The Freshman 15: Top new RBs in fantasy college football

February 11th, 2009 by Jason Roberts

In order to prepare you for the 2009 fantasy college football season properly we have invested more time than usual following the recruiting scene, and no one has stepped up more than Jason Roberts. Jason begins his survey of the top five freshman expected at QB, RB and WR – and that equals the dreaded “Freshman 15″.

Bryce Brown, courtesy of VarsityKansas.com

Bryce Brown, RB, Uncommitted [Miami (FL) or Oregon or Tennessee]

Brown still hasn’t made a final decision as to whether he’ll remain at the University of Miami or, instead, reverse commitments and head out to Eugene, Oregon to play for Mike Bellotti. Reports heading into January (as reported by ESPN) suggest, as Brown himself told reporters, “It is safe to say that Oregon has got the edge by a little bit.” Still, at the one week anniversary of National Signing Day, no announcement had been made out of the youngster’s camp, and his personal website says to expect an announcement on March 12 (yes, subscription required)

The University of Miami (Florida) initially picked up a somewhat surprising commitment from one of the best running back recruits available in the Class of 2009 in Wichita, Kansas’ East High School’s Brown. A stunning combination of power and speed, Brown, who rushed for 6809 yards in his high school career, has the physical build to be a workhorse out of the Hurricanes’ backfield – and this regardless of whether running on the inside or bouncing outside to the corner. Scouts love his low center of gravity, a characteristic which should make it nearly impossible for opposing defenders to bring Brown down with any degree of easy; so too have evaluators had favorable things to say about his ability to catch the ball off a screen pass or as an intermediary target downfield.

He’s a sound student of the game and can pick up a blitz in pass protection with a level of comfort equal to his ability to run with the ball. Some concerns exist with his ability to dodge defenders out in open space, as well as the caliber of competition he faced in Wichita, Kansas, but there are enough tangibles embodied by Brown to make him a highly-sought after prize.

Read about the rest of Jason’s Freshmen 15 Rb like Trent Richardson and Jamaal Berry.

Trent Richardson, RB, University of Alabama

A 5’11, 219-pound ball of fire from Pensacola, Florida, where Richardson played tailback for Escambia High School (Emmitt Smith danced there) and averaged a frightening 9.1 yards per carry, the newest member of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s backfield is considered one of the best at his position for the Class of 2009. A proponent of a pounding-style of running on the inside, Richardson has great size and plenty of strength to go around. ESPN describes his ball-carrying with the adjective “violent”; still, Richardson has deceptive speed and break to the outside and cut without slowing down to make an adjustment on a defender. Opposing defenders will have to go low to bring this young man down – he’s far too powerful (especially in his upper-body) to tackle any other way. Taking somewhat of a backseat to Miami, Florida’s Bryce Brown in late-season recruiting, Richardson is every bit the athlete that Brown is, but will be more of the presence carrying the ball between the tackles. Could easily see time in Nick Saban’s rotation come fall and will likely remind fans of the Crimson Tide of 2008′s leading rusher Glen Coffee.

Jamaal Berry, RB, Ohio State University

Ohio State wanted to try to shore up depth at the running back position in 2009 not only because of the departure of Chris “Beanie” Wells to the NFL, but also given that with the loss of Wells, the Buckeyes were left with only two scholarship-grade players capable of lining up at tailback heading into next season. That being the case, it is easy to understand why OSU faithful then are so enthralled with the commitment of 5’11″, 185 pound rusher Jaamal Berry of Miami-Palmetto High School. A flat-out speedster once clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.31 seconds, Berry is a lightning bug out of the backfield that hits holes with an incredible amount of quickness. He’s incredibly agile and eludes defenders with easily with his feet as well. Scouts note that he tends to run with his knees low, allowing Berry to be too-often tackled around his ankles, and needs to work on his ability to catch the ball and work his way downfield. Durability could be an issue as well until he builds the mass to continuously take the hard hits associated with the collegiate game. Nevertheless, Berry’s 1033 yards and 14 touchdowns on 140 carries as a senior at Miami-Palmetto is suggestive of player who should excel in a one-back / I-formation system.

Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M University

The Aggies landed a gem of a player in Christine Michael, a 5’11″, 202 pound running back out of West Brook Senior High School in Texas. A nice combination of physical size, strength, and maneuverability, Michael finished his prep career with 3927 yards rushing and 80 touchdowns, numbers good enough to land him MVP honors for his district. Despite his build, scouts note Michael hits holes quick and hard, but can quickly cut and make an adjustment to the outside if necessary. His ability to accelerate is uncanny, allowing Michael to burst through for large chunks of yardage in a manner reminiscent of Ian Johnson of Boise State. Some say he tends to slow on longer runs, but should be able to break-free of closing defenders, especially if they attempt to tackle Michael high. He has fantastic hands and should be an integral part of the Aggies’ passing attack in addition to be a nice counterpunch carrying the ball with an offensive backfield that hosts returning junior quarterback Jerrod Johnson and sophomore Cyrus Gray. Michael could see immediate playing time, particularly if Mike Goodson follows through with a special eligibility awarded to him by the NFL to enter to its 2009 draft and definitely is one to follow in upcoming spring and fall camps.

David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech University

After the breakout season Darren Evans had for the Hokies in 2008, it’s hard to imagine that Virginia Tech would find much need for adding a talented tailback with its 2009 recruiting class. Still, that’s exactly what head coach Frank Beamer landed this year with George Washington High School (Virginia) running back David Wilson, a 5’11, 190 pound athlete that in 2008 was named the state’s ESPN Rise Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Rushing for 2300 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior, Wilson exhibited a marvelous mixture of athletic talent, proving quick, yet powerful as a ball carrier, but also serving as a major contributor catching the ball and showing explosiveness as a return specialist on special teams. Wilson loves the physicality of the sport and will go for the hit on a defender as opposed to trying to elude him; he’ll easily carry a pile, scouts note, and only gets stronger as time goes on. Given the type of offense Virginia Tech runs, Wilson’s overall level of contribution won’t likely focus on individual achievement. Instead, expect he’ll be part of a two-back set that will likely label Wilson as the power back, while someone like Evans serves the role as the slashing speedster. A first-place finisher at the Nike Indoor Nationals last year, Wilson hopes to run track as well at VT, something which should only boost his value as a player in his sophomore year and beyond.

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