Last week, we at TexasHSFootball took a look at some of the top quarterbacks coming back for the 2017 season. This week, we start by taking a look at some of the top running backs across the state of Texas. There are definitely a lot of very talented runners across the state but here’s just a few that we’re looking at in 2017. Note: The players listed here are not in any particular order.
Jase McClellan – Aledo
The rising sophomore isn’t even old enough to get his driver’s license yet, but his profile has risen quickly after playing an important role in Aledo’s run to another state title. The sophomore has seven offers already (including the most recent one from Houston) and he’ll look to build on a 1,528 yard, 20 touchdown freshman year.
Craig Williams – Crosby
This fast, all-purpose back already has offers from Washington State, Baylor and Arizona State just to name a few. His junior year was cut short due to injury, but his play was still good enough to earn a second team all-district selection. After a 10-win season, a fully healthy Williams will be a very exciting player to watch.
Deion Hankins – El Paso Parkland
Out in El Paso, Deion Hankins turned heads this season as the leading rusher in the state, finishing with 2,812 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. What might be even more impressive is that he put those numbers up as a sophomore. He is an important member of the Matadors’ up-tempo offense and has offers from UTEP, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Utah. Expectations will be high for the junior-to-be but he should be very exciting to watch again in 2017.
Keaontay Ingram – Carthage
Moving to the other side of the state, Carthage running back Keaontay Ingram used his junior season to establish himself as not only one of the top running backs in East Texas, but the entire state. Fresh off a 2,000-yard season and a state title, the rising senior looks to cap off his high school career with another great year.
Stanley Hackett – Pasadena Sam Rayburn
This one may fly a little bit under the radar, but Stanley Hackett is a big, physical back that has earned back-to-back all-district selections for the Texans. At 6-3 and nearly 200 pounds, he’s a tough load to bring down and is also a versatile playmaker at running back or receiver. The Texans have struggled the last few years, but Hackett is a must-watch on Friday nights. He was a Texas Tech commit until recently and also has offers from Baylor, UTSA, Tulsa, and UCLA.
Garrison Johnson – Wolfforth Frenship
The rising junior is a force to be reckoned with in the backfield for the Tigers. Listed at 210 pounds, he’s a powerful runner that is tough to bring down and as just a sophomore, led the Tigers in rushing last year. With new head coach Jay Northcutt installing a spread offense, we’ll see how his touches are impacted but he’s too good of a runner to not have the ball in his hands as much as possible.
Kelan Walker – DeSoto
Walker tends to get overlooked a bit by his talented teammates, but the rising senior will be leaned on heavily in 2017 for the defending 6A state champions. Walker finished last season with 809 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns and the recent Houston commit is ready to take advantage of his opportunity as the Eagles’ leading running back in 2017.
Brock Sturges – Allen
Brock Sturges and Kirby Bennett proved to be a dynamic 1-2 combination at running back for the Eagles. With Bennett transferring to Bishop Gorman, Sturges now has the opportunity to shine as a dynamic playmaker. At 5-9, 200 pounds, he’s not the biggest running back on this list but he brings an edge and toughness to his running style and will look to build off a first team all-district selection.
Brenden Brady – Cibolo Steele
Speaking of tough runners, Cibolo Steele has one of their own in Brenden Brady. He’s also a very smart runner, finishing with 1,656 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Knights in 2016 and fielding offers from Army, Navy and several Ivy League programs. He’ll be a good fit in a lot of college programs, but Brady will look to build off his impressive junior year and help get the Knights back to a state title game.
Ta’zhawn Henry – Houston Lamar
The District 18-6A MVP from 2016, Henry played a key role in guiding the Texans to another deep playoff run. The all-purpose back has shown himself to be a dynamic runner and a versatile receiver in the backfield as well. The 5-7 running back has offers from Baylor, Boise State, and Houston among others and he will be another fun runner to watch next season.
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you guys missed a huge one in not putting Glass on this list. wow, the rest of the list really loses any kind of credibility.
Loses cred? Seriously? What a lame statement………….
That OBVIOUS mistake will be corrected in a future article. D. Glass from Katy is a 4 Star RB who is the 4th ranked RB in THE NATION for his class(2019) impossible to be ranked in top 10 in the Nation but not ranked in Texas. He also has more yards and TDs than most on the list despite sitting the second half of most of his games.