National Powerhouse Predicted to Land College Football's No. 3 RB Amid Intense Battle

One of the best running backs in America could land at a college football powerhouse in a move that would shake up the recruiting rankings this cycle.

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One of the last of the uncommitted among the best running backs in the 2027 college football recruiting class is getting closer to his commitment, and one SEC powerhouse program appears to be well out in front in a contest that includes four other notable contenders.

Four-star Richmond (Tex.) running back Landen Williams-Callis has narrowed his interest to an elite group of Power Four schools, but one expert projection says he will almost certainly land with a team considered one of the favorites for the SEC championship this season.

Where the No. 3 RB is trending now

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Right now, it appears Texas is the favorite to ultimately earn Williams-Callis’ eventual commitment, according to a new projection from Rivals insider Sam Spiegelman.

Texas has been making considerable headway with the recruit recently, and took “a significant step forward” in recent days that “changed the trajectory of his recruitment,” coming out of what appears to be a very successful visit in mid-June, Spiegelman said.

That runs in line with the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine metric, which favors the Longhorns by an overwhelming 94 percent likelihood, although those numbers have been known to change, especially among higher-profile prospects.

Texas has two No. 1 recruits at their respective positions, as top ranked cornerback John Meredith and five-star wide receiver Easton Royal have pledged to its 2027 class, but Steve Sarkisian is still awaiting a blue-chip acquisition at the running back spot.

What other schools are in play?

LSU offered Williams-Callis in late December, and he took an official visit to Baton Rouge in April that lasted a few days, taking pictures in the Tigers uniform and earning a place in his list of 10 finalists.

The running back also has a longstanding offer from Texas A&M and its No. 1 recruiting class on the table, making unofficial vists to the program and an official last month, emerging as a legitimate contender in the conversation for the top-five back.

SMU and Oregon round out the five schools getting the most attention from Williams-Callis, both receiving visits from the prospect that were described as productive, and earning a place high in his thinking as he built relationships with positional coaches at each school.

A very elite RB prospect

Landen Williams-Callis/X

Williams-Callis immediately emerged as one of the most promising rushing talents in the nation in the 2027 cycle, earning consideration as the consensus No. 3 running back in the country, according to an industry weighted average of expert recruiting opinion.

An explosive back with elite straight line speed, the Randle (Tex.) prospect has over 7,500 career rushing yards and stacked up 133 touchdowns to date over three varsity seasons, being named Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a result.

Williams-Callis’ junior season was historic, rushing for 3,502 yards and scoring 59 times with more than 12 yards per attempt and 222 yards per game, finishing with just under 3,100 all purpose yards when combining his receiving output.

(Rivals)