Oregon chasing Alabama for 5-star RB Richard Young

Alabama has long been one of the top schools for five-star Lehigh Acres (Fla.) running back Richard Young. The Crimson Tide, along with Georgia and Ohio State, were at the top of his list for the better part of a year.

But a new program has made its way into the mix, according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, and that’s Oregon. Young used one of his five official visits to see the Ducks last month, after tripping to Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Georgia.

The Crimson Tide are still on top, but the race is closer than most might think, Simmons says.

“I said for months and I still feel this way. Alabama is in a great spot. I still think ‘Bama is clearly the team to beat. They’ve made him feel like a top priority. He’s been there a couple of times in recent months. He feels very good. Around that coaching staff. He loves Robert Gillespie, the running backs coach. Nick Saban obviously speaks for himself and what he’s done there.

… Keep an eye on Oregon, though. I think with Oregon, the official visit definitely had an impact on his recruitment. I’m not ready to say Oregon’s right there with Alabama. But I do think I would say Oregon has surpassed Georgia as the No. 2 school right now for Richard Young.”

As it stands now, the Crimson Tide hold a commanding lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), with six expert picks in their favor.

Richard Young Scouting Summary

“Physically-developed running back who emerged as a national name as a high school underclassman. Has a good combination of play speed and power. Has a muscular upper body with room to add mass in his lower half. Uses his leg drive to run through tackles at the second level. Shows well above average speed, which is validated by his track times (around 11.1 seconds in the 100 meters).

… Productive as a junior, rushing for 1,755 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging nine yards per carry. Will need to considerably improve his ball skills as a receiver out of the backfield, as he has a tendency to fight the ball. Most of his best track times came as a high school underclassman. Older for the class, turning 18 years old in the spring of his junior year.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings