The top RBs remind us of ...
Originally Published: December 11, 2012
By
Billy Tucker | RecruitingNation
While it's tough to compare high school players with college players, it helps fans and gives a little perspective on the type of player these prospects could become. Now, these are physical comparisons; intangibles and other unknown characteristics cannot be compared yet. There is a lot of work yet to be done for these players once they get to college, but here's a look at whom the top running backs remind us of right now:
Rice
Taylor
Kelvin Taylor reminds us of Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice
These are two highly productive backs who lack elite speed and power but simply make defenders miss and move the chains with a lot of natural ability. Like Rice, Taylor might be at his best in tight spaces where he eludes tacklers in the hole with great short-area quickness and excellent jump-cuts and change-of-direction skills. And he does all of this while keeping downhill momentum and wasting little motion. They can slip tackles in the smallest creases and while not overly powerful, they are stocky, well-balanced and break plenty of tackles with their low centers of gravity. Taylor, the nation's No. 1 running back, is much more heralded than Rice was coming out of high school, but he has a similarly determined running style and work ethic.
These are two highly productive backs who lack elite speed and power but simply make defenders miss and move the chains with a lot of natural ability. Like Rice, Taylor might be at his best in tight spaces where he eludes tacklers in the hole with great short-area quickness and excellent jump-cuts and change-of-direction skills. And he does all of this while keeping downhill momentum and wasting little motion. They can slip tackles in the smallest creases and while not overly powerful, they are stocky, well-balanced and break plenty of tackles with their low centers of gravity. Taylor, the nation's No. 1 running back, is much more heralded than Rice was coming out of high school, but he has a similarly determined running style and work ethic.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
-
ESPN The Magazine subscribers
-
Need more information?
• Recruiting coordinator for ESPN RecruitingNation.
• Nearly a decade of college coaching experience.
• Was recruiting coordinator at nationally-ranked Division II colleges.
• Nearly a decade of college coaching experience.
• Was recruiting coordinator at nationally-ranked Division II colleges.
SPONSORED HEADLINES
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HEADLINES
- Lions launching Ford Field bowl, sources say
- QB Lunt mulls Illinois after visit, sources say
- Former Arkansas QB Mitchell picks NC State
- McCartney back on WVU roster after 6 months
MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM
RECRUITING NATION THIS WEEK

Monday
Tuesday
News and Analysis
- No. 2 RB picks Irish after visit
- 2014 OL Byrne chooses Notre Dame

- Rolin switches from Gamecocks to Gators

- ESPN 300 DL commits to Ohio State

