The 4A Club Midseason Player Rankings: Running Backs
Every four weeks I like to take a look at the landscape of Class 4A football and come up with my own player rankings based on statistics. How I come up with my ratings is a system based on pro-football-reference.com’s…
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Continue ReadingEvery four weeks I like to take a look at the landscape of Class 4A football and come up with my own player rankings based on statistics. How I come up with my ratings is a system based on pro-football-reference.com’s “Approximate Value” system of ratings they use for overall performance during a season. For this article, I’m taking a look at my top 20 Class 4A Running Backs, and as a bonus, I’m going to give out my top 5 Fullbacks here too.
*Stats are up to Week 4*
#1. Dayson Clayton, Fort Dodge, SR – 21.647
Rushing: 107 att, 842 yards, 9 TDs
Receiving: 3 rec, 82 yards, 2 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
Analysis: He’s been a starter all four seasons, but Dayson Clayton hasn’t had this great of a start in either of his previous three campaigns. He’s a bulldozer when he gets the ball, and that showed during the first two weeks, as he would rush for 325 and a school-record 354 yards in back-to-back weeks. Somehow Dayson has zero offers, but with the start he’s had, it should be any moment before a school pulls the trigger and offers him.
#2. Ryan Ostrich Ryan Ostrich 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Cedar Falls | 2021 IA , Cedar Falls, SR – 18.683
Rushing: 104 att, 781 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving: 3 rec, 54 yards, 1 TD
Highest Offers – D-2 (Northern State)
Analysis: Ostrich has had an excellent start to the 2020 season. He’s got very quick acceleration to get through the gaps his o-line makes, and he can break out a well-timed juke or spin to get away from tacklers. Right now he’s got an offer from D-2’s Northern State and D-3’s Loras, but with the performance he’s had so far, you could expect his stock going up and bigger schools calling.
#3. Tucker Langenberg Tucker Langenberg 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Urbandale | 2021 State IA , Urbandale, SR – 11.861
Rushing: 76 att, 721 yards, 11 TDs
Receiving: 2 rec, 41 yards, 1 TD
Highest Offers – FCS (Eastern Illinois, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, Western Illinois)
Analysis: While I initially listed him as a “player to watch” as a linebacker, Tucker Langenberg Tucker Langenberg 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Urbandale | 2021 State IA has emerged as a really good running back too. He isn’t afraid to take a couple of hits if it means getting the first down.
#4. Jaden Koger Jaden Koger 5'8" | 160 lbs | RB Roosevelt | 2021 IA , Des Moines Roosevelt, SR – 11.792
Rushing: 52 att, 409 yards, 7 TDs
Receiving: 9 rec, 69 yards, 1 TD
Highest Offers – JuCo (Iowa Western)
Analysis: While his season is likely over and I can’t tell if he’s looking to transfer elsewhere, Koger’s put up some excellent stats in two games. He’s a very quick and slippery runner who weaves through defenses with ease.
#5. Cain McWilliams Cain McWilliams 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Dubuque | 2021 IA , Dubuque Senior, SR – 10.327
Rushing: 85 att, 502 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving: 10 rec, 40 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – D-2 (Sioux Falls)
Analysis: Cain is a very quick and athletic rusher with great vision to see the holes his line makes. Expect to see some more D-2 schools to come calling by the end of the season.
#6. Colin Kadolph Colin Kadolph 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Ankeny | 2022 State IA , Ankeny, JR – 9.996
Rushing: 33 att, 307 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving: 4 rec, 32 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#7. TJ Hayes, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, SR – 9.632
Rushing: 50 att, 528 yards, 7 TDs
Receiving: 2 rec, 13 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#8. Titus Christiansen Titus Christiansen 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Southeast Polk | 2022 State IA , Southeast Polk, JR – 9.213
Rushing: 69 att, 443 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving: 7 rec, 74 yards, 2 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#9. Nick Pearson Nick Pearson 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Prairie | 2021 IA , Prairie, SR – 8.702
Rushing: 59 att, 473 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving: 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#10. Kael Kolarik, Indianola, JR – 7.071
Rushing: 71 att, 306 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving: 5 rec, 10 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#11. Caden Kipper, Pleasant Valley, SR – 6.960
Rushing: 59 att, 483 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving: 1 rec, 20 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#12. Kyler Peterson, Sioux City East, SR – 6.275
Rushing: 48 att, 245 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: 8 rec, 96 yards, 2 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#13. Trey King Jr., Iowa City West, SR – 6.015
Rushing: 23 att, 175 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving: 5 rec, 57 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#14. Alex Linquist Alex Linquist 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Waukee | 2021 IA , Waukee, SR – 5.320 (incomplete stats)
Rushing: 85 att, 436 yards, 0 TDs
Receiving: 5 rec, 33 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#15. Jayden Williams Jayden Williams 5'11" | RB Heritage Hall | 2021 OK , Valley, SR – 4.995
Rushing: 59 att, 198 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving: 3 rec, 64 yards, 1 TDs
Committed – Kansas State (1/31/20)
#16. Josh Jenkins, Des Moines Lincoln, JR – 4.448
Rushing: 24 att, 147 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: 1 rec, 35 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – NAIA (MidAmerica Nazarine, Northwestern State)
#17. Aidan Lovan, Des Moines Lincoln, JR – 4.352
Rushing: 14 att, 77 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: 2 rec, 87 yards, 1 TD
Highest Offers – N/A
#18. Malik Haynes, Marshalltown, SR – 4.220
Rushing: 51 att, 351 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – NAIA (Graceland)
#19. Zach Schwager, Dowling, SR – 4.148
Rushing: 59 att, 264 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving: 2 rec, 12 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
#20. Kie Glosser, Ottumwa, SR – 3.971
Rushing: 66 att, 321 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: 2 rec, 13 yards, 0 TDs
Highest Offers – N/A
Top 5 Fullbacks
#1. Jaden Harrell Jaden Harrell 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Urbandale | 2021 State IA , Urbandale, SR – 6.079
6’3, 230 lbs
Rushing: 36 att, 282 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving: 5 rec, 32 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 295 YPG
Committed – Iowa (7/28/19)
#2. Patrick Landeros, Marshalltown, SR – 3.255
Rushing: 40 att, 246 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: 1 rec, 9 yards, 1 TD
Team Rushing YPG: 171.25 YPG
Highest Offers – D-3 (Hamline, Simpson)
#3. Nolan Recker, Muscatine, JR – 2.301
6’3, 215 lbs
Rushing: 0 att, 0 yards, 0 TDs
Receiving: 6 rec, 68 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 219.25 YPG
Highest Offers – N/A
#4. Ethan Breyfogle, Sioux City East, SR – 2.058
6’2, 208 lbs
Rushing: 0 att, 0 yards, 0 TDs
Receiving: 6 rec, 68 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 104.75 YPG
Highest Offers – N/A
#5. Cale Gochenour, Dowling, JR – 1.427
6’1, 220 lbs
Rushing: 0 att, 0 yards, 0 TDs
Receiving: 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 110.75 YPG
Highest Offers – N/A