Wahooze on the Trail: Running Backs

While the state of Virginia is exteremly deep with talented quarterbacks in the class of 2013, it is not exactly hurting for talent at the running back spot either. The top two backs in the state of Virginia are both extremely talented and UVA would be extremely fortunate to land either one, that being said look for the Hoos to be going hard after some out of state kids as well. RB is not a pressing need for the Cavs with the likes of Parks, Richardson, and Morgan on tap for the 2013 season, but rest assured the Hoos will be hard after a feature RB this go round.

Derrick Green                   5-11 215lbs.        Richmond, VA                   Hermitage

                Green is the best pure power back in the state of Virginia for 2013, but don’t let that fool you, Green has breakaway speed. At 5-11 215 pounds Green is a solid and strong back but a 4.3 40 yard dash also gives him the speed to become an elite back. Green currently holds 14 scholarship offers to big time programs including South Carolina, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma, but the clear leader in the clubhouse is Ohio State. Green sports offers from UVA and Virginia Tech but it appears both schools are in a hell of a fight to get this kid out of Columbus. It will be interesting to see how Urban Meyer’s offense fits Green’s style of play, but I think that speed will translate into any system. Of course the biggest thing the Buckeyes have going for them is the presence of Curtis Grant, who could become a major factor in making his transition to Columbus that much easier. It will be interesting to see this play out, but I fully expect Green to end up at a major program.

Probable Destination: Ohio State. This to me seems like a done deal, unless Urban Meyer doesn’t use running backs at all. That being said we could see Tech sneak in, but that is highly unlikely.

Taquan Mizzell                 5-9 180lbs.          Virginia Beach, VA          Bayside

                With Green out of the picture that turns both in state schools focus towards Bayside High School and the back the call Smoke. Mizzell is cut from the same cloth as Perry Jones. He is able to do it all on the football field, so well in fact that he is listed as an athlete as opposed to a running back on some recruiting sites. Mizzell fits the mold that Coach Lazor seems to want to use as a back that can also be motioned out of the backfield as a receiver. Mizzell currently holds offers from 8 schools with Tennessee poised to offer soon. While that appears daunting it looks like the Hoos may be in the driver’s seat, and I would not be surprised to see Mizzell be one of our first commitments. UVA has worked hard to build up a pipeline from Bayside and landing a player of Mizzell’s caliber would make that that much more solid.

Probable Destination: UVA. I think UVA is in a great position. We had Smoke as a visitor multiple times this season and he seemed to enjoy it every time he was here. UVA is doing a good job establishing the family aspect of the program and look for those bonds to be a key player in Smoke’s recruitment. I think he wants to come here, but will want to go through the process.

Daniel Reid                        6-0 195lbs.          Chester, VA                        Thomas Dale

                The last back in the state of Virginia we are going to  focus on is Daniel Reid from Thomas Dale. Reid is the tallest back but also the slowest of the top backs in the state in this class. Reid currently has offers from UVA, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina, with more coming from schools like Notre Dame and Boston College. Dale is more of a traditional running back and appears to be a solid college prospect. From looking at film nothing really stands out as amazing, but he does everything well. Tech appears to have a sizeable lead for Reid and the biggest competition may come from out of state school. Reid could very well become a fast riser this season but for now is a cut below Mizzell and Green at the top.

Probable Destination: Virginia Tech. This will be Tech’s factor back in the class of 2013. They are going to be the best school that is going to recruit him as their number one target, with UVA looking elsewhere as their top priority.

Marquez Grayson            6-0 195lbs.          Lexington, NC                   Lexington

                Grayson could very well turn into one of the top backs in the country this year. He currently boasts offers from Clemson, Virginia Tech, NC State, South Carolina, and the Wahoos. Recently Grayson listed his top three as Clemson, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech were in his top 3. Needless to say the Hoos will have their work cut out for them here. Grayson is extremely strong between the tackles, making him an ideal back for the SEC.  He also sports strong blocking abilities, which are also paramount in those styles of offense. I fully expect more SEC offers to roll in as his recruitment picks up, and for him to most likely land at one of those schools. This is great news for UVA since that means he will most likely be out of reach for Virginia Tech.

Probable Destination: South Carolina. I am saying this for now, but fully expect more offers to roll in. I think a school like Georgia would be a good spot, and of course James Franklin at Vandy is always looming.

David Williams                 6-0 190lbs.          Philadelphia, PA              West Catholic

                Williams is the other back that has caught the eye of the coaching staff. West Catholic runs a pro style set that is very similar to the offense the Hoos run. Williams has good speed (4.4 40) and catches the ball out of the backfield well. UVA is in a decent position but will have to compete with some powerhouse programs like Wisconsin and Notre Dame to secure the services of Williams. This season Williams took visits to Maryland, Rutgers, and Temple, and sounds like he is interested in staying relatively close to home. This may play into the hands of the schools that are closer in but when asked how comfortable he was with the distance from Philly to Charlottesville he said it was no problem. That being said that also opens the door for more schools further out. If I had to guess this will be a battle between Northeastern Schools, most likely Rutgers v. Notre Dame. It all depends on how his visit to Charlottesville goes.

Probable Destination: Notre Dame. When asked which schools he will be visiting over the summer the first team was Notre Dame, definitely. I think that means he has an admiration for the program which makes the Irish a strong player. If they can keep that angle strong Williams will be theirs to lose.