| |  | | Tom Lemming |
In the annals of high school football, 1999 will not be remembered as the year of the running back. This season is similar to last, in which there were a couple of super prospects and a much larger number of potential supers.
This year's class of RB prospects doesn't compare to 1994's senior class, which produced such All-Americans as Kevin Faulk, Ahman Green, Shaun Alexander, Autry Denson, James Jackson, Aaron Harris, De'Mond Parker, Rondell Mealey, and future Heisman winner Ricky Williams, as well as great two-way backs such as Charles Woodson, Daylon McCutcheon, R.W. McQuarters, and Rob Konrad. In the 20 years I've been writing the Prep Football Report, there has been no year quite like 1994 for running backs.
In the class of '99, there are a number of backs who can fly but not many who combine size, speed, vision, power and instincts. Right now, the nation's top back is Marcus Houston, a 6-2, 200-pounder from Denver, Colo.. This Jefferson High standout is a big-play back who is a constant threat to break a game wide open with his long runs. He's had a couple of runs of more than 70 yards in his prep career, showing slashing speed and terrific strength. He is a fluid athlete with great balance and terrific moves. His older brother by two years, Lovell Houston, is a former prep All-American at DB. Another strength is his 3.6 GPA, and he has already scored a 920 on the SAT. At this stage Houston is looking at UCLA, Texas, Colorado, Notre Dame and Michigan.
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Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's magazine, newsletters and website, log on to www.prepfootballreport.com. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission. |
Our No. 2 back is Willis McGahee, a 6-1, 215-pounder with blazing speed and great strength. The Miami, Fla., native, who plays for Central High, has really come into his own during the '99 season. He is a fluid runner who has some moves and exceptional body control. He rushed for 1,004 yards and 15 TDs in '98 and is on a pace to double those figures this year. He has averaged close to 8 yards per carry in his prep career. An academic qualifier, he finished 9th in state in the 100 meters in track with a time of 10.7. He has already officially visited Ohio State and is also looking at Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and Miami.
After Houston and McGahee, there is a bit of a drop-off, not so much in talent, but in the consensus opinion of college coaches. Our No. 3 back is Derick Arnold, a 6-1, 222-pounder from Houston, Tex., who has been an extremely productive prep back. As a junior he rushed for over 2,300 yards and 32 TDs on 326 carries. His GPA is marginal and that could be the reason why some schools are not recruiting him as heavily as others. Arnold is currently looking at Nebraska, Arizona, Michigan and Arkansas.
Our No. 4 back is the nation's top fullback prospect, Dustin Picciotti, a 6-3, 238-pounder with 4.5 speed from Doylestown, Pa. He plays for Central Bucks West, one of the more successful high school football programs in the state. As a junior Picciotti rushed for over 2,000 yards and scored 41 TDs. He benches 380 pounds and is the most recruited ball player in the state of Pennsylvania. Right now his favorite schools are Syracuse, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin and Penn State.
Ranked No. 5 is Tyrell Dortch, a 5-11, 195-pounder from the hometown of Frank Sinatra, Hoboken, N.J. This productive and strong back has already set up visits with Michigan State and Michigan and is also looking at North Carolina State, Florida and South Carolina.
The No. 6 back is another Lone Star State standout, Vontez Duff (6-0, 185) from Copperas Cove. As a junior he rushed for 2,218 yards and 26 TDs, proving to be a quick-to-the-hole back who can cut on a dime. As of October, Duff says he is interested in Notre Dame, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Kansas and Colorado.
In the No. 7 slot is Albert Hollis of Sacramento, Calif., the most recruited back on the West Coast. This super-fast, strong and agile back also shows a great pair of hands. He has backed off a bit from his early commitment to UCLA in March and has now set up visits with Georgia and Michigan and is also looking at Notre Dame, USC, Nebraska and Cal.
