2023 Running Backs Breakdown
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! We’ve updated our 2023 prospect rankings with the Top 50 sophomores in Oklahoma. You can check out the complete rankings RIGHT HERE. Right now, we’re taking a…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!
We’ve updated our 2023 prospect rankings with the Top 50 sophomores in Oklahoma. You can check out the complete rankings RIGHT HERE. Right now, we’re taking a look and putting a spotlight on five running backs who find themselves in the rankings. In our Top 50, we have seven total running backs currently ranked. We’ve been putting out content over the last few days on this 2023 class. For more than just positional breakdowns, you can check out these breakdowns on Newcomers and Stock Risers. Stay dialed into Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 2023 content to be dropping over the course of the next few days!
La’Trell Ray La’Trell Ray 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Choctaw | 2023 State OK – Choctaw (#39 Overall)
La’Trell is definitely the smallest out of the 2023 RB bunch at 5’9″ 165 pounds, but he makes up for his lack of size with speed, explosion, and versatility. Ray has some of the best stop/start acceleration in the class across all positions, and while he is not a dancer by any means, Ray has a unique ability to change directions on the fly without losing balance or speed in the open field. Ray also saw an increasing role in the passing game as the season went on so expect him to be a legit dual-threat out of the backfield in 2021. Regardless of his size, La’Trell has already proven that he can produce at a high level of competition with his speed and versatility that make him at least a dangerous change of pace type back at the next level with the potential to become an every-down back if he can bulk up and add some more functional strength to his game over the next two seasons.
Casmen Hill Casmen Hill 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB Chandler | 2023 State OK – Chandler (#35 Overall)
Next on our list was one of the most productive backs in all of Oklahoma in 2020, Casmen Hill Casmen Hill 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB Chandler | 2023 State OK . Hill ran for over 2000 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020 thanks to his blend of speed, balance, and instincts. Hill’s running style reminds me a bit of fellow 2023 back Jaiden Carroll Jaiden Carroll 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Jenks | 2023 State OK but perhaps with a little bit more shift on tape rather than the one-cut style that Carroll often displays. Hill is excellent at following blocks and then cutting back to green grass at the second level where he can run around, over, or through defenders with his agility and contact balance. Casmen was also one of the better kick returners in the state this year where he effortlessly weaved in and out of traffic, virtually untouched at times. Hill caught a few passes out of the backfield in 2020 but was not a huge contributor through the air. With his current skillset, Hill has the chance to jump into the top 25 in this class if he can gain a more prominent role as a receiver in 2021.
Emmanuel Crawford Emmanuel Crawford 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Grove | 2023 State OK – Grove (#16 Overall)
La’Trell Ray La’Trell Ray 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Choctaw | 2023 State OK has great stop and start acceleration and Casmen Hill Casmen Hill 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB Chandler | 2023 State OK is smooth as butter in and out of his cuts, but few if any running backs in this class have the type of pure speed that Emmanuel Crawford Emmanuel Crawford 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Grove | 2023 State OK does. Crawford is a true one-cut runner who likes to put his foot in the ground and simply outrun the defense when he sees a hole, however, he has shown the ability to make defenders miss at the second level with some nice moves from time to time. In the passing game, Grove uses Crawford and his soft, natural hands quite often as both a security check-down option and deep down the field on wheels and go routes. With his speed and receiving abilities, Crawford is currently a fringe division 1 prospect right now in our eyes who could easily take out that fringe part if he can take the next step with his vision and balance in 2021.
Rickey Hunt Jr Rickey Hunt Jr 6'0" | 175 lbs | RB Millwood | 2023 State OK – Millwood (#14 Overall)
Hunt had a bit of an odd year in 2020 as he took a large portion of his offensive snaps at QB because Millwood did not have much depth at the position and decided to simply stick their best athlete under center. Hunt still managed to run for over 1200 yards despite opposing defenses knowing he was going to carry the ball on most plays, and he showed some impressive moves in the open field while doing so. He is not the burner that some of the other backs in this class are, but he is the most powerful for sure as he was hardly ever brought down by arm tackles and showcased a nasty stiff arm on multiple occasions to get defenders off him. Hunt already holds an offer from Iowa State and should receive a lot more offers as he becomes less of an athlete and more of a true running back.
Erik McCarty Erik McCarty 6'2" | 175 lbs | DB McAlester | 2023 State OK – McAlester (#9 Overall)
All throughout the 2020 season, I kept hearing about a sophomore back out of McAlester who was tearing up 5A and had the potential to be something special. After seeing Erik McCarty Erik McCarty 6'2" | 175 lbs | DB McAlester | 2023 State OK in person at Bishop McGuinness in the 5A semifinals, I knew that he was already a special back. McCarty ran for nearly 2000 yards and over 30 TDs this season for the Buffaloes and very well could have won our 5A Player of the year award had it not been for Luke Tarman Luke Tarman 6'2" | ATH Bishop McGuinness | 2021 State OK ‘s incredible season. Aside from his ridiculous production, McCarty also has most, if not all, of the tools and traits that D1 coaches look for in an RB. At 6’2″ 175 pounds, he has the size and strength to carry a heavy workload and bash between the tackles each week, the agility to make defenders miss in the open field, and he also has the straight-line speed and acceleration to leave defenders in the dust and take away angles. After just one season as a full-time starter, Erik McCarty Erik McCarty 6'2" | 175 lbs | DB McAlester | 2023 State OK looks like the total package at running back and he has barely scratched the surface of his receiving and return abilities. Be on the lookout for a plethora of offers to come McCarty’s way after schools across the country have a chance to catch up on film and see what he can do.