Year of the Running Back Holds True to the Hype
Most recruiting experts have known the running back group in the 2011 class in the state of Texas would be a special group of players. TheOldCoach.com recruiting analysts predicted a bumper crop of running backs would sign with FBS schools. The final tally is an astounding 40 running backs signed with FBS schools.
The headliners of this class of running back are Rivals.com five star recruits Malcolm Brown out of Cibolo Steele just north of San Antonio and Brandon Williams from Brookshire Royal which is just west of Houston. The two superstars signed with Big 12 rivals as Brown inked with Texas and Williams went north of the Red River to Oklahoma.
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The premiere edition of THE OLD COACH FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL magazine highlighted "The Year of the Running Back," and featured Brown along with four star talents Herschel Sims from Abilene who committed to Oklahoma State and San Antonio Madison's Aaron Green who is headed to Nebraska.
As usual the state of Texas has big time talents at running back and there's no question the four listed above have had plenty written about them, but the real key to this class has been the depth.
From the Red River, down to San Antonio, from points east to west, the state was loaded with guys who have the ability to break open a game at any moment. Our records only go back to the class of 2002 but this group is the deepest group to come out of Texas since 2005 when 39 backs inked with Division 1-A programs.
Of course the in state schools got their fair share of the talent as Texas Tech landed three backs, Texas, Baylor and North Texas landed a pair, while Houston, SMU and Texas A&M landed one back each.
The out of state schools got their fair share as well with Oklahoma taking a pair of backs along with California, West Virginia and Tulsa. The service academies even landed some Texas talent with Army and Air Force landing a back.
Schools who normally don't go into Texas much for recruiting even dipped into the Texas talent pool as Illinois picked up Katy's Donovonn Young, Memphis landed Dallas Wilson's Carl Harris and Pittsburgh landed Gladewater speedster Corey Davis.
Not all of these backs will wind up playing running back at the next level, one example is Austin McCallum's Michael Sorrells (Tulsa) who could wind up at a number of positions or back at running back.
Arlington Martin's Danzel Williams who signed with Oklahoma and LaPorte's Anthony Webb who has signed with Baylor could also switch positions.
Below is the list of running backs from the state of Texas who signed with FBS programs on Wednesday:
Malcolm Brown, Cibolo Steele; TEXAS
Brandon Williams, Brookshire Royal; OKLAHOMA
Herschel Sims, Abilene; OKLAHOMA STATE
Aaron Green, San Antonio Madison; NEBRASKA
B.J. Allen, Tatum; BAYLOR
Danzel Williams, Arlington Martin; OKLAHOMA
Kenny Williams, Pflugerville Hendrickson; TEXAS TECH
DeAndre Washington, Fort Bend Hightower; TEXAS TECH
Daniel Lasco, The Woodlands; CALIFORNIA
Bradley Marquez, Odessa; TEXAS TECH
Joe Bergeron, North Mesquite; TEXAS
Jarrell Oliver, Fort Bend Dulles; UTAH
K.C. Nlemchi, Katy Cinco Ranch; SMU
Jay Ajayi, Frisco Liberty; BOISE STATE
Jermichael Selders, Cypress Creek; BAYLOR
Tra Carson, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau; OREGON
Damon Bullock, Mansfield; IOWA
Xavier Williams, Carrollton Ranchview; UTEP
Davon Riddick, Abilene Cooper; COLORADO STATE
Darren Ervin, Houston Lamar CALIFORNIA
Kenneth Farrow, Hurst Bell; HOUSTON
Devontae McNeal, Quitman; LOUISIANA-MONROE
Desmond Roland, Richardson Lake Highlands; OKLAHOMA STATE
Corey Davis, Gladewater; PITTSBURGH
Donovonn Young, Katy; ILLINOIS
Storm Woods, Pflugerville; OREGON STATE
Treyvon Green, Rowlett; NORTHWESTERN
Will Randolph, Copperas Cove; TEXAS A&M
Dustin Garrison, Pearland; WEST VIRGINIA
Cam McDaniel, Coppell; NOTRE DAME
Lamarse Lafayette, Daingerfield; AIR FORCE
Zach Whitfield, Sherman; NORTH TEXAS
Carl Harris, Dallas Wilson; MEMPHIS
Antoinne Jimmerson, DeSoto; NORTH TEXAS
Anthony Webb. LaPorte; BAYLOR
Ja'Quail Haskins, Killeen; ARMY
Michael Sorrells, Austin McCallum; TULSA
Kody Sutton, Texarkana Texas; WYOMING
Doug Gentry, Mexia; PURDUE
Erick Evans, Seagoville; AIR FORCE
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TOC Senior Analyst
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