Five Top High School Running Backs, A First-Hand Evaluation
The state of Florida produces some of the nation’s top prep running backs. With that in mind, here are four of the Sunshine State’s best, with an additional first-hand look at one Texas running back that’s also an elite talent.
Whether it’s speed, size, quickness, power, or simply natural running back instincts, here are five high school running backs that were evaluated live against top competition during the past two seasons.
The following list was constructed in alphabetical order; opposing teams mentioned represent the games that each player went against the night they were scouted.
Cedric Baxter
Cedric Baxter, Running Back, Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater
Brian Smith, Inside The Knights
Size: 6-foot-2, 220-pounds
School: Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater
Class: 2023
Recruitment: Previously committed to Florida State, but now waiting to make a final college decision. Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss, and Penn State represent just some of Baxter’s offers.
Style of Play
Baxter fits the mold of an old school 1985 I-formtion tailback. He’s all about running downhill, directly running at the defense, and with authority!
During the September game that he was scouted, Baxter wore out the Orlando (Fla.) Jones defense from start to finish, one play at a time. Five yards, seven yards, eight yards, and Baxter just kept plowing through defenders.
The Edgewater offense resembles the Washington Redskins offensive style of play back in the 1980s and early 1990s. Counters, off tackle runs, and playing downhill. That’s Edgewater's philosophy with Baxter as the primary ball carrier.
Edgewater’s offense will allow Baxter to keep churning out the yards. Like a sledgehammer, he wears down a defense. Even with cramps that kept him from playing the entire game, Baxter still racked up 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Here’s a run from Baxter that also shows his natural instincts in motion:
Quick cuts, a lowering of the shoulder, and boom! Baxter is a special running back that can be a game-changer at the college level as well because he can catch the football quite well, and he’s even capable of being a player that operates in the slot when needed.
Christian Ellis
Christian Ellis, Running Back, Jacksonville (Fla.) Ed White
Size: 6-foot-1, 195-pounds
School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Ed White
Class: 2022
Recruitment: Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Kansas, Navy, and Mississippi State represent part of a wide assortment of offers, but his offer list may be dwindled based upon schools not always agreeing about what position Ellis should play.
Some schools would like to see Ellis play strong safety or linebacker at the college level. While he’s certainly capable of doing that, he’s also truly capable of being a big-time college running back.
Style of Play
Ellis holds a similar style of play to the one-cut-and-go running backs many zone-concept teams use in the NFL, as well as college. He’s extremely powerful for his size, and he showed tremendous leg drive during his game against Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin earlier this season.
Ed White came out and played power football. During several runs, Ellis would hit the hole and then a bevy of defenders would engulf him, yet the pile still moved forward. He applied tremendous effort during each of his runs.
Watching Ellis in action also saw him do a nice job of helping in pass protection. He’s also involved with the passing game, and as he progresses that aspect of his game will grow, too. Regardless of how an offense places the football in Ellis’s hands, he can run with power. That’s not all he’s capable of doing.
Ellis displayed a natural forward lean fit for a college running back, played aggressively, and made defenders miss when afforded the opportunity.
Anthony Hankerson
Height: 5-foot-8, 190-pounds
School: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Class: 2022
Recruitment: Perhaps the most puzzling recruitment in Florida, Hankerson’s on-field accomplishments saw several offers, but to be honest, not as many so-called big-time programs pushed for his commitment as one might believe. LSU, Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, UCF, Kentucky, UCF, Miami, and several other programs offered, but how many really pushed for his commitment could be debated all day long. He’s a great talent, so it’s surprising.
Style of Play
Hankerson will seek out contact, when needed, but he’s best at making the first defender miss. His quickness helps accent his ability to use power. With the capability of using either against any defender he faces, Hankerson is an advanced high school running back.
An incredibly low center of gravity and forward lean represent the way Hankerson totes the football. He’s also equally adept at running inside or outside the tackles. Whether running inside zone or a toss sweep, when Saint Thomas Aquinas gives Hankerson the football, he makes plays.
With the ability to also follow his blockers and be patient, Hankerson’s ability to take over a game was evident last season when Saint Thomas Aquinas played at DeLand (Fla.) High School, just north of Orlando.
After an early turnover, Saint Thomas Aquinas placed the football in Hankerson’s hands immediately. After a few powerful runs, he rammed the football into the end zone, setting the tone for the game.
