Running Backs

Israel Abanikanda Pitt

5101 216/ 4.45 40/ 7.14 3 Cone/ 41 Vert) 20.5yrs

  • + Explosive Speed and Power: Able to accelerate instantly, just skips through rush lanes. Has big play home-run speed when he hits a crease. Strong lower body aids backfield jump cuts (built like a rock). Flashes keeping plays alive w/ strength and natural big play feel.

  • + Pass protection willingness: Steps into contact w/ pass rushers. Sets the tone on impact and effort. Will slide off blocks w/ over aggressive approach at POA.

  • + Contact balance: Uses a spin to maintain body control, w/ a strong lower body to drive through contact and burst through small rush lanes. Explosive downhill w/ instant burst as a one cut runner. Gets high knees and pinballs into the third level.

  • - Entry pacing: hit and miss patience allowing pullers to setup blocking scheme. Gets ahead of blocks and will also flow too slow through zone windows (2nd read). Has success working behind fullbacks however.

  • - 2nd read vision: Decisiveness waivers after reading first key. Finding 2nd rush lane is very hit and miss. Reads off of linebackers well with a clear path to the second level, but will look lost w/ congestion.

  • - Creativity into the second level: More explosive than fluid w/o much make you miss in a phone booth. COD is choppy, built for north and south running, yet he senses defender leverage downfield naturally, setting up blocks to his advantage

One-cut rusher that must improve his vision to improve his play speed at the next level. Fearless mindset in pass protection, receiving and w/ the ball, although he was extremely limited in his receiving usage, his pass protection has upside. Physically exciting back w/ big play potential (9 100+ yard rushing games 2022) yet a sturdy frame and youth make him intriguing for development. His grade is based on more upside than immediate consistency expected.

Grade: 6.3

Tank Bigsby Auburn

5115 215/ 4.56 40/21BP/32 1/2 Vert) 21.6yrs

  • + Quick processing inside vision: Proactive run angles into the second level, w/ rapid leverage sense of the defensive line and upfield. Squeezes up the line on power runs and demonstrates consistent fast reactions in zone

  • + Tight sink, cut and bounce ability: Able to get skinny and find small rush lanes. Stop and start skillset shines on inside zones and when isolated in space (Flies through arm reaches/ doesn’t effect his play speed when rolling downhill).

  • + High awareness and effort: Sells fakes and routes, to open others. Finds 3rd down impact through pass protection awareness and upper body strength (will break off routes and fakes to pass protect)

  • - Runs tall with limited leg drive: lacks explosive twitch and ability to drag defenders who wrap tackle. Not many true broken tackles. Not extremely flexible, degree of cut direction is limited, yet he uses active hands to help maintain balance on the line or on the ground.

  • - Gets loose w/ the ball: (4 Fumbles in 2021) gets loose on hand-offs, switching the ball and working into tuck.

  • - 3rd down receiving impact was limited: route tree wasn’t deep and often was used specifically for pass protection on pass sets. Sufficient acceleration upfield and elusiveness limited his receiving usage.

Versatile rushing scheme usage, but best suited for an inside zone scheme allowing one cut to get downhill. Bigsby has average homerun speed, but works north and south when he senses daylight picking up yards w/ poor blocking. Bigsby flashes a lack of recognition to see the entire field and create outside of his keys (Goal line or short yardage). His upright style leaves some to be desired in short yardage spots, but he has the talent and reliability to be consistent on early downs, with average 3rd down usage, but unlikely ST upside.

Grade: 6.0

Christopher Brooks BYU

6004 232

5YSR (Transfer from CAL) 22’ 817yds/6.3ypc/6TD/10rec/98y

  • + Leg drive/ Contact balance

  • + Soft hands w/ ease

  • + Ball Security

  • + Decisive

  • - Twitch

  • - Pass Pro Technique

  • - Breakaway speed

Grade: 6.5

Chase Brown Illinois

5094 215 (31 1/8 Arm- 9 7/8 Hand)

Zach Evans Ole Miss (TCU)

5111 208 (31 5/8 Arm- 10 1/4 Hand) 4.51 40/ 33 1/2 vert (22.0yrs)

  • + Leverage into contact w/ plus broken tackle rate: Gets leverage at POA for short yardage runs. Always falling forward w/ strong stiff arm on wide running plays

  • + Fluid and light on toes: Quick contact balance recovery to work from one defender into the next w/ balance. Light footwork allows for some lean through gaps.

  • + Homerun burst and NFL build: Occasionally demonstrates creativity to setup defenders w/ burst out of stutter.

  • - Pass protection reliability: Late to help with run fake action involved. Effort can be questionable and technique leads to hit and miss results (dips head into contact)

  • - Zone vision is average at best: Multiple examples lacking recognition of defender leverage finding is rush lane. Too often not pressing the LOS in zone unless the situation calls for more aggressiveness.

  • - Open field creativity: Not tapping into much make you miss outside of stiff arm and running through tackles.

Evans has 4 fumbles over the past 3 seasons, with injuries getting in the way (coming off of a Hamstring, has also dealt w/ foot, concussion injuries). He has good talent and contact balance w/ the ball and big play potential every time he touches it. His pass game impact is below average with hit and miss pass pro and limited receiving work. Evans can shine in a power scheme with the talent to fill any scheme.

Grade: 6.1

Eric Gray Oklahoma

5094 210 (30 1/4 Arm- 9 1/8 Hand)

Roschon Johnson Texas

6004 225 (31 134 Arm- 9 1/2 Hand)

Kenny Mclntosh Georgia

5117 210 (30 5/8 Arm- 9 Hand)

Camerun Peoples App State

6015 215 (33 Arm- 9 5/8 Hand)

Chris Rodriguez Jr Kentucky

5110 224 (30 5/8 Arm- 8 3/4 Hand)

Tyjae Spears Tulane

5095 204 (30 5/8 Arm- 10 Hand)

Sean Tucker Syracuse

5092 207 (30 Arm- 9 1/2 Hand) 21.4yrs

  • + Shifty body control: Uses upper body flexibility to dodge defenders and become very difficult for defenders to square up. Crafty on the sideline working stretch runs and maintain balance. Multiple bounces w/ full lateral cutback awareness.

  • + Adequate pass game ability: Route tree was limited to swings, wheels and a few angles, but he has the body control to be effective on these routes w/ a LB. Tucker has the compact frame to be formidable in pass protection, but needs to up the intensity to be more, than a chip blocker (not the aggressor). Has the flexibility and tracking for back-shoulder targets on wheels, average hands (touch passes), that lose confidence w/ more velocity as he lets the ball get into his body.

  • + Effort back: Works through the mess for ugly extra yards and oftentimes falls w/ a forward lean. Sells out for first down attempts, and works back to the LOS w/ poor blocking.

  • - Choppy, indecisive vision: Slow to push the line of scrimmage inside the tackle box. Gets caught doing way too much rather than getting north and south w/o a clear path upfield. Oftentimes looks wide between the tackles on inside zone attempts. (Can be caught from behind pursuit).

  • - Lower body explosiveness: Creates a small hit box, but has below average leg drive and twitch out of contact. Gets wide cornering.

Built for wide rushing attack and occasional power schemes to sit patiently behind blocks. Tucker shows more juice when lanes open up clearly and can be tapped into more often attacking the edge. His pass game usage isn’t as dynamic as stats may illustrate, but he can become average in that area. (had 626 yards as a True Freshman for Syracuse).

Grade: 5.8