No. 8 is Willie Green (5-9, 200) of Kissimmee, Fla., the only junior on the All-Florida team in '98. He rushed for 2,619 yards and 34 TDs last season and helped lead his team to the 5A state championship. He reminds some Floridians of Emmitt Smith. Green is looking at Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Tennessee.
At No. 9 comes the least-known of our top 10 backs -- Greg Jones, a 6-1, 230-pound bulldozer from Beaufort, S.C. He is a remarkably gifted athlete with quick feet, great strength and outstanding balance. He rushed for 1,500 yards and 15 TDs in '98 and can play either tailback or fullback. Has been timed in a 10.8 100 meters. Jones is looking at Tennessee, FSU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Clemson, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech.
Our No. 10 back is Ken Rogers (6-0, 190) of Jacksonville, Ill. A fine all-around back with great hands, body control and balance, he's a natural runner who is quick to the hole and can cut on a dime. He is also considered to be one of the state's top baseball prospects after batting .615 this past summer. He plans on visiting Notre Dame, Purdue, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Illinois, Nebraska and Missouri.
At No. 11: Walter Reyes, a 5-11, 200-pounder from Struthers, Ohio, the top back in the Buckeye State. If Reyes' grades were a little better he would most definitely rank in the top 10. As it is, he has been offered by a few schools while many others are waiting on his test scores. He's been timed at 10.5 in the 100 meters and has what it takes to make it at the next level. Reyes says that Syracuse leads Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan State and West Virginia.
The No. 12 RB is Renaldo Works, a 6-0, 190-pounder from Tulsa, Okla., who plays in one of the state's top programs. As a junior Works rushed for 1,595 yards and 21 TDs, averaging close to 8 yards per carry. One of the top three prospects in Oklahoma, he is looking hard at Oklahoma State, Michigan, UCLA, Colorado, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
No. 13 is one of the top three prospects in the state of North Carolina -- Andre Williams, a 6-0, 210-pounder from Northern Durham. Williams is a power back who could wind up playing either tailback or fullback in college. As a junior he rushed for 1,524 yards and 17 TDs averaging 6.7 yards per carry. An excellent student with great strength and good work habits, he's looking at North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, South Carolina and Georgia Tech.
At No. 14 is the top prospect in Connecticut, Jermelle Lewis of Bloomfield. This 5-10, 196-pound speedster rushed for 2,650 yards and 32 TDs in '98, averaging over 9 yards per carry and not fumbling the ball once all season. He's also the state's most electrifying kickoff returner. He's been timed in a 10.7 100 meters. He's already set up a visit to Syracuse and lists the Orangemen as his favorite, followed by Tennessee, North Carolina State and Nebraska.
The 15th-ranked back is Ron McClendon from Ponchatoula, La., a small but lightning-quick back who has the ability to play either RB, WR or DB in college. Florida State is the big leader for McClendon with Notre Dame, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan and Georgia trying to catch up.
Since it is such an average year for running backs, the top 15 list should change frequently. At this time, the backs above are the most recruited in the nation, but they can't rest on their laurels, for they are closely followed by these big-name prospects:
Dan Pohlman, Barrington, Ill.
Derron Parquet, Metairie, La.
Devery Henderson, Opelousas, La.
Keith Kelly, Walterboro, S.C.
Brandon Royster, Fairfax, Va.
Jeremy Fairrow, Evansville, Ind.
Harold James, Osceola, Ark.
Shyrone Carey, Marrero, La.
Corey Hicks, Memphis, Tenn.
Joey Harris, Spring, Tex.
Gerard Jackson, Melbourne, Fla.
Sam Maldonado, Harrison, N.Y.
Chris Howard, Wilmington, Calif.
Marquis Weeks, Berwyn, Pa.
Diamond Ferri, Everett, Mass.
Tatum Bell, DeSoto, Tex.
Adam Taliaferro, Voorhees, N.J.
Tyron Griffin, St. Louis, Mo.
Mitchell Marshall, Bolingbrook, Ill.
Brandon Russell, Atlanta, Ga.
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