Top RB's In TN

[biglon68]

Interesting thread. UT does a great job recruiting nationally and does try to get the best to kids in-state that fit into the program needs. 75% on high school running backs play another position in D-1 anyway and just because you are a great high school back does not mean you will be a recruited as a back by Tennessee. Jeff Jennings would have been a LB at UT, he wanted to play RB and get a quality education so Vanderbilt was the best fit. I remember a few years ago Tennessee fans were bashing Bill Battle and Johnny Majors because they could not recruit out of state and Tennessee was mediocre. I love the fact we go after big time kids in other states. The reverse of all this is we can recruit in-state and let all the 4-star and 5-star players stay in state and go to Alabama, Georgia and Florida so we can be cellar dwellers again like we were in the 1970's. Let's face it Tennessee has a small state population and outside of Shelby and Davidson County an extremely small African-American population. I'd love to see every good kid from the state in Orange but it's not realistic.

[supchief]

That's a good post. I mean people act like Tennessee never gets any good in- state RBs....Troy Fleming (nation's all-time leading rusher in high school)

 

Check your numbers before making such a bold statement...

 

11,232 Ken Hall (Sugar Land, TX), 1950-53

10,241 Toney Baker (Jamestown Ragsdale, NC), 2001-04

9,442 Troy Fleming (Franklin Battle Ground Academy, TN), 1995-98

 

**7,656 Mike Hart (Nedrow Onondaga, NY), 2000-02

 

**Michael Hart, who is now starting RB for Michigan, high school career ended in 2003 & his final numbers are still being verified but it is beleived that he is now the all time leading rusher in high school history.

 

So that would make Troy Fleming #4 not #1 as you stated...but still an AMAZING accomplishment.

[BDP8]

I think the best RB in the state would be Ricky Ladd for sure!

[HOOTERVILLE OWL]

I think the best RB in the state would be Ricky Ladd for sure!

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WHOO?

[riverdaleman]

I don't know if Sheffield is the best, but he is a very good back who is way underrated. I think, pound for pound, the best RB's in this state are Dustin Lindsey, Preston Brown, and Graig Cooper. The big time college coaches sure think that these are the best and I'll agree with them. UT just doesn't give out scholly's and Lindsey has one. Brown is so good, he was splitting carries with an High School All-American for two years.....nuff said. And Cooper is a versatile back. No offense to any of the other quality backs in the state, and there are plenty, but these three, with Edward Sawyer closing in fast, are Tennessee's best. Let me say that I love Gaston Miller's game, but doesn't every Riverdale RB run for 9,000,000 yards. Ditto for Oak Ridge's Gulmire, yeah he's good, but a lot of people have been really good in that system for a long time. The things I look for in a great RB are vision, balance, cutting ability, and the ability to be physical at the point of attack. When your team is as dominant as Riverdale or OR, rarely does the RB have to exhibit vision and physicality. Pound for pound, I think Preston Brown is Tennessee's best RB. He's fast, has exceptional balance, and can cut on a dime. Plus, the kid is tough as nails. Everybody knows he's going to get 25-30 touches in a cro-magnom offense and they still can't stop him.

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Well if my son was a good running back i guess i would send him to RIVERDALE so that he would get the recognition he deserves

[OR nole]

I don't know if Sheffield is the best, but he is a very good back who is way underrated. I think, pound for pound, the best RB's in this state are Dustin Lindsey, Preston Brown, and Graig Cooper. The big time college coaches sure think that these are the best and I'll agree with them. UT just doesn't give out scholly's and Lindsey has one. Brown is so good, he was splitting carries with an High School All-American for two years.....nuff said. And Cooper is a versatile back. No offense to any of the other quality backs in the state, and there are plenty, but these three, with Edward Sawyer closing in fast, are Tennessee's best. Let me say that I love Gaston Miller's game, but doesn't every Riverdale RB run for 9,000,000 yards. Ditto for Oak Ridge's Gulmire, yeah he's good, but a lot of people have been really good in that system for a long time. The things I look for in a great RB are vision, balance, cutting ability, and the ability to be physical at the point of attack. When your team is as dominant as Riverdale or OR, rarely does the RB have to exhibit vision and physicality. Pound for pound, I think Preston Brown is Tennessee's best RB. He's fast, has exceptional balance, and can cut on a dime. Plus, the kid is tough as nails. Everybody knows he's going to get 25-30 touches in a cro-magnom offense and they still can't stop him.

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Give credit to all the other backs, but Miller and Gulmire HAVE all the things you say you look for in a great back. And let's add heart and character. Gulmire is one of the nastiest backs I've ever seen being physical at the point of attack (and I played with 2 NFL backs). Miller and Gulmire deserve every bit of the praise they get.