Introducing the top-10 running backs in Class of 2023

With Signing Day in the rearview mirror for the Class of 2022, the attention now turns to the junior class. It’s a class that features three Five-Star Plus+ prospects. It also includes four running backs in the top 60 in the country. On3 looks at the top-10 running backs and where things stand in their recruitment.

On3 also reviewed the top-10 quarterbacks in the 2023 class.

No. 1 running back Rueben Owens

El Campo, Texas
On3 Consensus: No. 24
On3 NIL Valuation: $29K
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: Texas A&M 56.4%, Georgia 10%, Miami 10%, Texas 10% 
On3+ Early Intel:  Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M and USC are five teams Owens, the nation’s top running back, talked about recently as schools standing out the most on his list. He recently visited UGA and has plans to visit Alabama and USC in the spring. But in-state Texas A&M is the team to beat, according to the On3 RPM.

No. 2 RB Richard Young

Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Senior
On3 Consensus: No. 26
On3 NIL Valuation: $37K
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: Ohio State 91.2%, Florida 2.3%, Alabama 2.3%
On3+ Early Intel: With more than 45 offers, Young is one of the most heavily recruited running backs and players in the country. However, Young hasn’t been shy about calling Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State the schools he likes a lot. He has visited Florida and Alabama and is hoping to see Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, USC and Penn State this spring.

No. 3 running back Justice Haynes

Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity Catholic
On3 Consensus: No. 43
On3 NIL Valuation: $26K
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: Clemson 42.8%, Notre Dame 21.7%, Georgia 21.7%, Ohio State 7.6%
On3+ Early Intel: Justice Hayes is already eyeing the end of his recruitment. After taking some January unofficial visits, he’s set to soon announce a top schools list and set his official visits. Clemson, Alabama and Georgia are expected to be on the list, but out of region programs like USC, Texas A&M and Notre Dame have his attention, too.

No. 4 RB Cedric Baxter Jr.

Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater
On3 Consensus: No. 60
On3 NIL Valuation: $26K
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: UCF 24.4%, Georgia Tech 24.4%, Florida State 12.4%, Florida 12.4%, Arkansas 12.4%, Miami 4.3%, Clemson 3.9%
On3+ Early Intel: Cedric Baxter Jr. recently released a top school list of Alabama, Florida State, Texas, Ohio State, UCF, Arkansas and USC. But he also said it was not his final top school list and Florida, Oklahoma and Miami are schools that could sneak into his list as things progress in the spring.

No. 5 running back Treyaun Webb

Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian Academy
On3 Consensus: No. 121
On3 NIL Valuation: $29K
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: South Carolina 58.4%, Georgia 35.5%
On3+ Early Intel: Treyaun Webb took a recent unofficial visit to Columbia, and the Gamecocks are now in the driver’s seat. Yet, Webb has committed to Georgia and Oklahoma in the past, so he is not looking to rush to his next, and what he hopes to be, and final commitment.

No. 6 RB Jeremiah Cobb

Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Prep
On3 Consensus: No. 122
On3 NIL Valuation: TBD
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: Tennessee 17.1%, Vanderbilt 17.1%, North Carolina 17.1%, Florida State 17.1%, Auburn 15.5%
On3+ Early Intel: Cobb hasn’t hinted publicly what his top teams are, so that’ll make spring campus visits important for him. Three schools expected to get visits are Auburn, Tennessee and LSU.

No. 7 RB Samuel Singleton

Orange Park (Fla.) Fleming Island
On3 Consensus: No. 133
On3 NIL Valuation: $12.8K
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: Virginia Tech 17.2%, Florida State 17.2%, Michigan 17.2%, Boston College 17.2%, Louisville 17.2%
On3+ Early Intel: Singleton has a healthy offer list that includes almost 20 Power Five offers, including home state options Florida State and Miami. Singleton also made visits in November to Michigan and Boston College. He was recently at Louisville, too.

No. 8 RB Tre Wisner

Waco (Texas) Connally
On3 Consensus: No. 144
On3 NIL Valuation: $13k
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: Oklahoma 97.6%, Texas 1.3%
On3+ Early Intel: Early projections have Wisner leaning toward Oklahoma, but Texas and Texas A&M are also doing everything they can to remain engaged. If either misses out on Owens, then the full-court press will go to Wisner for their top running back target.

No. 9 RB Kaleb Jackson

Baton Rouge (La.) Liberty Magnet
On3 Consensus: No. 159
On3 NIL Valuation: TBD
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: LSU 40.7%, Oregon 40.7%
On3+ Early Intel: Recent offers from Michigan and Michigan State have intrigued the star running back, but LSU is the team to watch. If the Tigers push, as they seem like they will, they might be hard to beat for the hometown star.

No. 10 RB Kendrick Raphael

Naples, Fla.
On3 Consensus: No. 165
On3 NIL Valuation: TBD
Status: Uncommitted
On3 RPM: USF 40%, West Virginia 14.7%, NC State 14.7%, UCF 13.3%
On3+ Early Intel: Raphael said recently that NC State and Vanderbilt have been recruiting him the hardest, but pushes from Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and South Carolina could shake his recruitment up in the spring.