Rivals has released its 2022 position rankings and our focus today is on the offensive side of the ball. None of the 25 running backs and all-purpose backs in the Rivals250 are committed, so there is plenty of intrigue to come.
CLASS OF 2022: Running backs | All-purpose backs
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE
MONDAY: Who should be No. 1 in 2022? | Who should be the top QB? | Who should be the top OT?
TUESDAY: Rivals250 revealed | Four prospects earn fifth star | Mike Farrell's thoughts | Who should be the top APB? | Top CB class ever?
WEDNESDAY: QB rankings | RB rankings | WR/TE rankings | OL rankings
THURSDAY: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings
FRIDAY: State rankings spotlight
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Teams to watch: LSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma
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LSU has been churning out running backs for years, and Tigers in line to land a couple in this recruiting class. Local running back Le’Veon Moss is a prime candidate to commit to LSU. The location is really helping the Tigers with him. No. 1 running back Jaydon Blue is also very interested in LSU because of his relationship with running backs coach Kevin Faulk. LSU was also Blue's dream school as a child. In-state running back Trevor Etienne is a major LSU target, and he is very serious about the SEC schools on his list. If the Tigers were to take a running back outside of Louisiana or Texas, it could be Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. He was uber-productive last season and is entertaining offers from around the country.
Speaking of Hampton, Penn State is really pushing for the workhorse back. The Nittany Lions love how he would fit in their scheme and think they have as good a shot at landing him as any school. Also near the top of their running back wish list is in-state back Nicholas Singleton. Penn State has been all over Singleton from very early in his high school career, and it expects to be one of his finalists when the time comes. Look for Penn State to also push for Virginia running backs George Pettaway and Tevin White.
Ohio State has a number of offers out to 2022 running backs and the Buckeyes aren’t pushing for any specific one just yet. The two that they are in the most contact with are Singleton and Damari Alston. Singleton is excited about the opportunity at Ohio State, despite the Buckeyes taking highly rated running backs Evan Pryor and TreVeyon Henderson in the 2021 class. Alston has been building a great relationship with running backs coach Tony Alford.
Oklahoma is a prime candidate to land top-ranked running back Raleek Brown, but the Sooners will have to beat USC and Alabama. The Sooners are also in great shape with Colorado back Gavin Sawchuk. He is serious about his interest in the Sooners, but teams like Clemson, Michigan, Notre Dame and others are in contention. Oklahoma fans are very familiar with Emeka Megwa, and his recruitment is shaping up as an Oklahoma/Texas battle.
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Player on the rise: Trevor Etienne
Etienne has already gotten a lot of headlines because of the accomplishments of his older brother, Clemson running back Travis Etienne, but he is an excellent player in his own right. The star all-purpose back out of Jennings, La., saw his Rivals Rating increase in this latest version of the 2022 rankings and is now the No. 2 running back in the Rivals250.
Clemson is the favorite to land the younger Etienne, but it won’t be an easy fight. LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Georgia have all prioritized Etienne and would love to have him suit up for them. As a younger player, Etienne was an Alabama fan, but LSU was his first offer and the Tigers are hoping he’ll stay in-state.
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Player to watch: Jamie Felix
Felix isn’t close to making a decision, but his recruitment will be fun to watch because he is a dual-sport star. He is a major baseball prospect that figures to be drafted in the next MLB Draft. As a running back, Felix landed at No. 196 in the Rivals250 and there are plenty of schools coming after him. Florida is the favorite to end up with him because the Gators were his dream school and they will let him play both sports. Georgia Tech, Oregon, Miami, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State and a few others are working hard to make sure they stay in contention for Felix's commitment.
