Running back prospects for '05 & '06

Buckskin86 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-03-2003, 10:42 PM

There seems to be quite a few good ones in Ohio and a few in PA that we might have interest- Here is a start at a list.

'05

Javon Ringer - Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, 5-foot-11, 204-pound junior , he supposedly ran a 10.6 100 meter dash. Ringer won a state powerlifting meet with a 500-pound deadlift, 500-pound squat and 280-pound bench press.
Javon became only the second running back in Miami Valley high school football history to rack up 2,000 yards rushing for two straight seasons.

Entering his last playoff game he had accumulated 2,158 yards rushing yards. Last season he wound up with 2,028 yards rushing in 15 games.

Ryan Brinson - Canton McKinley, 5-foot-9, 168-pound junior, in the spring earned All-Ohio honors on McKinley’s 400-meter relay team. Ryan gained 1,234 yards on just 153 carries last season, making him Stark County’s top returning rusher. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns. Eight of his TD runs were of at least 40 yards.

Brinson recorded his second 1,000-yard rushing season in a row, finishing the 2003 season with 1,158 yards on 168 attempts.

Justin King - Gateway , PA (already offered by tOSU), 6-foot, 178-pound King is one of the best juniors in Pennsylvania. King is a sprinter on the track team at Gateway, but his coach said he's not a track athlete who just happens to play football. After last winter spent dedicated to weight training -- he bench-presses 315 pounds.

He has learned to combine his lateral quickness -- he ran a 3.72-second 20-yard shuttle at the Nike Training Camp (which tied the all time fastest pro agility test ever recorded at Nike-- with his breakaway speed in the 40 (4.29). This kid ran a faster 40 than Ginn at PSU Nike.

This seasons stats before the start of playoffs- Justin King rewrote the school's record book with 25 touchdowns and 1,409 rushing yards- leading rusher in the WPIAL- same league as Andrew Johnson.

Justin King scored four touchdowns in the first half and gained 253 yards on 17 carries to lead the Gators to their first playoff win Friday and will Andrew Johnson's team next.

Tyrell Sutton - Akron Hoban, the 5-foot-9, 181-pound junior, he ran a 4.38,Sutton concluded the regular season with 2,355 yards.
Tyrell Sutton had 166 rushing on 24 carries with 2 TD runs including a 57-yard touchdown run in Hoban first playoff game Friday but lost.

'06

Chris Wells - Akron Garfield, sophomore, thats 6'1-2" and about 210. He runs a high 4.5.

LeSean McCoy - Bishop McDevitt PA (same school as Ricky Watters), 5-11, 200-pound back, He has now rushed for 2,355 yards and 25 touchdowns in 244 carries for the season.

CleveBucks · #2 (**permalink**) 11-04-2003, 02:24 AM

Very good list.. I agree, this area seems to be loaded with great RB's in the next couple years.

A fairly reliable poster on another OSU board stated that he talked to a member of Ringer's family, and supposedly Javon is high on OSU and is hoping for an offer fairly soon. I think it will come before this LOI day. Javon has a great blend of size, power, and speed, and his vision is great as well.

Sutton has eye-popping numbers. Personally, I've never seen him play, so I can't attest to his strengths. Some say his size may be a little bit of a detriment, but it's hard to tell how big a HS player will be when he hits college. Regardless, he'll be highly recruited as well, along with a couple of his OL's. Ask HobanQB04 over on BN.

Brinson has had a little bit quieter of a year. I've heard he's really pretty small. That might keep him from getting the big time offers. Not saying he will not turn out to be a great one, but he doesn't have the ideal size of a RB at the moment.

King may be PA's top HS player next year. He is supposedly high on PSU, with OSU right behind. He is supposed to be just as good of a DB as RB. You can bet OSU will go hard after him. Being from the western part of PA, you have to think OSU's chances are better than with those in the central/SE part of PA.

