The spread may be taking over high school football, but that
doesn’t mean the running back position’s become any less effective or
important. Of course, Texas has always been known for producing outstanding running
talent and this is a special year even by Texan standards. Class 5A boats
more running back talent this season than we’ve seen since we started this
Cy Fair’s senior tailback Sam McGuffie leads this 2007 talent
crop after rushing for a jaw-dropping 3,121 yards and 43 touchdowns as a junior.
McGuffie’s received offers from all over the country to play in
college. His greatest strengths are his balance and overall explosiveness.
In addition to McGuffie, Katy senior RB Aundre Dean and Elsik
senior RB Jeremy Hills are top Greater Houston area runners. Dean is committed
to UCLA and Hills to Texas. Dean is a classic I-back at 6’1, 200 pounds
and Hills’ skills are more spread and option oriented. Clements’ Chris
Lenoir also returns in 2007. Lenoir topped the 2,000 yard mark in 11 games as
a junior. Talented Westfield senior Bo Walker could be poised for a huge
year after splitting carries as a junior. And although not technically a
running back, junior Cy Ridge QB Russell Shepard is one of the most dangerous
players in the state with the ball in his hands as is Klein Oak’s
senior all-purpose specialist DeSean Hales.
DeSoto’s Cyrus Gray, Southlake Carroll’s Tre Newton and
Grapevine’s Kale Gelles are three of the top backs in the DFW area. Gray could take a
page from Will Cole’s book, and touch the ball every snap this season.
Newton, a Texas commit, can help lead Carroll to an unprecedented four straight
state championship, and Gelles is the reigning 5-5A District MVP. Richardson
Berkner senior Josh Johnson is a three-year starter and a top DFW
Euless Trinity’s Tray Robinson (Jr.) and Cedar Hill’s super
sophomore Ben Malena are younger players already on college radars. Lufkin’s
junior standout Trevon Lewis is another very talented underclassman.
The race for the San Antonio area rushing crown between 26-5A
adversaries Devin Thomas (Madison, Sr.), Marcus Wright (Reagan, Sr.)
and Trent Rios (Smithson Valley, Sr.) should be highly entertaining,
Wright and Rios are similar in that they are smaller backs who can break long
gainers any moment. Thomas broke 2,000 yards last season in only eight games.
Defenses simply failed to cope with his ability to pick up yards in
As far as tandems are concerned, it would be awfully difficult to
find a better duo in the country than what Beaumont West Brook has in 2007
with senior Albert Williams and junior Christian Michael. The two combined
for nearly 3,000 rushing yards last season and 37 touchdowns with a per carry average of 8.9.
Both players squat 500 pounds and have tremendous speed in the open field.
Williams and Michael are major Division 1 college prospects.
And that’s only scratching the surface of what Texas has to offer in the backfield this season.
Click to view our Super List of top running backs.
