Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney
High school athletes making the jump to professional sports has been a topic of conversation for many years. In basketball, many players made the transition from high school to the NBA and have had hall of fame careers. Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Moses Malone, and Kevin Garnett are all hall of famers who made the leap from high school straight to the pros. On the flip side, there are some players that would have been top five draft picks if they came out of high school straight to the pros who flopped. Namely Anthony Bennett, Sebastian Telfair, Josh Selby and Greg Oden. Who??? Exactly.
Since 2006, the one and done rule was implemented by the NBA and requires basketball athletes to be 19 years old or spend one year in college before turning pro. In football, high school students have to be out of high school for at least three years before becoming NFL draft eligible. Football indeed has a high level of physicality that other sports do not have. So the assumed logic is that high school players would not be able to handle the physical nature of the game immediately at the pro level.
Other sports such as baseball, golf, hockey and tennis have no such age restrictions. An athlete can turn pro at any time and earn as many dollars as they deem themselves worth. Basketball and football are the only sports that have such age restrictions. As a result, a black market has been created where athletes are receiving benefits and gifts because of the age restrictions mainly because athletes playing college sports are not allowed to be paid for their athletic performance.
Obviously there is much risk in any prospect a NFL team selects, but seemingly running back is the position that seems to translate to the NFL right away. In the 2017 NFL draft, the first 10 selections saw significant playing time in their rookie season and Alvin Kamara was a pro bowl selection. Kamara who did not play his senior season in college, averaged 6.1 yards per carry scoring 13 total touchdowns. The list of other NFL rookie running backs that saw the field early and often include: Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, D’Onta Foreman, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon, Kareem Hunt, James Connor, Samaje Perine and Tarik Cohen. All should be on your fantasy football draft radar next season. According to the NFL Players Association the average lifespan of a running back is 3.3 years. Eliminating the three year rule for football can potentially add three more years of life to a career.
So which high school football running backs of next year’s recruiting cycle are NFL ready right now? Let’s break down the five and four star backs according to Rivals that could start for an NFL team next season.
Quavaris Crouch – 6’2” 224 pounds Harding University (Charlotte, NC)
Nice combination of speed and power. Great balance and vision in the open field and will be a nightmare for defenses. Also plays linebacker and inflicts pain on both sides of the ball. The 2017-18 Gatorade North Carolina state player of the year is undecided with South Carolina, Clemson, Alabama and Michigan as front runners.
http://www.hudl.com/profile/5429631/Quavaris-Crouch
Trey Sanders – 6’1” 205 pounds IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Tough to bring down and great agility. Patient runner with great hands and speed. Can line up as a receiver and also returns kicks. Decommitted from Alabama on the 1st day of 2018 and Florida, Florida State and Miami are all trying hard to land the versatile back now that he has re-opened his recruitment.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/6396415/Trey-Sanders
Devyn Ford – 5’11” 185 pounds North Stafford (Stafford, VA)
Quick feet and an explosive burst of speed. Experienced kick returner that can take it the length of the field at any time. Ran a speedy 4.47 40 yard dash and has narrowed his college selection to six schools: Oklahoma, Penn State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Clemson and Ohio State.
http://www.hudl.com/profile/4362088/Devyn-Ford
Eric Gray – 5’11” 185 pounds Lausanne Collegiate School (Memphis, TN)
Ran for over 3,000 yards and is a two time Gatorade Player of the Year award winner. He was rumored to transfer to IMG Academy but is staying home in Tennessee. LSU and Michigan have both recently offered the solid runner.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/5372965/Eric-Gray
Sean Dollars – 5’10” 190 pounds Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Transfered from Rancho Cucamonga (CA) to play for the mythical national champion Monarchs for his senior season. Catches the ball nicely out of the backfield and is very intentional with his running. Dollars is favored to stay home and play for USC Trojans.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/7868547/Sean-Dollars
Noah Cain – 5’10” 210 pounds IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Arguably the better running back in the Ascender backfield. Cain lead his team in yards from scrimmage, rushing and TDs on a team that many say was the best in the nation. Texas, Miami, Oklahoma and LSU are all in the mix to land the coveted back.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/3141061/Noah-Cain
If there were no rules regulating their pursuit of a professional football career, these backs would quite possibly be training for the NFL combine after their senior season. Completing a college degree should never be devalued, but history shows that football players have a small window of opportunity. Why not let them pursue their dream as soon as they are able and when an NFL team is willing to invest and take that chance?
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