The Top Five Running Backs for the Class of 2023
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Zaccheus Cooper Zaccheus Cooper 5'11" | 195 lbs | RB Saguaro | 2023 State AZ is a 5-11, 195 pound running back at Liberty High School in Peoria. He was selected as Honorable Mention All 6A Region as a freshman.…
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Continue ReadingZaccheus Cooper Zaccheus Cooper 5'11" | 195 lbs | RB Saguaro | 2023 State AZ is a 5-11, 195 pound running back at Liberty High School in Peoria. He was selected as Honorable Mention All 6A Region as a freshman. He missed the first part of this season with a broken foot but came back to post four consecutive 100-yard games. Zach missed Liberty winning the State Championship because of a leg injury. In seven games as a freshman, he ran for 669 yards and an average of 8.0 yards per carry. As a sophomore, he rushed for 461 yards and 4.4 yards per carry. His two-year total of 1,130 yards also includes 31 receptions as a sophomore. In a total of 16 games his first two years, he has 1,589 all-purpose yards.
Zach was selected as Second Team All-State as a sophomore. The Daily Independent selected him to the 2020 All West Valley Prep team and one of a few underclassmen to watch over the next two seasons. His 40-yard dash time is 4.54 and he can bench press 250, squat 385, and complete a bench press of 185 pounds five times. Zach has incredible acceleration and moves, a strong skill set, and is explosive with the football. As he begins to enter his junior year, he has one offer from the University of New Mexico. More are certainly on the way.
Kavaughn Clark Kavaughn Clark 5'8" | 180 lbs | RB Centennial | 2023 State AZ is a 5-8, 180-pound running back for the Centennial High School Coyotes in Peoria. As a sophomore, he ran for 968 yards, an average of 7.9 yards per carry, averaged 107.6 yards per game, and scored 11 touchdowns. Kavaughn also had five games with more than 100 yards rushing and totaled 1009 all-purpose yards. He was named to the All-State offensive second team and First Team All-West Valley team.
The Arizona Cardinals named Kavaughn the Player of the Week in mid-November when he ran for 284 yards and four touchdowns against Chaparral High School. With the score tied at 28 in the fourth quarter, he ran for two scores – 20 and 86 yards – to give Centennial a 42-28 win. His brother Kieran plays for the University of Nevada and the Wolf Pack recently offered Kavaughn a full scholarship. He continues to break tackles and run away from safeties. With two years remaining in high school, there will be plenty of additional college offers.
Isaac Stopke Isaac Stopke 6'0" | 215 lbs | RB Lake Havasu | 2023 State AZ is a 6 foot, 215-pound running back for the Lake Havasu High School Knights. He has been selected as the premier running back in the state for the class of 2023. He has size, speed, balance, and great vision. Isaac ran for 1,113 yards as a sophomore and had three games where he rushed for over 200 yards. He was selected as one of 20 outstanding sophomores as well as being First Team 4A All-Region. ArizonaVarsity.com also selected Isaac as the Offensive Underclassman of the Year and a finalist for the 2020 Running Back of the Year award.
Playing for Coach Karl Thompson, the Knights made the playoffs last fall for the first time since 2015. They lost, though, in the play-in round. Isaac has a reach of seven feet, four inches, and a wingspan of five feet, six inches. He was timed at 4.8 in the forty-yard dash, can bench press 295, squat 405, and clean 235. He also can bench press 165 pounds a total of 15 times. His vertical jump is 31.5 inches. With two years left of high school eligibility, Isaac has a very high ceiling with big play ability.
Damian Giles is a 5-8, 180-pound running back and defensive back for Cactus High School in Glendale. The Cobras finished last season 8-3, losing a heartbreaker in the 4A State Championship Game against Mesquite, 39-38. It was Cactus’ first title game since 2011. Damian rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns in the game although the Cobras lost. For the season, he rushed for 800 yards, 80 yards per game, an average of 7.3 yards per carry, and eight touchdowns. He completed the season with 916 all-purpose yards as a sophomore..
Playing for Head coach Joseph Ortiz, the Cobras should be loaded for the 2021 season. Cactus averaged 36.5 points per game last fall with many players coming back to the offensive side of the ball. Damian was selected for the All-West Valley Second Team Offense and was a finalist for the ArizonaVarsity.com Offensive Underclassman of the Year. Approaching his junior season, Damian should be hearing from colleges as he prepares to play at the next level.
Cooper Zellner Cooper Zellner 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Gilbert | 2023 State AZ is a 5-9, 160-pound running back and middle linebacker for Gilbert High School. His father, Derek is the Head Coach at Gilbert and his brother, Wayne, is a senior linebacker on the team. Last fall, as a sophomore, Cooper ran for 246 yards, an average of 5.3 yards per carry and just over 35 yards per game. He also had 14 receptions and a total of 381 all-purpose yards. In his first game as a sophomore, Cooper was selected as Player of the Game against Millennium. He carried 18 times for 153 yards and a touchdown but strained his shoulder and had to miss the next few games.
Cooper can bench press 225 pounds, squat 355, and clean 240. He also carries a 4.2 GPA. About him, one scout said, “…he has relentless effort, very coachable with high character. He has a strong work ethic in the classroom, the weight room, and both on and off the field.” He will only continue to get better as he approaches his junior year.