5-10 and 225 pounds, from East Grand Rapids, Mich., who broke several state rushing records in his prep career and who will form quite a rushing tandem along with Mike Hart next season for the Michigan Wolverines.
Perhaps the best all-around back in the country is Marlon Lucky of North Hollywood, Calif. The 6-foot, 205-pound back can run, catch and block. This season, he carried the ball 198 times for 1,833 yards and 38 touchdowns, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. He also caught 22 passes for 424 yards and six scores.
Cory Ross still has another season left at Nebraska, but Lucky has a chance to either share time or take over the major duties rushing the ball for the Cornhuskers by the middle of next season.
Rashard Mendenhall, 5-10, 210 pounds from Niles West, Ill., played a good part of the season with a pulled hamstring and still averaged close to 10 yards per carry and rushed for 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is a very strong back with excellent balance and terrific speed. He has been timed at 10.5 in the 100 meters. Mendenhall committed before his junior season to Ron Turner and Illinois. Since then Turner has been fired, and Ron Zook was hired as coach. Rashard intends to honor his commitment and play for the Illini next season.
Antone Smith, 5-8 and 185 pounds from Pahokee, Fla., is another back who has the ability to change the course of a game with one play. This season, he rushed for 2,300 yards and 38 touchdowns, averaging an eye-popping 11.6 yards per carry against some of the toughest competition in South Florida. His top three schools are Florida State, Auburn and Miami (Fla.).
The top running back in Texas is also one of the nation's premier backs — Jamaal Charles, 6-1, 200 pounds from Port Arthur Memorial, who this season average eight yards per carry and rushed for 2,087 yards and 26 touchdowns in nine games. He is committed to Texas and is expected to see immediate action as a true freshman.
The top prospect in Arkansas is Darren McFadden, 6-1, 195 pounds, from North Little Rock Oak Grove. McFadden combines good size with excellent speed and balance, rushing for more than 4,000 yards the past two years. He is committed to Arkansas.
Maurice Wells, 5-10 and 185 pounds from Jacksonville Sandalwood is a shifty back with great vision and surprising power who totaled 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns this season in just eight games, missing a couple due to injuries. He has already visited Ohio State, Southern California, Maryland and Georgia Tech, and is also looking at Florida State, North Carolina, Florida and Notre Dame.
The top quarterback in the country is also the nation's No. 1 prospect. Ryan Perrilloux, 6-4 and 210 pounds from Reserve East St. John La., is a remarkable athlete. He can throw a football 65 yards from one knee and can run a 4.4 40. A prep version of Donovan McNabb, he accounted for 5,002 total yards and 69 touchdowns this season. Perrilloux is committed to Texas, although LSU and Florida State have not given up the fight. Even though Vincent Young still has two years left with the Longhorns, Perrilloux's talent could win out within a year or so.
Quarterback Greg Paulus, 6-2, 180 pounds from Syracuse Christian Brothers, N.Y., is the best passer in the country. A great combination of smarts, arm strength, poise and instincts, he is a prep version of Joe Montana. However, he is also ranked as the top point guard in the country in basketball, and has signed a letter of intent with Duke, forgoing what could have been a great career in college football.
The third quarterback with difference-maker ability is Mark Sanchez, 6-3, 190 pounds from Mission Viejo, Calif. The supremely confident signal-caller completed 64% of his passes this season and has decided to matriculate at Southern California despite the Trojans' great depth of the quarterback position.
One quarterback who may be heard from first is Harrison Beck of Clearwater Countryside, Fla., a 6-2, 210-pounder with a rocket arm. Beck committed to Nebraska, a team in dire need of a pro-style quarterback.
The nation's No. 1 wide receiver prospect is Fred Rouse, 6-4 and 185 pounds from Tallahassee Lincoln, Fla. This season he caught 29 passes for 608 yards and also returned a kickoff, a punt, a fumble and an interception for scores. He is a Randy Moss-type of athlete with great leaping ability and a tremendous burst. Florida State, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Miami are all in the running for his signature, but it looks like Texas and Florida State lead.
Derrick Williams, 6-0, 185-pounder from Greenbelt Roosevelt, Md., did not have a great season at quarterback but is being recruited at the wide receiver position and ranks as one of the top three in the country at that spot. He runs a 4.4 40 and shows great instincts. He will be deciding this week between — Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee or Florida.
Desean Jackson, 5-11 and 175 pounds from Long Beach Poly, Calif., continues that school's great tradition of producing major college wide receivers. Jackson, who is also considered to be the state's top baseball prospect, caught 48 passes for 878 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He will visit California, LSU, Oklahoma, Southern California and Arizona State — all excellent football-baseball schools.