McCoy is already being hyped as the best runner to come out of PA in years. I believe he also plays in the big-school division, so he is most likely facing some very good competition. I have not heard which teams he is looking at, but it's obviously very early.

Wells really turned a lot of heads this year. He played on an average team and also had to split time with 2 other decent RB's. His potential due to his size alone (he's only 15 years old) will turn heads.

BuckNutty · #3 (**permalink**) 11-04-2003, 09:53 AM

Good news on Ringer wanting an OSU offer. After reading Gary's article on Wells you gotta think it's just a matter of time before he's a Buckeye. To be that size at 15 is unbelievable. I would worry about him outgrowing the position. I suppose time will tell. Sutton may be undersized but that's never stopped guys like Fred Russell and Anthony Davis.

I know Duane isn't too high on Brinson being a running back in college. The last kid I remember Duane saying wasn't going to be a great college back is Maurice Hall and we know how that turned out.

It would be nice to get in on the 2 PA kids. With Austin Scott already in Happy Valley I wonder if they get both, especially with the way their recruiting has been going. The good news for us is the RB position is definitely about to be upgraded. Now if we can just land a few guys to clear the way for them...

diehardbuckeye · #4 (**permalink**) 11-04-2003, 11:12 AM

This is a nice list to start especially remembering that it is only OH and 2 in PA. You can always count on at 2 from OOS that are high on OSU. I do wonder though with Haw already in for next year and doesn't O'Neal or Lane can't remember which already looking to be a RB? Not certain on that though. But the KEY is going to be finding someone to pave the way for them both in the front 5 and the FB positions.

BuckNutty · #5 (**permalink**) 11-04-2003, 11:29 AM

Some say Lane is too small to be a RB and Ohio State is bringing him in as a corner. Lane needs to be a return man, IMO. Unbelieveable speed, vision and balance. I'm not sure O'Neal projects as a RB. He's such a good hitter you'd think he ends up at safety or linebacker if he adds weight.

Haw is coming in as a RB as well as Antonio Pittman. I was really impressed with Pittman's video. Speed kills and Pittman and Haw have it to burn. I like Dionte Johnson at FB. If he's half the lead blocker Jamar Martin was I'd be happy. The key is the O-line. We look to be solid everywhere else.

Buckskin86 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-04-2003, 01:40 PM

The guy I want to get in on is that LeSean McCoy. I have a very good friend that has seen him, Justin King and Andrew Johnson this year and says McCoy is the best.
An opposing coach commented that McCoy is better now at 15 than Austin Scott and Kevin Jones were as seniors. He has been compared to Tony Dorsett. His numbers for a sophmore are flat out amazing and Bishop McDevitt is a big school. So he is playing good competition. That is the same school that Ricky Watters came from.

From the sounds of it Justin King is probably a PSU lean but it is a good sign that we have offered already. He is the leading rusher in the WPIAL not Andrew Johnson who tOSU was in the running for.

Duane seems really high on Chris Wells- I really like the idea of getting a big bruiser. Do you guys think he grows too much to be a back at tOSU? He sounds like a tOSU lean.

Clevebucks- thanks for the info on Ringer- he sounds very special. I agree Nutty- Brinson seems like the 3rd choice compared to Ringer and Sutton for "05.

Let's add to the list- even with kids from other states if we think they are tOSU material.

CleveBucks · #7 (**permalink**) 11-05-2003, 01:53 AM

With Wells, the sky is the limit to how much he'll grow. Wasn't Dru (RIP) a freak of nature as far as his physical build? Some thought he would completely outgrow the RB position as well. You never know how a kid will grow when he's only 15. There aren't many 15 year olds in the country with the build of Wells. He could end up being a 6-3 240 DE for all anybody knows.

By the way, I thought I read that Wells had an older brother (a year older maybe?). Any info on him?

With the PA kids (especially King), you have to like that Pitt is a part of this new Big Least/CUSA hybrid. It definitely can't hurt a school like OSU that has so much more to offer than playing Uconn, Rutgers, Cincy, and Louisville every year.