Lance's 2021 Prospects to Watch: RBs and LBs
As I mentioned in the first article of this series, I did not write about the guys who are already getting all the love and attention, these are the other guys who can really make a name for themselves this season.
RUNNINGBACKS
Guys getting all the love: Isaiah Spiller (Texas A&M), Breece Hall (Iowa State)
Guys to Watch
Kevin Harris (South Carolina): In 10 games he put up nearly 1,300 total yards and 16 total touchdowns, while playing for one of the worst teams in arguably the toughest conference in college football. It’s astounding that he isn’t getting more attention, let’s see if he can improve on those numbers.
Max Borghi (Washington State): Didn’t play last year, but in 2019 he posted 817 yards on the ground (6.4/carry) and 597 receiving (86 receptions). He’s the epitome of a dual threat back, now let’s see if he can do it again.
Jerrion Ealy (Ole Miss): Ealy won’t move up boards because he’s that Nyheim Hines/Tarik Cohen/James White kind of back. He’s undersized, not a bell-cow, but lots of fun to watch, so you try to get the ball into his hands 10-15 times a game to see if he can get you a few big chunk plays. He can build himself up some more by doing lots of that this season.
Kennedy Brooks (Oklahoma): He opted out of last season, but he’s also the first back that Oklahoma has put out since Adrian Peterson that I’ve actually enjoyed watching (I’m definitely not saying he’s on the same level as AP). He’ll have to show he can be a four down back if he wants to move up draft boards, but there’s no denying his running ability.
Kyren Williams (Notre Dame): Didn’t grade out as well with PFF as you’d think if you watched him play. He’s a little undersized (5’9”, 195), so I’d like to see him pack on some weight, while maintaining his explosiveness.
Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota): Ibrahim isn’t the fastest, nor is he the best on passing downs, but he was a very good pure runner and we saw him dominate opponent after opponent when given the ball last year. Unless something drastically changes in his all-around game, we won’t see him become a top talked about prospect, but he’s the kind of back your team can snag in the mid-rounds and get 4-6 solid 1,000 yard seasons out of him.
Zamir White (Georgia): He’s a bigger name because he plays for Georgia, but the name is really all he’s had going for him. The potential is definitely there and it’s a bit concerning that he hasn’t been able to show more of it playing in Georgia’s RB friendly system. I like that he opted to go back to school, now let’s see if he can change his trajectory.
Tyler Allgeier (BYU): Popped off for 7.5 yards/carry last season. He’ll have to prove he can still manage that when he’s the primary focus of opposing defenses.
Tyler Nevens (San Jose State): You may not have realized, but San Jose State went 7-1 last year and won the MWC title for the first time in the 8 years they’ve been there. Nevens was one of the biggest reasons why, averaging 7.8 yards a rush, and posting 515 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground in 5 games.
LINEBACKERS
Guys getting all the love: Christian Harris (Alabama), Devin Lloyd (Utah)
Guys to Watch:
Payton Wilson (North Carolina State): His PFF grade was hot garbage and he’s really not getting a whole lot of attention, but I’m still very high on him, which will probably burn me later since I picked him as my sleeper to win the Bednarik. Statistically he had a monster season last year, 108 tackles, 11.5 tfl, 3.5 sacks, 2 ints. And I really believe NC State could make a big run this year, which would help Wilson out on the national stage.
Jack Sanborn (Wisconsin): Wisconsin puts Linebackers out almost as much as they do Offensive Lineman these days. Sanborn is the next big one for them. He rates highly in almost every category PFF grades Linebackers in, with the exception being Coverage where he’s a little below average. That’s an area he can focus on improving.
Jahad Woods (Washington State): Last year the Cougars barely played, which may have caused Woods to slide back into the shadows, but his 2019 season was incredible: 141 tackles, 10 tfl, 3 sacks, 1 int, 3 deflections and 2 forced fumbles. At 6’1”, 225, he’s that smaller, tweener type of Linebacker, but more and more teams are on the lookout for those guys. His stock could shoot way up if he can replicate that 2019 performance.
Micah McFadden (Indiana): Personally, I viewed McFadden as the best player on this defense last year, and that’s saying a lot. Indiana sported one of the most stingy defensive units in the FBS in 2020, and they can do it again this year with McFadden leading the way.
Mike Rose (Iowa State): While most of the attention at Iowa State games is going to be on the offense with Purdy, Hall and Kolar being the biggest draw for scouts, don’t sleep on some of their defensive pieces. Especially Rose, who finished last year with 99 total tackles, 10.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks and 5 interceptions.
Jace Lewis (Montana): Lewis was an athlete coming out of high school where he starred as both a QB and a Linebacker. At Montana he found his niche as a Linebacker with a solid Sophomore campaign that ended up leading to a 131 tackle, 12 for loss, 4.5 sack Junior season. Last year was not your normal circumstances for the FCS, so he went back to school and will look to match or outdo those 2019 stats.