Patrick Turner, 6-4 and 215 pounds from Madison Goodpasture Christian in Tennessee is a Mike Williams clone who latched onto 48 passes for over 700 yards and 11 scores this season. The strong, sure-handed player has every major school seeking his services, but he plans on visiting Southern California, LSU, Texas, Miami and Oklahoma.
The nation's No. 1 tight end prospect is Martellus Bennett, 6-7, 240 pounds from Alief Taylor Texas. Built like a power forward, he uses his long arms and explosive speed to become a dangerous weapon as a receiver and as a blocker. He committed very early to Miami, but has since decided to look around and Texas has entered the picture.
Dajleon Farr, 6-6 and 240 pounds from Houston North Shore, Texas, is another sought-after tight end. Farr recently committed to LSU. Like Bennett, Farr is a dangerous receiver with exceptional speed and body control.
Anthony Moeaki, 6-4 and 240 pounds from Wheaton Warrenville South, Ill., is the most accomplished blocker among the premier tight ends. He caught 24 passes for over 400 yards and six touchdowns this season and has already visited Tennessee, BYU — where two of his brothers have played — and Iowa.
A sleeper among the tight ends this season has to be Tyler Blum, 6-6 and 240 pounds from Walnut, Iowa. His town is so small that they have to play eight-man football, but that did not stop the colleges checking him out. Blum is also the state's 215-pound wrestling champ. He is committed to Iowa.
While it is not a great year for offensive lineman as a whole, there are still some pretty good ones out there. The No. 1 offensive lineman in the country is Michael Oher, 6-5, 330 from Memphis Briarcrest Christian Tennessee. He recorded 150 pancake blocks this season and completely dominated as both a run and pass blocker. Nobody could get by him as he led Briarcrest Christian to the state title. Tennessee LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi and Florida lead the way for his signature.
Dan Doering, 6-6 and 290 pounds from Barrington, Ill., is the most athletic tackle in the country. He is exceptionally quick and technically sound with long arms. Doering has the potential to weigh around 330 and dominate in college. Iowa has a big lead over Tennessee and Oklahoma.
The top offensive lineman in Texas is Reggie Youngblood, 6-5 and 285 pounds from Houston Washington. Youngblood is a remarkable athlete with unusual quickness, balance and aggressiveness. A two-time all-city honoree, he can change direction like a pro and will wind up playing either tackle or guard in college. He has recently committed to Miami.
Another explosive, aggressive, big tackle who will wind up playing guard in college is Rodney Picou, 6-4 and 300 pounds from Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, Calif. Picou's great straight-ahead speed, strength and his ability to dominate defenders from start to finish, are impressive. He is committed to Nebraska.
Alex Boone is a big raw-boned tackle with an exciting future ahead of him in college football. The 6-8, 305-pounder from Lakewood St. Edward's, Ohio, looks thin at 305 pounds and could bulk up to 340 pounds by the time he is a senior in college. He graded out over 90% in his blocking assignments this season on his way to earning all-state honors for the second year in a row. He committed early to Ohio State.
The nation's premier offensive center is Josh McNeil, 6-4, 270 pounds from Collins, Miss. He is the younger brother of Mississippi State starting center Chris McNeil and scouts agree that Josh has more potential than his very successful brother. This season Josh averaged 14 pancake blocks a game, and also averaged over 90% in his blocking assignments, including a couple of games in which he scored 100%. He has visited Florida, Mississippi State, LSU, Southern California and Tennessee.
Without a doubt the No. 1 offensive lineman in the East is big Eugene Monroe, 6-2 and 320 pounds from Plainfield, N.J. The U.S. Army All-American graded out at 97% of his blocking assignments in 10 games. He committed early to Virginia.
Dace Richardson, 6-6 and 300 pounds from Wheaton Warrenville South Ill., put together an all-state year and helped lead his team to the semifinals. He graded out over 85% in his blocking assignments and was known for his hard-hitting style of play. He is a very big and active blocker, who can hold his blocks until the whistle. He has visited Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee and Southern California. It appears that Iowa has a big lead over the others.
The top offensive lineman in Georgia is Chris Scott, 6-6 and 310 pounds from Lovejoy, who played tackle on both sides of the line this season and does not take a play off. He also did not allow a sack for the second year in a row. Chris has already visited Tennessee, Nebraska, LSU and Georgia, and will visit Florida on Jan. 21.
The No. 1 offensive lineman in Florida is Matt Hardrick, 6-6 and 340 pounds from Orlando Edgewater, who is a two-time all-state honoree at tackle in 2003 and guard in 2004. Exceptionally athletic with terrific body control balance and strength, he plans on visiting Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma, Florida and Mississippi.
Tom Lemming is a recruiting analyst for ESPN. Next month he'll round up the top defensive players in the nation.
