Time for more recruiting.
Given that this is a site focused on the Heisman Trophy, we thought it appropriate that we focus on the positions that can actually win the award. And, so, we’ve endeavored to rank the top quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers from the 2012 class on a scale of 1 to 5. At the end, we’ll rank all 99 prospects regardless of position. Later, we’ll rank the top classes overall and list the fastest players in the country. I’m confident that these evaluations will be the best you’ll get anywhere on the internet.
Earlier this week, we published HP’s top 33 quarterbacks for 2012. Now, it’s time to reveal the top 33 running backs for this year’s recruiting class. Full list after the jump…
Texas is getting the nation's No. 1 back
| Rank | Name | Size | Hometown (High School) | College Choice | HP Grade | Comment |
| 1 | Johnathan Gray | 5-11, 190 | Aledo, TX (Aledo) | Texas | 5.00 | Physical freak who has it all: Speed, size, power, vision, hands...and magic. |
| 2 | Russel Shell | 6-0, 210 | Aliquippa, PA (Hopewell) | Pittsburgh | 4.92 | Excellent every-down back with speed, power and durability. |
| 3 | Bri'onte Dunn | 6-2, 215 | Canton, OH (Glenoak) | Ohio State | 4.80 | The premier power back in this class. Great feet for a big man. |
| 4 | Keith Marshall | 5-11, 190 | Raleigh, NC (Millbrook) | Georgia | 4.72 | Nifty back with breakaway speed and good hands. |
| 5 | Mario Pender | 6-0, 190 | Cape Coral, FL (Island Coast) | Florida State | 4.65 | Physical specimen who has huge upside. |
| 6 | T.J. Yeldon | 6-1, 210 | Daphne, AL (Daphne) | Alabama | 4.62 | Big, athletic back who reminds us of Harvey Williams. |
| 7 | Trey Williams | 5-8, 180 | Houston, TX (Dekaney) | Texas A&M | 4.60 | Squat back with outstanding balance and power...and underrated speed. |
| 8 | Brian Kimbrow | 5-7, 165 | Memphis, TN (East) | Vanderbilt | 4.55 | Little bundle of magic. Can stop and start on a dime. |
| 9 | Randy Johnson | 5-9, 180 | Miami, FL (Norland) | Miami (Fla) | 4.54 | Decisive runner who can take it the distance at any time. |
| 10 | Barry Sanders, Jr. | 5-10, 190 | Oklahoma City, OK (Heritage Hall) | Stanford | 4.50 | Balance, vision and cutback ability is just like you-know-who. |
| 11 | Robert Lewis | 5-10, 160 | Southgate, CA (Southeast) | Washington State | 4.45 | Under-sized uber-talent with nice speed, vision. |
| 12 | Wes Brown | 6-0, 200 | Olney, MD (Our Lady) | Maryland | 4.45 | Well-built back with good hips and forward lean. Can do it all. |
| 13 | Todd Gurley | 6-0, 205 | Tarboro, NC (Tarboro) | Georgia | 4.40 | Great athlete with lots of upside. Ran a 10.71 100m. |
| 14 | Jovon Robinson | 6-0, 215 | Memphis, TN (Wooddale) | Auburn | 4.35 | Big bruiser with good speed for his size. |
| 15 | B.J. Catalon | 5-8, 190 | Houston, TX (Westside) | TCU | 4.30 | Low-to-the ground runner who can take it downtown. |
| 16 | Mike Davis | 5-10, 200 | Stone Mountain, GA (Stephenson) | South Carolina | 4.25 | Good blend of size and speed. Can move the chains. |
| 17 | Warren Ball | 6-1, 205 | Columbus, OH (St. Francis) | Ohio State | 4.10 | Smooth, determined runner with surprising power. |
| 18 | Dami Ayoola | 5-9, 201 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas) | Illinois | 4.05 | Tough runner with big-play ability. |
| 19 | Daniel Brooks | 5-9, 179 | Rockdale, TX (Calhoun) | Oklahoma | 4.00 | Shifty scatback who should also contribute on returns. |
| 20 | Akeel Lynch | 6-1, 205 | Athol Springs, NY (St. Francis) | Penn State | 3.97 | Consistent every-down back with good hands. |
| 21 | Byron Marshall | 5-10, 195 | San Jose, CA (Valley Christian) | Oregon | 3.95 | Speed merchant who can turn the corner and break pursuit angles. |
| 22 | Ryan McDaniel | 5-11, 225 | Torrance, CA (North) | Washington | 3.90 | Pure power back with good cutback ability and solid speed. |
| 23 | Kenyan Drake | 6-1, 195 | Powder Springs, GA (Hillgrove) | Alabama | 3.87 | Tall, lean, one-cut-and-go running back with good upside. |
| 24 | Tarien Owens | 5-8, 165 | Pasadena, CA (Muir) | UCLA | 3.85 | Elusive water bug who will also shine on punts and kicks. |
| 25 | Malin Jones | 6-2, 215 | Joliet, IL (Catholic Academy) | Northwestern | 3.80 | Well-rounded back with subtle quickness and vision. |
| 26 | Dennis Northfleet | 5-7, 170 | Detroit, MI (MLK) | Michigan | 3.75 | Sleeper back who reminds us a lot of Darren Sproles. |
| 27 | Morgan Steward | 5-11, 185 | Kansas City, MO (Staley) | Missouri | 3.70 | Smooth runner who should shine for the Tigers. |
| 28 | Davien Payne | 5-11, 210 | Perris, CA (Citrus Hill) | Colorado | 3.65 | Physical workhorse who is always falling forward. |
| 29 | Matt Jones | 6-3, 225 | Sefner, FL (Armwood) | Florida | 3.60 | Massive prospect who could end up at linebacker. |
| 30 | Dionte Buckley | 5-8, 190 | Indianapolis, IN (Warren Central) | Cincinnati | 3.55 | Strong inside runner who gets a lot of yards after contact. |
| 31 | Alex Ross | 6-1, 205 | Jenks, OK (Jenks) | Oklahoma | 3.50 | Patient runner with good size and decent speed. |
| 32 | Torry Clayton | 5-8, 194 | Homestead, FL (South Dade) | West Virginia | 3.45 | Good balance and quick feet adds up to another dynamic Mountaineer back. |
| 33 | Jaylen Walton | 5-8, 170 | Memphis, TN (Ridgeway) | Ole Miss | 3.30 | All-purpose back who can change direction on a dime. |
HP!!!!!
Great list. My personal favs: Robert Lewis (could be a very intersting player for Leach, if he goes there) and TJ Yeldon (I’m not a great, big fan of Eddie Lacy, so I think Yeldon get a chance at a fair amoutn of PT).
Not to veer too far from the list, but what do you think about Nelson Agholor at TB? I know a lot of services peg him as a WR or DB, but he played [I may be wrong] TB at Berkley Prep. He’s a really interesting kid, but his compeition…I dunno.
Great list; much appreciated.
Mark