By the middle of the second quarter, many of the DeLand defenders had been run over and/or juked to the point they did not truly contest Hankerson all that much.
Perhaps the best attribute about Hankerson's game derives from his ability to be utilized in any situation. First and ten, he's really good at picking up the tough yards to help the offense stay ahead of the chains. Second down, he's more than capable of being an option in the passing game. On third down, whether it would be pass protection or being the option to help pick up the first down running the football or catching it, Hankerson will deliver a positive result.
Look for Hankerson to continue to be a true tailback at the college level, regardless of where he ends up. He’s going to surprise many people because he will likely play very early.
Jadarian Price
Jadarian Price, Running Back, Denison (Texas) High School
Height: 5-foot-11, 185-pounds
School: Denison (Texas) High School
Class: 2022
Recruitment: Selected Notre Dame over a host of offers, including a high-interest group of Texas, Stanford and Oklahoma State. Price’s first offer was from the University of Texas-San Antonio as a freshman. Shortly thereafter, his second offer from the University of Texas-Austin, also as a freshman. That places this young man’s talent in perspective. There’s a reason he was so coveted by the Longhorns at an early age, and that’s where the analysis of his game begins.
Style of Play
When Price decides to “go” it’s full bore; his first step should be considered elite even by college football standards. Few running backs reach maximum speed as quickly as Price, and that begins with when he decides to plant and explode forward.
What makes his explosive first step even better stems from Price often running laterally along the line of scrimmage, seeing a hole, and immediately cutting upfield and going north-south with a 90-degree cut that’s also explosive; he does not need to just be going forward to be explosive.
Price will not just pick the first hole he sees and run towards it. He will follow his blockers and hit the hole accordingly. Oftentimes, Price makes a jump cut and speeds up as soon as he hits the ground after the jump cut. In whatever way he needs to use his skills, Price’s patience as a runner helps him do so.
During the game against Frisco (Texas) Liberty, Denison ran a screen to the right. The defensive line was sucked into the backfield, and as soon as Price snatched the football out of the air, like a cat he turned and naturally became a running back once again.
His burst was on full display once again. Even with multiple defenders having the angle at the linebacker and defensive back levels, Price bursted by each of them. 50 yards later he was in the end zone.
Price represents an all-around running back that’s built for today’s spread offenses, and he will be hard to handle no matter where and/or how the Irish coaching staff decides to utilize his skills.
Richard Young
Richard Young, Running Back, Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Lehigh
Brian Smith, Inside The Knights
Height: 6-foot, 204-pounds
School: Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Lehigh
Class: 2023
Recruitment: A true national recruit, Young admitted that the following schools (no order of preference) were the current prime contenders for his college choice: Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia and Ohio State.
Young tentatively plans to visit Alabama on Nov. 20 when the Crimson Tide hosts the Razorbacks from Arkansas. Young could also visit Georgia for the annual rivalry game against Georgia Tech. He’s also taken numerous other college visits, including Ohio State four times.
As for a time table to make a college choice, Young stated, “It won’t be until next year. I’ll probably drop my top five around January or February. Then, official visits of course, sometime in the spring and summer. Then, commit around sometime before football season next year.”
Style of Play
A one-cut running back that provides more than just a powerful body between the tackles, Young’s ability to catch the football and also block make him a well-rounded player, and not just a runner.
His natural physique is heightened by his incredible work ethic. Before turning 16, he squatted 495 pounds. One of those players that coaches do not need to motivate, Young also works hard at the game he loves. He’s consistently learning how to run routes, as well as watching film to help improve his footwork and running back skills.
After seeing Young play last season as well as this year versus Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar, there is not anything that he cannot do as a running back. He’s physically and mentally ready to carry the football 25 times against top competition, and be happy to do so.
He’s best when running his favorite play, inside zone, so he can quickly gauge the defense and make a decision to crease the hole and gain as much north-south yardage as possible; he does not waste steps. With the way Young moves the pile after contact, having his vision and desire to pound on a defense aids him and his team. He wears on defenses with power, but if a hole opens up, Young can definitely hit the hole and be gone. His combination of size and speed are not normal. He’s the prototypical tailback that can be a focal point for an offense at the high school or college level.
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